CBS 58 Exclusive: ‘Jeopardy!’ Retrospective with Alex Trebek
LOS ANGELES, Ca. (CBS 58) – “Jeopardy!” is now five months into its 36th season, and you can catch it every weekday right here on CBS 58 at 6 p.m. With host Alex Trebek’s cancer announcement last year, fans are left wondering what will happen to the future of America’s favorite quiz show.
CBS 58’s Pauleen Le sat down with Trebek and announcer Johnny Gilbert -- two members of the original “Jeopardy!” staff -- as they look ahead to what’s next.
For 36 seasons, he’s been the voice that calls millions to the television set every weeknight with iconic three words: “This is Jeopardy!”
And he’s the host ready to charm inquiring minds. “Thank you everybody and Johnny thank you as always, appreciative of the introduction."
Together, Alex Trebek and Johnny Gilbert have seen "Jeopardy!" grow and change since the very beginning.
“It’s exciting still to be able to do it,” said Gilbert.
“It’s just a fun place to work,” Trebek said.
They are the only two remaining members of the original crew that started 36 years ago.
“It’s the Jeopardy! that about 140 million people have always known… it’s Alex, it’s Johnny, it’s great contestants, it’s fantastic writing… it’s all here,” said “Jeopardy!” Executive Producer, Harry Friedman.
The respect Trebek and Gilbert have for one another is the meaning of true Hollywood showmanship.
“At the top of any area of show business there are a few people that are really the best, and Alex is at the top of that list,” Gilbert said.
“He, like you, he's great at what he does and his voice is amazing,” Trebek said. “Do you know... he doesn’t need glasses to read? It ticks me off… I’ve needed glasses for half my life now.”
With Gilbert now 95 years old and Trebek 79, the end of their run on America’s favorite quiz show is becoming more and more of a reality.
“Can’t do it forever… you’re right,” Gilbert said.
“We are both starting to feel our ages as you can believe, and we have, as you can expect for people our age, things go wrong,” Trebek said.
Trebek also recently resumed his cancer treatment after a setback in his recovery.
For both Trebek and Gilbert, keeping “Jeopardy!” on the air into the future has less to do with them and more with the show itself.
“It’s not just the show,” Gilbert said. “It’s much deeper than that.
”The contestants and the writers, they’re the stars of the show,” Trebek said.
Unfortunately for fans, there will be a day where “Jeopardy!” will no longer feature the two legends.
“The show will continue,” said Friedman. “It won’t be the same, it will be different, but we hope that day is a long way off.”
For now, Trebek and Gilbert will continue to enjoy doing the job they love and entertaining an ever-growing adoring audience.
“For long as we possibly can for as long as our skill set has not diminished, then we’re here,” Trebek said.