DANGER! Host Ken Jennings scored his second consecutive Emmy nomination for best game show host on Wednesday.
Fans were thrilled with the achievement, but pointed out that he was destined to lose on a technicality, even though he deserved to win.
5
5
The 76th Emmy Awards – which will air in September 2024 – released all the nominees on July 17.
The other “exceptional game show hosts” are Steve Harvey for Celebrity Family Feud, Keke Palmer for Password, Jane Lynch for Weakest Link, and Pat Sajak for Wheel Of Fortune.
Fans flooded social media to celebrate Ken’s achievement, but pointed out that Pat is a clear choice to win.
Pat retired from WoF this season after 40 years, so fans speculated that he would win the legacy vote.
‘GIVING IT TO PAT SAJAK’
Danger! shared the news on Instagram where one fan commented: “Congratulations Ken, well deserved!!!”
“I hope Ken wins, but I can see them giving this to Pat Sajak as a send-off,” wrote another.
“I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a win for Ken this year,” wrote a third on Reddit.
“Normally, I’d say he’s a key to winning. But the fact that Pat Sajak retired (more or less) after so many years at the Wheel suggests to me that voters will want to honor his long career.”
“Yes, I agree,” wrote a fourth Redditor. “Ken deserves it, but he can be robbed by circumstances.”
“It’s not a lifetime achievement award, so no way for Pat Sajak,” said a fifth. “Ken should win, but that’s my opinion.”
In 2023, Ken was nominated along with former co-host Mayim Bialik, but neither won.
Mayim left the show in December 2023, and Ken hosted all of season 40, meaning this is, in part, a nod to how well he’s steered the ship since then.
WHY KEN ‘DESERVES THE EMMY’
Another Redditor argued that Ken is especially deserving given the mess he’s cleaned up since Alex Trebek’s death.
The host is also about to wrap up one of the most turbulent seasons ever, including the WGA strike and a flurry of filler tournaments.
They wrote, “Ken is an excellent host and administrator of Jeopardy. He’s kept the show interesting and running smoothly, which is impressive under normal circumstances. And I think that alone is worth a nomination.”
“But he did it when he was faced with a seemingly endless stream of turmoil – the housing search, the Mike Richards fiasco, Mayim’s firing, the writers’ strike, the endless tournaments, etc.”
That being said, Jeopardy! You probably won’t go home empty-handed – the program rarely does.
Danger! it was also nominated for Best Game Show, which fans predicted the show would likely win.
Danger! has more Emmy wins than any game show, with 44 wins in its 60-year history.
Meanwhile, Pat’s retirement episode of Wheel of Fortune on June 7, 2024 was a ratings success.
He also ended the show with a moving monologue about Wheel and hugged Vanna White as they both cried.
Vanna will join new host Ryan Seacrest starting this fall for season 42.
DANGER! HAVOK HOST
Ken is a former champion who holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! history with 74 consecutive victories in 2004.
Alex hosted the modern iteration of the show from 1984 until November 2020, after losing a battle with pancreatic cancer.
After his death, things got a little chaotic, as viewers know all too well.
After a series of guest hosts, officials announced that producer Mike Richards and actress Mayim would take over as co-hosts.
However, in August 2021, Richards resigned due to resurfaced sexist comments and Ken stepped in to share hosting duties with Mayim.
In July 2022, it was announced that Mayim and Ken would continue to host together in season 39, leaving.
However, following the show’s hiatus in the summer of 2023, it was revealed that Jennings would take over as permanent host for season 40.
Danger! Host timeline
Danger! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts following the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are every host since the game show’s inception in 1964.
Art Fleming – from 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek – From 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted the modern iteration of Jeopardy! for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest Hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested a series of guest hosts for one- or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for a week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the winningest contestant of all time) joined Mayim as guest host and they shared hosting duties.
Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! after a long hiatus, having defended the writers’ strike, and Ken was named sole host.
Ken now runs all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the late night show and other primetime specials such as Masters.
Mayim announced in a personal Instagram message in late December 2023 that she would “no longer host” the show.
“As the Hollywood holidays begin, I have some Jeopardy! news,” she began her post.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!”
Danger! cobbled together a similar message on Instagram an hour later, and it has since been reported that Mayim broke the news without consulting the show first.
Ken later said he “understood” the decision, as the shows “don’t have two hosts”.
Now, Ken runs every facet of Jeopardy! including specials and spinoffs and is generally highly regarded by fans with higher ratings than ever before.
In another interview, Ken said clearly, “I’m looking forward to another 37 years of doing this [hosting]when I’m a very, very old man.”
KEN’S SALARY
Ken is reportedly tied to a $4 million hosting contract.
The US Sun previously reported that his contract is not yet long-term.
However, Ken is happy to take a pay cut to ensure he continues to host for decades to come.
A Sony insider previously told The US Sun: “What he really wants more than anything is to stay and make this position work long term.
“And if that means making less money to ensure his longevity, you can bet your life he would be in the game.
Of course, Ken is already comfortable. He earned $2.5 million from his record 74-game competitive streak, $4.3 million including tournaments.
The late Alex Trebek reportedly earned $10 million a year at the end of his 36-year tenure as host.
5
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
