Unfortunately, Buzzy Cohen won’t be the next host of Jeopardy!
The contestant interviews in the second game of the Tournament of Champions finals on November 17 went as follows:
Alan: …if you’re looking for a question writer, perhaps, I would, uh…?
Alex: Oh, thank God you said, “if you’re looking for a question writer”, and not, “if you’re looking for a replacement host. That would have scared the daylights out of me!” Buzzy, what about you?
Buzzy: Get scared.
Looks like Buzzy’s after almost anyone in trivia’s dream job: hosting Jeopardy!. Of course, with Alex having to retire eventually (he really isn’t a hologram), it’s a subject that comes up more and more often.
Unfortunately, here’s a practical view as to why Buzzy Cohen (or any other former contestant, say, Ken Jennings, Austin Rogers, or Brad Rutter, has zero chance of replacing Alex Trebek).
It has to do with contestant eligibilty. If anyone with ties to a great number of former contestants, or hopeful contestants, became the host of the show, a large number of people wouldn’t be eligible to take part! As an example, if Buzzy became host, a bunch of the greats wouldn’t be able to ever come back for super-tournaments! And that wouldn’t be much good for the show overall.
So, as great as so many former contesants are, don’t expect to see any of them behind Alex’s lectern any time soon.
---Advertisement---
Become a Supporter now! Make a monthly contribution to the site on Patreon!
In memory of Cindy Stowell, I’ll be donating $2 to the Cancer Research Institute for every item sold in November from our store!. Here are our top sellers; all prices are in US dollars!
When commenting, please note that all comments on The Jeopardy! Fan must be in compliance with the Site Comment Policy.
Wouldn’t that also rule out anyone who has ever appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy and Power Players Jeopardy as well?
Absolutely not. Celebrity contestants aren’t a part of the civilian contestant alumni community that has formed.
I’m a little leery of bringing in a “name” that might be chosen based more on their existing fame than their skill. For example, I would not be in favor of someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson, who seems available. I’m also newly leery of comedians, considering how many have had scandals lately.
It’s not like I have a perfect suggestion, though. Alex Trebek is exceptional, and finding a worthy successor seems like it would be difficult.
I don’t mean to knock the intelligence of Mr. Tyson. He’s more intelligent and accomplished than I, that’s for sure. It’s just that I don’t think his speaking style is a good fit for what would be expected of the next host of Jeopardy.