DANGER! Viewers are becoming increasingly frustrated with Ken Jennings, blaming the game show host for several on-air mistakes.
Once a fan favorite, Ken was recently criticized on Jeopardy! episodes as viewers call out the host’s “disrespectful” pronunciation errors and criticize his “harsh” decisions.
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YOU DO THIS?
Long-standing danger! viewers and new fans have begun to question whether Ken is the right man for the job.
While no one can compare to the show’s former – and legendary – host, Alex Trebek, some fans are wondering if the show’s producers made the right decision in parting ways with Ken’s former co-host, Mayim Bialik.
A source exclusively told The US Sun that Ken “takes the job seriously” and “doesn’t want to mess it up,” but also “isn’t writing for the show.”
Ken prefers to leave certain elements – categories, clues and appeals to so-called acceptable answers – to the show’s writers and producers.
Read more about Ken Jennings
When asked if he has any say in the game show’s clues, the source revealed that the show’s winningest contestant doesn’t have as much say as viewers think.
“He certainly did that [offered a punch-up on a clue] but it’s not a normal thing and it’s not what he’s being paid to do,” the source told The US Sun.
“The writing operation at Jeopardy! is a nine-to-five operation, five days a week, because the writers are creating leads not just for the daily TV show, but for the various theme weeks, tournaments, celebrity edits, recruiting from test contestants and, most importantly, to the mountain of Jeopardy merchandise, from calendars to video games and everything in between.”
“It’s a huge assembly line that feeds a bunch of smaller companies and Ken knows not to meddle in any of that,” the source added.
As for examining the show’s tracks before each taping and offering changes, as the late Alex Trebek used to do, Ken took a slightly different route.
“He trusts the system and isn’t trying to reinvent it as he adapts to permanent hosting work,” the source said.
HE’S THERE KENOUGH
The source also confirmed that while Ken is “engaged and focused, notably more so than Mayim,” he also “doesn’t stay in the office if he’s not recording.”
Ken is following the example of today’s younger generations and diving head first into a healthy work-life balance.
“He has a full family life at home and is always developing other projects for television or books,” the source added.
“But when he’s on Jeopardy! he takes the job seriously and doesn’t want to screw it up.”
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.
The source also revealed that despite some of Ken’s on-air mistakes – such as mispronouncing certain words – he “pre-reads all the clues” as required by the show’s hosts.
“No matter who is presenting, the presenter needs to pre-read all the cues before each recording, because there are problems with cues with specific cadence and pronunciation that can cause chaos if Ken [or another host] I was reading them for the first time on air,” the source said.
“But Ken isn’t writing for the show and isn’t even trying to do so – he’s very focused on being a great host in the tradition of Alex.”
Unlike Alex, however, who contributed more clues and important changes to the show, Ken’s contribution “is not [as] big” like Alex’s, he doesn’t even need or want it to be.
“Ken’s contribution on the dance floor is not great because he is very focused on his tasks on camera, interacting with the guests, pronouncing everything correctly and making the recording days as smooth as possible,” revealed the source.
“Ken isn’t a frustrated clue writer or anything like that,” the source continued.
“My understanding is that he and the writers have a respectful relationship that, in some cases, goes back many years to his early days on the show.”
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AGAIN AND A-KEN
The now infamous Jeopardy! The run – as a contestant – began during the show’s 20th season, with his first show airing on June 2, 2004.
Your danger! The winning streak continued until he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg.
The episode, recorded in September, aired on November 30, 2004.
During his season, Ken correctly answered more than 2,700 questions on the show and left viewers – and Alex himself – shocked after being stripped of his role as the show’s champion.
“I don’t think the writers are trying to sabotage Ken, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t audience members who want to see Ken stumble or make mistakes,” the source added.
Danger! It is, above all, a TV program, which serves as entertainment, however elevated it may be.
Viewers who watch the show not only watch the show for its familiarity or to test their knowledge, but also to occasionally poke fun at the show’s mistakes, including Ken’s on-air mishaps.
“But it’s been that way since he became a game show star — it’s just part of his reality and he’s moving on,” the source added.
Mispronouncing and harsh judgments aside, Ken is too busy doing what he does best – hosting the show – to focus on any online vitriol against him.
And for now, Ken – and only Ken – still got the job.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
