Final Danger! The episode presented by Alex Trebek, which will air on Friday, will be remarkably normal, with no farewell from the veteran presenter or any kind of personal message to viewers in his opening speech.
That’s because “Alex didn’t think this would be his last episode”, Danger executive producer Mike Richards told Deadline about the show, filmed about 10 days before Trebek’s death on November 8, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. “He was planning to present the show next week, that was his focus. And then, when he wasn’t feeling well, he said to me: ‘I won’t be able to come next Monday to Tuesday, but let’s look at the next Monday and Tuesday’; those were the days we filmed. That was on the Thursday of the week that he passed away. He passed away on Sunday morning. “
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The January 8 show will be “normal Danger! episode, ”said Richards, with Trebek saying“ see you next time ”and the credits rolling. This will be followed by a tribute package celebrating Trebek’s legacy.
The last time Trebek addressed viewers in a personal way was in the episode that aired on Monday, when the beloved Q&A host used his opening statement to deliver a powerful message about kindness, unity and giving .
“That was just something he decided to do at that time,” said Richards of Trebek’s speech, which was followed by spontaneous applause in the studio.
While Richards and his team are putting the finishing touches on the last episodes of Trebek, a search for his successor is also underway.
“The search is going very well, many people are very interested in hosting Danger!, which is rewarding and also appropriately reverent about the shoes they’ll wear, ”said Richards. “We had great conversations with people.”
Danger! champion Ken Jennings will be the first guest host after Trebek’s submission this week.
“Ken intervened and did a great job for us as a guest host,” said Richards. “We will have a host of guest hosts during the spring.”
Richards declined to discuss names, with Katie Couric considered on the list, as reported by Los Angeles Times yesterday.
A new permanent host will not be named until spring, Richards said.
“We are going to take our time and talk to a lot of people, invite some people to introduce them and see what our fans think too,” he said.
So, in addition to talking to big names who could succeed Trebek without appearing on the show, Richards and executives at Sony Pictures TV, which produces Danger!, will use guest host seasons as potential auditions. In addition, “you will also see renowned people who will not be considered for the role, but who simply love the show, love Alex and want to pay tribute,” said Richards. “So, not everyone who comes is testing. We will go in many different directions, I don’t think we want to be in a hurry to name a new person. We are all still mourning the loss – certainly I am – of Alex, and I think that just turning around and naming someone would be irresponsible and inattentive, which is the antithesis of Danger!“
Although Trebek’s death leaves a void, “the way I chose to spend my time with him was by inspiring him,” said Richards. “He was so professional, so hardworking, so smart and in all of this also incredibly kind. When you hear people say it won’t be done that way again, it’s true, but we can all aspire to do well again. “
Moving forward with a new host, “the format will remain the same for decades and decades; the format works very well, ”said Richards, adding that the production team will continue to adjust and improve the program as it has done each season. Danger! is scheduled to return from its vacation production hiatus next week, the week of January 11th.
A veteran of reality TV and game shows, Richards was already a big Danger! and a Trebek fan when he joined the program as an executive producer in May.
“Part of the joy was seeing Alex, who was the best host I’ve ever seen in my life, the little things he was able to do, the nuances, his ability to move the game forward quickly, to slow down to the right point , including humor, all those things he did with mastery that were almost unrecognizable when you watched from home, he was so good, ”said Richards.
The mood came naturally to Trebek.
“Something I think a lot of people didn’t know – and I certainly didn’t know it before I started working with him – is how much Alex loved comedy, he loved stand-up comedy, he loved written comedy, anything that made him laugh,” said Richards .
This included the applicant Danger sketches in Saturday Night Live in which Trebek was played by Will Ferrell.
“He loved it, he found it very funny. The more they shot him, the funnier he thought he was, ”said Richards. “He became a huge fan of Will Ferrell because of the impression, and I think that shows his humility. There are many people who may not have liked this portrait, and he just loved it. “
Trebek kept his sense of humor to the end, despite the side effects of the fight against cancer. The host was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in May 2019. Although he did not feel well for most of the past 18 months, while undergoing weekly chemotherapy, he did not talk much about his pain, Richards said.
“Towards the end, he was more verbal about it with us at the office, when we were having a morning meeting,” he said. “The most striking thing was the worst shape he was in the morning when we saw him at the meeting, it was almost the reverse of – he was going out (on stage), and it was unbelievable. He controlled himself, recovered at that time between the moment we met and the beginning of the shows, and it was a miracle ”.
Trebek, who hosted Danger! for over 36 years, he “was incredibly diligent” in keeping producers up to date on the state of his health, telling them in advance which days he could work and which days we could not.
“In a typical Alex style, he was very direct, he didn’t sweeten,” said Richards.
As a result, the show had to miss a single day of recording because of him.