TheJeopardy!icon on retirement, his legacy, and why knowledge matters.
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People ask me, he says, Who would you like to replace you?
The decision will be out of my hands.
Its even harder to imagineJeopardy!without him for us anyway.
Its a good show, says Trebek.
It should, and will, go on after Im done.
Okay, lets start there.
Ive learned that people draw conclusions that satisfy their prejudices, and those conclusions dont always coincide with reality.
I do because theyre written on a sheet of paper in front of me.
But I dont mind surprising people in that way.
At least its a relatively benign surprise.Yeah.
You know, when the #MeToo movement started, I had discussions with the staff during production meetings.
I said, My gosh, this has got to be a scary time for men.
I said, But there are guys out there young guys are stupid in their teens.
Theres nothing stupider than a teenage boy.
Theyre operating on testosterone.
I dont think youth is always an acceptable excuse.
And young men are not the only ones who are a problem.Thats true.
He says, This was not about sex.
This was about power.
She was my boss.
She had the power.
Thats a very important scene.
This conversation has taken a turn.Youtook a turn.
You were single in Hollywood in the 80s.
Do you remember the gender dynamics as being markedly different back then?I was not a player.
I dated not that often.
I never felt like I belonged.
When did you start to fit in?When I had someone older guiding me.
There was a man namedRichard Gully, who had been a publicist forJack Warner.
So Richard would invite me, and his being there to introduce me to people made me comfortable.
I met people that way; I didnt have to go out on my own.
Frank Sinatra told me he was a fan of the show.
Jimmy Stewart, too.
I thought,Oh my gosh.
These major stars watch me on occasion.
I felt good about that.
What about fitting into the role ofJeopardy!host?
Is there an art to that?Yes.
You have to set your ego aside.
The stars of the show are the contestants and the game itself.
Thats why Ive always insisted that I be introduced as the host and not the star.
Because if they do well, the show does well.
And if the show does well, by association I do well.
It sometimes seems as if you do.
So if youve landed on what should be an easier Daily Double clue, why not take a chance?
But I try not to influence contestants wagers.
I do joke about it.
Now that youve got $13,000, Im sure youll want to make it another true Daily Double.
But Im not seriously suggesting they make that wager.
What about your tone when contestants whiff on what you clearly think are easy clues?
I had fun with it.
The gaps in peoples knowledge never cease to amaze me.
And on occasion, all three players have the same gap.
In those moments, how intentional is the Youve disappointed father tone you take with contestants?
Its also, How can you not get this?
This is not rocket science.
To what extent do you thinkJeopardy!has a natural order?
Why are they doing that?
Theyre doing themselves a disservice.
I like there to be order on the show, but as the impartial host I accept disorder.
Theres thinking out there that bouncing around the board is strategically advantageous.That strategy started with Chuck Forrest.
The famous Forrest Bounce.Thats right.
He jumped all over the board in an obvious attempt to throw off his opponents.
But, you may remember, Chuck didnt win the championship that year.
Is approachingJeopardy!from an algorithmic or statistical standpoint like Roger did contra to the spirit of the show?
It was almost as if hed hacked the game.The late owner of the Oakland Raiders, who was it?
Al Davis.Al Davishad a saying that applies: Just win, baby.
Is there a formula for success onJeopardy!
?Yeah, know the material.
Whats the part of your job that feels the most like a grind?Nothing really.
Lucky man.Yes, lucky me.
I have to work, but its work I enjoy and that still has challenges.
Its losing your ability to concentrate.
Its the same withJeopardy!.
We have a clue every 10, 12 seconds.
I cant dwell on the one I screwed up; I have to dwell on the next one.
Shes been on the show for over 30 years, and in recent years age has made an impression.
What about dealing with off-camera crap?
Im thinking ofa flare-upI read about a few years back when the mother of a contestant onJeopardy!
Kidscomplained that youd been rude to her daughter after she lost.
I didnt realize thatJeopardy!gets attacked.
