Since 1984, fans of the syndicated show Jeopardy have tuned in to watch their favorite game show host Alex Trebek challenge the obscure trivia knowledge thousands of egghead contestants. The original show featured host Art Fleming who helmed the NBC and syndicated versions of the game show from 1964 to 1975 and then again from 1978 to 1979. However, most fans credit Trebek with the shows outstanding success over the years as it’s won a record 33 Emmy Awards, making it the most decorated game show in history. But there are also a couple of interesting facts many fans may not know about their favorite show.
For example, many folks don’t know that Trebek has to change suits five times a day. No, Trebek isn’t a diva. You see, they actually shoot every show for the week in one day! This means he has to change suites to make it look like it’s a new day. And Trebek claims that he owns over 100 different suits! Also, before hosting Jeopardy, Trebek used to be a TV newscaster for CBS. But, the real zinger is that Wheel of Fortune is considered Jeopardy’s sister show. And there’s a rule in place that states contestants who compete on Wheel of Fortune can’t compete on Jeopardy and vice versa! Over the years, Saturday Night Live has poked a lot of fun at the show and its mild-mannered host. In this video, we see Will Ferrell playing Alex Trebek as he tries to contain a couple of unruly celebrity contestants who are totally out of control.
Image via YouTube
The opening lineup included cast members playing Sean Connery, Justin Bieber, and Tony Bennett. However, Burt Renyolds (played by Norm MacDonald) crashes the game with his audaciously Garrish custom made booth. And then Justin Beiber’s replaced by German-Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. However, the highlight of the skit was when Tony Bennett was replaced by Matthew McConnehey, played by Jim Carrey! And that’s when things really went off the rails!
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Now, just in case anyone’s offended, I must warn you that there is a character who plays Bill Cosby, who makes a brief cameo appearance at the end. The skit parody’s the controversy by having Trebek apologize to the viewers explaining how they “filmed that back in June.” You can watch the video down below.