#Jeopardy! Pays Tribute to Alex Trebek in First Episode Since His Death

Jeopardy! will continue to air for the foreseeable future. 

The beloved daytime competition series aired its first episode since the death of host, Alex Trebek, who passed away on Sunday. 

He had been battling pancreatic cancer for a year. 

As expected, the first episode paid tribute, with executive producer Michael Richards sharing a message ahead of the show. 

“Over the weekend, we lost our beloved host Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff, crew, for his family, for his millions of fans,” Richards said. 

“He loved this show and everything it stood for… He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness and for his love of his family.”

Richards added that Trebek taped his final episodes less than two weeks ago, and that the show will air the remaining 35 episodes as they were shot, “in his honor.”

“That’s what he wanted,” the producer said. “On behalf of everyone here at Jeopardy, thank you for everything Alex.”

As things stand, Trebek’s final episode of Jeopardy! will air December 25. 

“His last day was actually a good day. He sat on the swing with [his wife] Jean… He was coherent…,” Richards told the Extra.

He explained that Trebek was in good spirits on his last day.

“In every sense of the word, he peacefully left,” the exec said.

“He had surgery about three weeks ago and I thought, ‘He’s definitely not gonna be back for these tapings.’ And he would get very stern with me. He’d go, ‘No, I’ll be there.’ And — God love him — he was.”

As for what fans should look out for in these final episodes, the exec said that there is a speech from the host which is “amazing.”

“[It’s] about coming together and being with your family that will resonate even more now,” he said.

Trebek revealed to the public that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but continued to host the series as much as he could.

Trebek revealed in January 2020 that he would inform producers of his exit on the day he taped his final episode. 

“I made this decision a long time ago. What I would do, it would be the same as when I shaved my mustache. I would do it on a whim,” Trebek said.

“On that particular day, I will speak to Harry [Friedman, executive producer], and I will speak to Clay [Jacobsen], our director, and tell them, ‘Give me 30 seconds at the end of the program. That’s all I need to say goodbye, because it’s going to be the last show.’”

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.