For what?Ive been criticized for treating women more harshly than men.
Ive also been criticized for treating womenbetterthan men.
And the other was, Boy, youre mean to women.
What accounts for that discrepancy?A viewers reaction is dependent on their biases in everyday life.
But one reason why a host can succeed for a long time is by not offending.
You saw it with Johnny Carson.
He was bright enough to cover almost any potentially offensive moment with his wit.
Thats one of the things, unfortunately, that we lack in politics today.
There isnt enough humor.
Theres a lot of humor.
President Trump makes jokes all the time, and his critics make jokes about him all the time.
He picks on people.
I think back to George W. Bush, who had a good sense of self-deprecating humor.
Now, some would say, Heshouldhave been self-deprecating because he was worthy of self-deprecation.
But I wouldnt agree with that necessarily.
Obama also had a good sense of humor, with a pretty sharp edge.
Reagan had a good sense of humor, and not a mean-spirited one.
But pity the fool who comes up with a funny line now.
We are so polarized that he or she is only going to be savaged for it.
Have you met President Trump?
Or Prime Minister Trudeau?I have not met Donald Trump.
I spent almost an hour with him in Ottawa.
I said, I cant think of anybody who would want to take you on.
How would President Trump do onJeopardy!
?He might not agree that any of the correct responses are correct.
How aboutJeopardy!in the wider context of the culture?
This is a show that explicitly rewards knowledge.
Having knowledge makes you better able to understand the world in which we live.
The more I know, the less surprised Im going to be.
There are precedents, and most people wont understand them.
Something like 90 percent of murderers were abused as children.
You dont become a nasty human from birth.
Something occurs early in your life to change you.
But my point is that you want to be open to new knowledge.
Your fellow game-show hostPat Sajakhasneedled people on Twitter about climate change.Ive heard that.
There was a report that came out once about Pat and me being ultraconservatives.
I said, Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Im not ultraliberal either.
I told Sean Hannity once: Im a social liberal and a fiscal conservative.
I want to help people, but Im not necessarily eager to pay for it.
He [Hannity] got really pissed at me for that.
It was as if I had said something that goes against everything he believes.
There are people with entrenched points of view.
We keep talking about compromise, but people dont want to compromise.
Did you?Oh, yeah.
Really?Bill was more likely to not trash you for a middle-of-the-road point of view.
Sean will trash you for that.
Strict doctrinarians will say, No, its got to be my way.
Do you watch a lot of Fox News?I used to.
Now, for news Ill probably watch CNN or ABC.
Politics now are like the days of the O.J.
Simpson trial its all we do every day.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently about the Khashoggi investigation.
I said, Trump is letting it slide a bit.
And my friends response was, Well, who ever investigated Benghazi?
He went from Khashoggi to Benghazi.
I dont think itspossible.
Do you have any sort of relationship with Pat Sajak?
Weve never discussed politics.
I know where he stands.
I dont think he knows where I stand.
Is there a difference between the kind of person who lovesWheel of Fortuneand the kind who lovesJeopardy!
OnJeopardy!its all what you know.
People relate more positively to the element of luck.
Theyre a little intimidated byJeopardy!.
The ability to retain and recall facts.Well, bright people are able to do that better than most.
So, yes, I think theres a strong correlation.
Do you ever have a desire to talk shop with other hosts?No.
We game-show hosts are in the same business, but we all handle our jobs differently.
I interviewed all of these guys in a documentary calledGame Changersthat Im not sure if you saw.
And there are guys like Ive lost who I was thinking of.
Chuck Woolery?No.
Drew Carey?No.
Bob Barker?No.
Monty Hall?No.
Im thinking of the one whobrought the Beatles to the United States.
I dont remember him hosting a game show, but Ed Sullivan?No.
As I said earlier, I like to fix things around the house.
Then yesterday afternoon I got it working properly.
Thats what gives me pleasure: fixing things.
