Could Ken Jennings eventually rise from the title of “guest host” to become the official “Jeopardy!” host? Based on the ratings, that wouldn’t be a bad thing for the long-running quiz show.
In his first game behind the host lectern, Jennings drew in 11.3 million viewers. His entire debut week hosting “Jeopardy!” brought in an average of 10.3 million viewers — second this season only to Alex Trebek’s final week as host, which averaged 11.1 million viewers, according to The Wrap. Fourteen million people watched Trebek’s final game, which aired Jan. 8.
Compared to the season high of Trebek’s final week, “Jeopardy!” ratings declined by 6% during Jennings’ debut week. But the show still topped all of syndication in terms of ratings, according to Next TV. “Wheel of Fortune” came in second, followed by “Family Feud and “Judge Judy.”
After Jennings’ first game hosting, where he paid special tribute to Trebek, many “Jeopardy!” fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts — everything from Jennings’ noticeable nerves to his obvious love of the game, according to the Deseret News. Overall, most of the fans seemed to be pleased with Jennings’ debut in this new role — and now the ratings back that up.
“He definitely became more comfortable as filming proceeded,” Jim Gilligan, a contestant on Jennings’ first “Jeopardy!” game, told the Deseret News. “It was a pretty steep learning curve, I think, but he climbed well.”
Jennings is now well into his third week of guest-hosting “Jeopardy!” He taped 30 episodes and will be the guest host for at least six weeks, the Deseret News previously reported. Following Jennings, a stint of celebrity guest hosts will have their own turns behind the “Jeopardy!” lectern.
Journalist Katie Couric, NFL star Aaron Rodgers, “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker and “Big Bang Theory” actress Mayim Bialik will all temporarily fill the guest host position, according to the Deseret News. “Jeopardy!” is not naming an official host at this time.