Today's Final Jeopardy Category is: "Ahl-ex Spakes Fronch"! Translation: "Alex Speaks French!"
"JEOPARDY" had been a very good TV Quiz Show program 1964-75. Pleasant and properly "High Brow" Art Fleming, an Actor by trade, was the Host/Emcee for the length of the show's run. The show was slotted as part of NBC's Daytime Line-Up. It was abruptly canceled in 1975. After all of its success, it got the ax, anyway.Well, wouldn't you know it, but after this 9 year hiatus, "JEOPARDY" was back. It seems that the American Televiewing Audience was ready for ready for a Round 2 in this bout. And after a slow start, it sure looks like this may well be a Championship Bout, with a return bout or two.
This time around, we had the mustachioed Mr. Alex Trebek, installed in the all-important Host/M.C. position. Amiable, knowledgeable (Hell, He's got the Answer Cards!) and possessing a commanding Stage Presence, the Canadian-born Mr. Trebek had gotten his earlier broadcast experience with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a Newsman. Then he did some Game Shows on the CBC before coming south across the World's Longest unfortified border to the U.S. of A. and the National Broadcasting Company for a gig on a forgotten game show called "THE WIZARD OF ODDS".(1973-74) This got Alex's then long haired and Kaiser Wilhelm mustached countenance out in front, where his talents and abilities took over, keeping him continually in the public spotlight (a prime requisite in this Network Game Show Host Racket).
So, by that Orwellian Watershed year of 1984, Alex was ready to get in front of the camera as well as doing a share of the Producer chores on the retooled "JEOPARDY" This time the show would not have to put the decision of its life or death into the hands, and at the whim of any Network "Suits". Creator Merv Griffin, Columbia-Tri Star TV (later known as Sony Pictures Television) and Alex all gambled on putting all their eggs into the 'Basket' called Syndication. The risk seems to have been a big one, but one that sure paid dividends as it all worked out.
That it was highly successful is now strictly academic! The proof is most definitely in the pudding. And this pudding has been around now for some 23 broadcast seasons in syndication and counting. So now they've more than doubled the run of the original series' run and they continue to add to their own record! You see now just what the international co-operation of these 2 North American Giants can accomplish! Canada, represented by Mr. Alex Trebek, and the United States, represented by the Late Mr. Merv Griffin, can both stand tall, brave and free; even they are both definitely in "JEOPARDY!"
score 10/10
redryan64 10 November 2007
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1761518/14712
Pages:
[1]