Can you tell me something interesting aboutJohnny Gilbert?Johnny Gilbert is 117 years old.
Here I thought he was a sprightly 94.Johnny and I have been together for 35 years.
Our relationship has lasted longer than either one of our marriages.
I got it right, too.
The guy saw he hadnt stumped me and walked away.
How much does your job give your life meaning?
Doing that has allowed me to develop as a human.
Between Bill and Melinda Gates.Yes, he was ahead of me and she was behind me.
To be trusted in that way by the general populace, to me thats important.
But doesnt something like that just confirm that viewers opinions are almost totally arbitrary?
I feel at peace with that.
I live a quiet life.
I was never part of the Hollywood social scene.
I dont do drugs.
Was drinking ever an issue?
People say, How do you prepare for the show?
On another day itll be, When you stop hosting the show, what are you going to do?
Im gonna drink.Laugh.
I was wondering if there was anything underneath those jokes.No.
People ask, Whats your favorite drink?
I say, Chardonnay and one percent milk.
How will you know when its time to retire?
Will there be clues?Theyve already appeared.
Instead of saying 1492 Ill say 1942.
I was always off.
Because of that I went to be tested for early Alzheimers.
The first time they tested me they said, It doesnt look good.
Then we did more testing and they said, Youre okay.
No need to worry.
Im glad to hear that.Its natural.
Its not like this happened at 50.
When its clear that its time for me to go, Ill go.
So too much was made of that retirement comment?I dont understand the publicity around it.
The same thing happened when I shaved my mustache off in 2001.
It got so much play.
Folks, get a life.
There are more important things.
Been a good run and all good things must come to an end.
Then Ill move on.
Did you like Ken Jennings?
In his bookhe wrote about being unsure.I would be hard-pressed to name a contestant whom I disliked.
Thats interesting because its not the case for viewers.
Arthur Chu, for example, took a lot of heat from fans online.
Although that may havehad something to do with racism.I dont think so.
But when youre dealing with race, who knows?
More often what viewers think about a contestant has to do with the contestants comportment.
Some people overreact when they dont do well.
If you want to compare them to court shows, those are always about conflict its nastiness.
And I think in todays society we feel a need to get away from nastiness.
Ever playHQ Trivia?I havent.
Will you feel proprietary about leavingJeopardy!to another host?No.
All you need is a competent host to help keep things moving.
Shell obviously be younger; shell have to be personable, bright, have a sense of humor.
My recommendation isBetty White.
Thats another go-to joke of yours.Yeah.
It gets a laugh.
Betty commented recently that she has a crush on me.
It got a little bit of play.
I used to say Kevin Spacey.
Hes bright, and there would be so many funny moments because of all his great impressions.
Butnow you cant say that.
So to answer your question: the pope.
I was raised Catholic.
What would you ask him?Why arent you making more changes in the Catholic Church?
What changes are you thinking of?Women priests.Allowing priests to marry.
Whats that [clerical celibacy] about anyway?
James ComeysA Higher Loyalty; Amy SiskindsThe List.I just finishedThe Apprentice, Greg Miller.
I started Michael McFauls book,From Cold War to Hot Peace.
I read a little of everything.Talking to My Daughter About the Economy.
That was a fun one.The Brontes all about that marvelous family.
This is a randomJeopardy!question Thisis the random question?
Whats the point of making contestants phrase responses in the form of a question?
He said, Thats how people got in trouble with the Feds!She said, No.
Theansweris 5,280; thequestionis how many feet in a mile?Ding!
That difference makesJeopardy!unique.
The host me used to be unique by having a mustache.
I no longer have it, although I like to play around with my facial hair.
I often joke thatJeopardy!is a serious program hosted by someone who does not take himself seriously.
I hope I havent come off in this conversation as sounding too pretentious.
I dont think you have.
Then Ill come into the house and, probably, have a glass of wine with my wife.
Then well look at each other and say, What next?
This interview has been edited and condensed from two conversations.
