Remembering Alex Trebek

It will be hard to replace the man who had all of the answers. The good news for us is that the late Alex Trebek spent the last 37 years of his life providing the clues.

The longtime “Jeopardy!” host succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Nov. 8, leaving behind a legacy that is synonymous with the show itself.

It’s not just that “Jeopardy!” will go down as one of the greatest game shows in television history – 39 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for “encouraging, celebrating and rewarding knowledge” have crystallized that case.

Instead, Trebek’s greatest achievement lies in the fact that his show came to mean so much to its contestants and worldwide audience. Trebek’s work made a relatively simple quiz show become a transcendent institution in American pop culture.

To succeed on Trebek’s show, contestants need not rely on a celebrity teammate, a wheel of numbered prizes nor a lucky call-up from the crowd. There are no gimmicks or cheap thrills meant to pander to audiences, who respectfully observe the spectacle of the game. Wild guesses and overzealous play are not rewarded – in fact those who play too loosely are at a strategic disadvantage.

In order to win, contestants must possess a wealth of worldly knowledge and have the confidence to call upon it faster than their opponents. To many contestants, that knowledge reflects a lifetime of devotion to learning experiences. The longer a contestant can stay undefeated on the show’s stage, the more proudly it reflects on their own greatest qualities.

This would not be the case without Trebek’s attention to detail, which gave the show its sense of legitimacy as an intellectual arena. His research and preparation were as impeccable as his diction, especially when it came to the French words he was most familiar with from his Canadian background. No matter what the obscure category was, Trebek was a virtually unflappable fixture behind his podium. The show’s currency is fact, and Trebek took his role seriously as a reliable treasurer above all else.

Trebek also took great measures to be a fair and neutral master of ceremonies. Whether addressing an all-time champion or a nervous newbie, he held the same standards of decorum and respect. When he smiled, it was with the contestant and never at his or her expense. Yet he ran a tight ship and bent the show’s rules and time limits for no one.

He cared about each moment of the contestant’s experience. How did the staff treat them when they arrived? Were the questions fair? Former contestants say he asked these questions both on and off the air.

Trebek was a warm and calming presence, soothing the nerves of contestants once the lights brightened and the cameras began to roll. Like everything he did, Trebek was intentional in his on-air demeanor. Calmer contestants led to better answers, and better answers led to better television.

“He was a great host in every sense of the word,” 12-time champion Seth Wilson told Vulture after Trebek’s passing. “He made you feel at home in that studio.”

Even though they knew almost exactly what to expect of him, contestants were often starstruck upon meeting Trebek. For many, shaking Trebek’s hand was akin to walking inside of their television screens. The rules prevented Trebek from interacting with the contestants before the show tapes, so they were introduced to him right before the audience’s eyes.

Yet what set Trebek apart as a television personality was his understated modesty. He always made sure that the show was about celebrating the knowledge of its contestants. At times, Trebek seemed to treat his own celebrity as a distraction. He was reluctant to stop driving his trusty old Dodge Ram pickup truck to work each day, and he always made time for his wife, Jean.

During Trebek’s lifetime, Gallup reports that Americans increasingly consumed mass media – yet, ironically, their trust in mass media continually declined to its current rate of 41 percent. In an era where so many television hosts cater to small slices of the American public, whether separated by political leaning or age demographic, Trebek drew nearly universal appeal.

What set him apart? Perhaps his life’s work provides us with the best clue of all.