Television

'Jeopardy!' Airing Vintage Episodes Starting Next Week, Including Alex Trebek's First Time Hosting

Vintage Jeopardy Episodes
By Ethan Anderton

The quiz game show Jeopardy! has been hosted by Alex Trebek since 1984. But recently, he's been taking a break from the series, not only due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down production on movies and TV shows, but also because he's been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. That's why there have been more reruns airing than usual, and starting next week, those reruns won't just be encore presentations of recent episodes.

Alex Trebek has announced that Jeopardy! will be airing vintage episodes from the 1980s, including the first time he ever hosted the show (seen above), as well as some other select throwback episodes. We'll get to see Trebek and that slick mustache that made him look so damn good and remember the simpler times.

Here's Alex Trebek announcing the vintage Jeopardy episodes and giving us an update on his health:

As for what vintage episodes we'll get to see starting on July 20, here's the schedule:

  • July 20 – July 24: The best of Jeopardy!'s first decade, featuring five exciting episodes from the 1980s (including the series premiere and the arrival of the show's first "super-champion").
  • July 27 – July 31: The best of Celebrity Jeopardy!, featuring five of the most entertaining celebrity games ever.
  • August 3 – August 14 (two weeks): An encore presentation of the 2002 "Million Dollar Masters" tournament, which featured 15 of the best contestants from the first 18 seasons of the show.

    • Alex Trebek will also be introducing each of these episodes to provide some context for the time in which they aired. Honestly, this is something they should be doing more often since we're probably not going to see the show returning anytime soon. Fans have been enjoying the episodes that shuffle in and out of Netflix's library for awhile now, so why not dig deeper into the library for reruns on TV?

    Jepoardy! executive producer Mike Richards added this in a statement (via TV Line):

    "What is incredible about Jeopardy! is that it has historical importance while remaining culturally relevant today. I know our fans will love the nostalgia while still enjoying the gameplay. A lot has changed over the years – the set, the pace of the game...the mustache! – but the ability to play along is timeless."

    This is easily my favorite television game show. Getting a chance to see some of these older episodes that aired in the decade I was born will be a nice distraction as our country continues to leisurely stroll through the real jeopardy of the coronavirus pandemic.

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