Trebek

Trebek says game shows are here to stay, and so is he

JOHN KIESEWETTER, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Originally published Friday, March 15, 2002

Today's "Jeopardy!" category: On The Job.

The Answer: A Cincinnati garbage man in the late 1950s.

The Question: Who is Alex Trebek?

Long before his television career, an 18-year-old Trebek spent a summer in Cincinnati. It was admittedly a trivial pursuit.

"I was dating a girl. It was a nice summer," says Trebek, now hosting his 18th year of "Jeopardy!"

"I worked in a large apartment complex and was on the maintenance crew. So we mopped halls and sorted garbage."

Trebek, who turns 62 in July, didn't want to say much about his Cincinnati summer when we met at the recent TV critics' tour. But he had plenty of answers for other questions, just like on TV. Except that all the questions were about him.

Answer: TV host.

Question: What occupation is listed on Trebek's passport?

"I've been doing it here in the States since '73," Trebek says. His first U.S. game show was "Wizard of Odds." He has also hosted "Classic Concentration," "To Tell The Truth," "High Rollers," "The $128,000 Question" and "Double Dare."

Since 1984, he has read answers on "Jeopardy!," the No. 2 syndicated series (behind "Wheel of Fortune"). On March 26, Trebek will tape his 4,000th show. King World, which produces both shows, hired him after his successful stint subbing for host Chuck Woolery on NBC's daytime "Wheel of Fortune."

"They remembered that I was a quick study," he says.

Answer: More than half.

Question: How many "Jeopardy!" questions can Trebek answer?

"I used to test myself on a regular basis, and I'd get 60 to 65 percent right. I used to take all the contestant search tests, and I passed all of those," he says.

"I have appeared on other quiz shows, and I've done all right. I'm not a rocket scientist. But I'm not an airhead, either. I would do fairly well against my peers. I've always said that a good 30-year-old would clean my clock ... their reflexes are better, they're able to get the material out quicker.

"But I'm not out to prove anything. I've got the job."

Answer: Forever.

Question: How long will game shows be on TV?

"People enjoy game shows. It's very lighthearted, feel-good entertainment. You're watching people to whom nice things are happening." Game shows have been around since the birth of network TV. They're "relatively inexpensive" to produce compared to sitcoms with big stars that shoot one show a week, he says.

"Game shows will be around as long as there is television," he says.

Answer: Retirement.

Question: What word is not in Trebek's vocabulary?

"I've got a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter in private schools. So I hope these shows, particularly 'Jeopardy!,' last another eight or 10 years so I can put them through school."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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