It’s what Fresno wants to hear from Ken Jennings.
What Is “Jeopardy!”?
Jennings, the host of the nightly quiz show (7 p.m. weeknights on ABC30) and the game’s all-time winningest contestant, will speak in Fresno on Wednesday, March 18, as part of the San Joaquin Valley Town Hall series.
Ken Jennings
What: San Joaquin Valley Town Hall lecture series
When: March 18, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Saroyan Theatre, downtown Fresno
Tickets: Online
GV Wire is a sponsor of the series.
“People are just fascinated with how ‘Jeopardy!’ runs — the history and the backstage lore of the show. I’ll be talking about my unusual journey from being a game show contestant to being a host,” Jennings said during an interview with GV Wire.
The show has kept the same format, more or less, since returning to the air in syndication in 1984. Jennings said that consistency is a comfort for viewers.
“We know we’re not just a TV show. We are like a companion and a bedrock of North American life for people. We hope to keep doing that for as long as viewers want it,” Jennings said.
Listen to David Taub talk with Ken Jennings.
Replacing Alex Trebek
Jennings won 74 games in a row in 2004, amassing $2.5 million. After longtime host Alex Trebek died in 2020, Jennings served as interim host, and later one of several guest hosts. He eventually took over permanently.
“I knew it was a hard job that Alex (Trebek) had made look easy for many years.” — “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings
“There was a lot of pressure both times, particularly the first time. Alex was still alive, but he was going to go in for a new round of cancer treatment, and production had asked me to step in,” Jennings said. “I was not looking forward to it. I knew it was a hard job that Alex had made look easy for many years.”
Jennings recalled a conversation he had with Trebek a week before Trebek died.
“As usual, he was so kind and just very grateful. ‘Thanks for stepping in, Ken.’ And I was thinking, Alex, are you kidding? We should be thanking you. I think close to the end, he got to realize what he meant to viewers and to America. And that was nice to see. He really didn’t know.”
Former “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek served as inspiration for successor Ken Jennings. (Shutterstock)
Playing ‘Jeopardy!’
Every contestant on “Jeopardy!” passes a tough test, Jennings said. The difference between winning and losing is staying calm on stage.
“Under pressure with the lights and the camera, the timing on the buzzer can be tricky. It’s a very intense experience. I remember my first day. A half hour of ‘Jeopardy!’ seems to go by in five minutes when you’re a new contestant because the experience is so stressful and intense,” Jennings said.
His advice: Watch the show, practice playing in real time, even yell answers at the screen and suggest the next category.
“It’ll help you get the rhythm down so you can do the whole thing on muscle memory. You’ll buzz better. And while you’re there, just try to enjoy it,” Jennings said.
Some other “Jeopardy!” facts Jennings revealed:
Most episodes take 30 minutes to record in real time. Contestants are allowed five minutes to calculate wagers for Final Jeopardy!
As host, Jennings is the first to decide whether a response is correct or incorrect. He is backed by three or four judges offstage who can adjust his rulings. Contestants who want to challenge a ruling can do so during a break.
Jennings’ favorite non-“Jeopardy!” Trebek game show was “Classic Concentration.”
His favorite guest host was Joe Buck.
“Sportscasters turned out to be very good at ‘Jeopardy!’ because they’re used to reacting to whatever’s happening in the moment and being ready for anything,” Jennings said.
He also praised journalists and guest hosts Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric.
Jennings and Politics
Jennings took some criticism in the past and as recently as January for posting political content on social media. He posted messages on Bluesky critical of President Donald Trump.
He has no regrets.
“There is absolutely risk. In general, I think nobody in good faith is really arguing that this person I see on TV should not have political views. I don’t think that’s a coherent position. Of course, the people you see on TV are citizens with freedom of speech. Anybody could look up which candidates I donate to or which protests I march in,” Jennings said.
“When people say, hey, keep politics out of it, all they mean is, I disagree with your politics. No one has ever said that about somebody whose politics they agree with. So let’s be very clear: These are just people who don’t like to hear opposing voices, and that’s not really what America is all about. I think it’s fundamentally un-American, in fact, to say, hey, let’s leave politics out of it just because I happen to disagree with it,” Jennings said.
The Valley Town Hall lecture series concludes March 24 with John Volanthen, a cave diver known for several daring rescue missions; and renowned author Amy Tan on April 15.