Exceedingly humble to the end, Alex Trebek insisted his television acclaim largely hinged on the enduring popularity of “Jeopardy!” itself and that the wealth of public adoration he received late in life was somewhat due to the “pity factor.”
Trebek, who hosted the beloved weeknight game show for more than 35 years, died Sunday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.
“Keep in mind that my success to a great extent has depended on the success of the game,” he told members of the Television Critics Association (TCA) early this year. “You could have put somebody else in as the host of ‘Jeopardy!’ 36 years ago — not everybody — but there are some individuals who could have been named as host, and if the show had lasted 36 years, they would be enjoying the same kind of favorable reviews and adulation that I have enjoyed in recent years.
“And I don’t want to minimize it, but my health situation has contributed to that a great deal,” he added. “The pity factor is out there. And people have been so kind, sending prayers and good thoughts and all of that. So I’m not unaware of that.”
Pity factor or not, this summer the TCA voted overwhelmingly to present Trebek with the organization’s Career Achievement Award for his “unparalleled legacy as one of television’s most enduring and best-loved personalities.”
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the TCA was forced to cancel its annual summer press tour in Southern California and in-person awards ceremony. Trebek, along with other winners, presented their acceptance speeches digitally. You can see his acceptance here.
Trebek did appear in front of the TV critics and other journalists during a January panel session to promote the “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” primetime tournament between the game’s three most famous contestants, Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and James Holzhauer.
Reflecting on his career, Trebek said, “I’ve been extremely lucky. I have had the good fortune in my nearly 60-year career to not be unemployed for more than a total of nine months in all of that period. I’ve had the good fortune to be associated with good television programs, and to be able to bask in the reflected glory of people like Brad, Ken and James, who demonstrate on our program, and in other situations, how bright they are, how funny they are, how engaging they are. I keep telling folks, ‘Hey, if the show’s a success, over time, because I’m there every day, I will have a great measure of success, also.’”
New episodes of “Jeopardy!” featuring Trebek will continue to air through Dec. 25, Sony Pictures Television announced. His final day in the studio was Oct. 29 — just 10 days before his death. Additional plans about the future of the show have yet to be announced.
During the TCA event, Trebek was asked what he enjoyed most about hosting “Jeopardy!” and he cited the intellectual stimulation it provides.
“I tell audiences who come to our tapings that the thing I enjoy most about the show is the 30 minutes I spend onstage with the contestants, because I love spending time with bright people,” he said. “… I hate spending time with stupid people.”