# Alex Trebek considers retirement **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864 "2018-07-31T13:07:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/21 "2018-07-31T20:39:58Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Wait, he might retire in 2020? Is he considering a run for President? 😉 Nah, for [Canadian Prime Minister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Trebek#Early_life). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/22 "2018-07-31T20:46:24Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Wait, he might retire in 2020? Is he considering a run for President? 😉 Can’t, he’s Canadian by birth. Although if things were different, an Alex Trebek / Arnold Schwarzenegger matchup would be interesting. (Ninja’d, but what the hell.) And second the “No Buzzy” comment ^∞. I’d rather hear fingernails on a blackboard. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/23 "2018-07-31T22:26:15Z")
surprised nobody has mentioned Will Ferrell yet . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/24 "2018-07-31T23:05:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > surprised nobody has mentioned Will Ferrell yet . 🙂 And, is Turd Ferguson available? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/25 "2018-08-01T00:46:37Z")
I suggest a dolphin, preferably not one named Alex. It would be perfect - we know dolphins are smart, and at the same time, excellent balance would be achieved, because in contrast to Trebek’s dry style, obviously a dolphin is going to have a very wet style. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/26 "2018-08-01T02:19:32Z")
[Eugene Levy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIJna_6G244) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/27 "2018-08-01T03:24:03Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > How about Eugene Levy as his “Alex Trebel” SCTV character? I would _so_ watch Jeopardy if Levy as Trebel was hosting! Another Alex Trebel clip, to go with **Johnny** ’s: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LF2jdTQyyyE/hqdefault.jpg "SCTV High Q") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2jdTQyyyE) ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/28 "2018-08-01T10:07:16Z")
**Cecil Adams** as Alex’s replacement, with **Ed Zotti** starring as sidekick. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/29 "2018-08-01T12:58:19Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Worse is when he refers to a “young lady” as “very bright” with a tone that suggests he’s just as surprised as we are. Or when he says of a contestant’s answer, “You guessed the right one!” Or maybe he knew it, Alex. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/30 "2018-08-01T22:18:34Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Or when he says of a contestant’s answer, “You guessed the right one!” > > Or maybe he knew it, Alex. To be fair, Alex only says that when there are two equally good answers and the contestant took all the time before replying. Such as if the question was: “This is the northernmost of the Virgin Islands” If you know that, great, but I best most people wouldn’t. So they guess. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/31 "2018-08-01T22:23:43Z")
To go along with that, I’m willing to bet that Alex has seen enough contestants to know when someone is guessing. (An uncertain tone of voice, for one thing, or taking the entire time before replying. As opposed to replying immediately and confidently.) So he’s not being condescending when he says someone guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/32 "2018-08-02T02:31:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So he’s not being condescending when he says someone guessed. It’s a matter of opinion, but I feel it is. First of all JAQ is wrong by stating that’s the only time he says it (though it is sometimes). Second it serves no purpose to say it. Regardless of how many contestants Alex has seen he has no idea how many were guessing or were taking time to run what they “knew” was the right answer through their mind. As an example, many contestants take the full amount of time answering even when there are not one of two obvious answers. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/33 "2018-08-02T02:52:45Z")
Somewhere Ryan Seacrest is getting a clip reel together. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/34 "2018-08-02T03:13:21Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Somewhere Ryan Seacrest is getting a clip reel together. Pat Sajak has had his ready for years. And Wayne Brady, and Meredith Vieira, and J. Peterman O’Hurley, and Howie Mandel … and Regis! And I checked; some of the game show hosts from my childhood are still alive! So what about Chuck Woolery or Bob Eubanks, or Wink Martindale? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/35 "2018-08-02T14:40:42Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And I checked; some of the game show hosts from my childhood are still alive! So what about Chuck Woolery or Bob Eubanks, or Wink Martindale? Much like putative Democratic presidential candidates, it’d be nice to see someone under the age of 70. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/36 "2018-08-02T15:31:30Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Worse is when he refers to a “young lady” as “very bright” with a tone that suggests he’s just as surprised as we are. What’s he supposed to call them? “Skanky ho’s”? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/37 "2018-08-02T16:10:39Z")
Didn’t Ken Jennings do that? ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/38 "2018-08-02T16:38:21Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Pat Sajak has had his ready for years. And Wayne Brady, and Meredith Vieira, and J. Peterman O’Hurley, and Howie Mandel … and Regis! > > And I checked; some of the game show hosts from my childhood are still alive! So what about Chuck Woolery or Bob Eubanks, or Wink Martindale? I could see some of those you mention, but not Pat Sajak. Why would he leave Wheel of Fortune to do Jeopardy? He has the perfect job on Wheel\*, and his humor and quips are much more suited to Wheel than Jeopardy. I don’t think Howie Mandel would work, either. - 2nd perfect job, following Vanna. She has the best long-term job in the world. Her and Pat Sajak won the job lottery a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/39 "2018-08-02T17:15:57Z")
Meredith Vieira did a great job on Millionaire and is a natural to host Jeopardy. They film a weeks shows in a day? Easy job. I’m not surprised Trebek has stuck around for decades ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864/40 "2018-08-02T17:24:20Z")
> [@digs](#): > > …and J. Peterman O’Hurley… Just out of curiosity, was this an inadvertent portmanteau, or a deliberate joke? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-considers-retirement/818864.md?page=3)