Who will replace ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek?

If “having a dream job on TV” were a “Jeopardy!” Final To answer, the question would be: “Who will succeed Alex Trebek as a host? ‘

Legions of fans of the popular game show will soon have a clearer picture of who they are in the coming months. Sony Pictures Television, which produces “Jeopardy!”, Embarked on a formal search for replacing Trebek, according to several people who are familiar with the plans, but have not been allowed to discuss them publicly.

A Sony representative declined to comment on the status of the survey. Barry Nugent, a consultant and former head of talent development for the Game Show Network, is leading the process to fill the highly coveted position, the results of which will be examined by the show’s loyal audience and the TV industry.

Sony is not only hiring a host, but also the face of a beloved pop culture franchise.

“The host of ‘Jeopardy!’ is one of the main representatives of broadcast television, ”said Ted Harbert, a former TV executive at ABC and NBC. “The next host will maintain the legacy of a national institution.”

The program, created by Merv Griffin, dates back to 1964, when it debuted on NBC.

Although audience levels for broadcast and cable networks have steadily declined in the streaming era, “Jeopardy!” has sustained its popularity, attracting about 8 million viewers daily at stations that broadcast it across the country, according to Nielsen data – more than most of the network’s prime time programs. Younger viewers are finding previous episodes on Netflix.

Viewers will begin to see guest speakers after the final Trebek episodes recorded in October this week. Trebek, the only host of “Jeopardy!” since he was revived for TV in 1984, he died on November 8 after battling pancreatic cancer.

“Jeopardy!” Of all time, champion Ken Jennings will be the first guest presenter starting on January 11th. Longtime TV news personality Katie Couric also signed on to be a substitute presenter for a week, which makes her a candidate as a permanent substitute.

Couric declined to comment on the reservation and whether she is interested in a permanent position.

Other names that came up in the first discussions about the post include Steve Kornacki, MSNBC’s political correspondent who developed a fanatical cult for his savant analysis of vote counting on election nights; actress Mayim Bialik; and Mike Richards, the executive producer of “Jeopardy!” who also has experience as a game show host.

Richards delivered a message on the air to “Jeopardy!” viewers after Trebek’s death and appeared in TV interviews about the presenter’s legacy, but it is not a household name.

The research took the talent agency business a bit of a surprise, as many representatives believed that Jennings was being prepared to be Trebek’s successor. Jennings has a general agreement with Sony and is probably still competing, although some insensitive comments he made on social media about people with disabilities have generated criticism and prompted him to make a public apology.

Jennings was also involved in the social media drama involving John Roderick, a musician now known as #BeanDad. Roderick, who co-hosts a podcast with Jennings, became an outcast online after posting a topic on Twitter on Saturday about refusing to help his hungry daughter open a can of baked beans, forcing her to learn how to use a manual can opener if she wants to eat. The 9-year-old struggled with the task for six hours.

Roderick issued a profuse apology, but not before other inappropriate tweets in his now-deleted account are discovered. Jennings defended his friend. Sony did not comment on any of the social media issues involving Jennings.

Jennings is part of the Jeopardy family, but does not fit the search parameters, according to people informed on the subject. Sony is said to be looking for “A-list” names – well-known TV or movie stars – that would be consistent with “Jeopardy!” brand, which is basically a television show quiz for smart people.

There is no shortage of interested candidates.

“It is the dream job for a lot of people because it is a lot of money and not many days of work,” said a TV executive who has been involved with the program and who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The initial message for the agencies is that whoever holds the job must make it their primary job. This may filter out some of the other names that have come up over the years, such as CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who has not hidden his desire for the job and has long been on Trebek’s list of possible successors.

ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos also considered being a presenter if the work became available, as was CNN’s John Berman, a celebrity “Jeopardy!” champion in 2015, and former “Today” host Meredith Vieira.

Television news personalities may have the best skill set for the program, which is done almost in real time, as they often work without a script and need to be able to think for themselves.

That theory will be put to the test when Couric – who has done thousands of hours of live TV and interacted with the audience every day by greeting “Today” fans every morning at Rockefeller Plaza outside the show’s street studio – has his chance later this year.

Expect fans to weigh.

“If you ask 10 fans who they want to be the next presenter, you’ll get 15 different responses,” said Claire McNear, author of “Question Answers: a definitive story and an internal guide to Jeopardy!” “But there are some limits. It has to be someone who projects intelligence, either because they are a famous ex-champion or because they bring gravitas like Katie Couric or whatever. ”

McNear added: “You want someone who can make the show fun, but at the same time, ‘Jeopardy!’ it is intentionally a program that does not leave much space for editing: if you have to go through 61 tracks in a single half hour, there is not much space for a presenter to start telling jokes ”.