South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
‘Jeopardy!’ host answer is ... Ken Jennings
Q: I amvery sorry to see thatKenJennings will be the interim host of “Jeopardy!” Ken is smart, but he is also a smart aleck. If they choose himinthe end, I willno longer be a “Jeopardy!” fan. Theyneed to get someonewhoismore professional thanKen and deals with people like AlexTrebek did. Kenhas himselfona pedestal and loves it.
A: Thechallenge of replacing the late, loved Trebek has certainly been a formidable one, and the long-runninggameshow is taking its time with the search, and with telecasts. Themost recent schedule includes 10 ofTrebek’s best episodes airing theweeks of Dec. 21 and 28, and the last ofTrebek’snewest episodes airing theweek of Jan. 4. Guest-hosted shows, which started tapingNov. 30, will begin airing theweek of Jan. 11, with Jennings the first of a planned series of guest hosts.
This should not surprise followers of the program whoknowJennings as the greatest “Jeopardy!” winner of all time, aswell as a consulting producer on the current season, a special category presenter and all-around “ambassador for the show.”
But as this letter indicates, Jennings is not to everyone’s taste (ormine) as a personality, andwe’ll have to see howhe handles hosting. It’s best to remember whatTrebek once told Vulture.com: “You have to set your ego aside. The stars of the showare the contestants and the game itself. That’swhy I’ve always insisted that I be introduced as the host and not the star. And if youwant to be a good host, you have to figure away to get the contestants to— as in the old television commercial about the military—‘be all you can be.’ Because if they dowell, the showdoeswell. And if the showdoeswell, by association I dowell.”
Q: Ibecameahuge fan of the series “Godfather of Harlem.” Theacting was great and overall it was very entertaining. I waswondering if there are any plans forbringing it back for a second season and if so when.
A: The Epix drama began production of a second season inNovember, with telecasts planned for some time in 2021.
Q: Most of the programsthat Iwatch are onCBSand Ihave noticed there is always a CBSORIGINALprinted at the beginning. I never noticed it until this year so justwondered about it.
A: In October, CBS announced an “updated brand identity” to clearly distinguish CBS programming in the ever more crowded mediaworld. Part of that plan, the network said, “Content on CBS and CBS-owned platforms
will be tagged with ‘CBS Original,’ ‘CBSNews,’ “CBS Sports’ or ‘CBS Presents’ to reinforce (the network’s) role as a leading creator and content provider for its platforms and many others.” Youmay also have noticed new uses of the famous CBS Eye, aswell as music cue, all aimed at
making you more aware that you arewatching something fromCBS.
Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write toRich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH44260, or brenfelsgmail.com.