He hit it out of the park. Mrs. C and I have always liked him (although we never watch him regularly) but didn’t know what to expect on J! From the moment he started talking he was perfect. Looked and sounded like he’d been hosting J! forever. Despite how much we enjoyed Ken Jennings and Aaron Rodgers, we almost immediately felt AC is by far the best Guest Host to date.
I noticed this with AC and I think also some of the other guest hosts, it’s very disconcerting. I assume it’s unfamiliarity with the logistics of verifying the answers.
I thought AC was smooth, but nothing special.
Agreed. Of the options so far, he’s clearly the top choice.
It’s been two days so far, and I have quite enjoyed Anderson Cooper’s hosting. He’s serious about the game, but he seems to be able to put contestants at ease, he interviews them well, and he’s got a good sense of humour, which he doesn’t overplay:
Contestant: What is a Mini Cooper?
Anderson: Correct. No relation, by the way. [Un-cued spontaneous laughter.] It is your selection.
He keeps the game moving well, and of all the guest hosts so far, reminds me of Alex’s approach to the game.
I haven’t read any of this thread, but here are my rankings so far:
1- Katie Couric
2- Anderson Cooper (so far, but need more sample size)
3- Ken Jennings
4- Aaron Rodgers
5- the producer guy
6- Dr. Oz
You know there’s no audience, right?
Also no Johnny Gilbert, but he sure gets mentioned every episode. Does he get paid a little more for every name check?
I’m also noticing the delay in confirming correct answers. I keep yelling at the tv (inwardly), "C’mon Anderson/Ken/Aaron/etc. let them know!!!
They should just throw as much money as they have at Richard Ayoade and be done with it.
Kenan could certainly handle it, but I’d feel weird watching him hold in his comedic chops to uphold Jeopardy’s serious image. Right now I’d be more comfortable with a serious guy with a sense of humor that occasionally breaks through, rather than a Steve Martin or a Will Farrell. But if Kenan was into it, I’d certainly like to watch him give it a go.
He’s not physically present in the studio, but he’s still recording the openings and contestant intros for every show (or perhaps doing them live during the taping, I’m not sure which) from a studio in his home.
They started doing it that way a few years ago (I think originally because of a health issue), but then he was back in on the set for a while before Covid hit. That’s when they went back to having him do them remotely.
As I’ve mentioned before, he’s either 92 or 96 years old! Sources differ.
I was honestly impressed with how good Jennings was at it. Considering he’s not a professional announcer, the way Alex Trebek was, he was awfully good. Better than Katie Couric or Mehmet Oz. We’ll see how Cooper does.
Kenan Thompson would be good at it too, I’d agree, though I don’t think he could do this and SNL.
In all likelihood, the best host would be a talent they’d actually scout for, with a pedigree, specific skills, and the actual desire to take the job. Alex Trebek was an experienced game show host when he was offered Jeopardy! in 1984; he wasn’t a guy who was famous for something else and got the job out of a sense of novelty or pure name recognition.
As a general rule of thumb, the people who cast roles are - this is a rough guess - fifty billion zillion times better at it than we are, and they can find people who we’ve never heard of, or would never think of, to slot into just the right job. Nobody I know had heard of Hugh Jackman before he became Wolverine, or thought of Raul Julia as Gomez Addams, or that Charlize Theron could play Aileen Wuornos.
Whoever saw Hugh Laurie in Blackadder and said “that’s our Dr. House!” is a fucking genius.
Looks like LeVar Burton is getting a shot, but only for one week.
I guess YMMV, but she was the one I could honestly say was better than Alex himself. I agree Oz was the worst. Jennings was awkward and very “blah” to me, but acceptable.
I’m aware of that. I assume the laughter comes from the crew.
And all the contestants for the day’s shows. IIRC
This would be epic! That guy is smart–and funny–as hell.
He might bring in a more international audience, too (assuming the show’s owners are interested in more overseas syndication).
Oh, wow - I’d never seen him outside of one show, but man he brings so much to that character. I’d love watching Jeopardy with him even if he was Moss.
Paul Giamatti.
(and he has to wear a bowtie)
Hmm. I’ve only ever seen him on comedy panels, and he always stays in character on those, kinda like how Stephen Colbert did. The only time I saw his real personality shining through was on the latest Big Fat Quiz, where he seemed to let his guard down a bit and enjoy himself.
Is there anything I could watch to see what he’s like not doing his comedic schtick? Or is that the version of him you want to do the show?
I vote yes!