Alex Trebek on "Jeopardy!'s" 30th Anniversary: "We're Always Trying to Stay Ahead of the Curve"
Oct 28, 2013
by Liz Raftery


"Jeopardy!" turns the big 3-0 this year, and the show is pulling out all the stops for its anniversary celebration.

Beginning Monday, the game show juggernaut will be giving away 30 all-expense-paid excursions to places like Antarctica, Costa Rica, Vietnam and Greece through its "Explore the World Sweepstakes."



"There are so many fascinating places on earth," "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek said at an event last month. "If we don't know about other societies and how they developed, how are we going to be able to get along with them?"

Viewers can enter to win at www.jeopardy.com







Next spring, the show will also debut the "Battle of the Decades" tournament, bringing back fan-favorite contestants from each of its three decades to compete against each other.

"We brought back some of our teens as adults, and I didn't recognize anybody," Trebek told TVGuide.com. "But it was fun."







"Jeopardy!" doesn't have any major changes up its sleeve, but will continue to stick to the tried and true formula that's made it a cultural touchstone for the past 30 years.

"Any time a television program can celebrate 30 consecutive years on the air is something special, I believe," Trebek says. "And Jeopardy! takes its mission seriously. Our mission is to educate, to inform and entertain people of all ages, all backgrounds. ... We're always trying to stay just a little bit ahead of the curve."







So what's the secret to the show's success?

"Americans are very competitive, and they like to be challenged," Trebek says.

"They especially like to be challenged intellectually, and Jeopardy! does that. You can't watch Jeopardy! just in passing. It demands your attention. You need to focus on it. And you get an opportunity in the safety and security of your own home to test yourself. ... We're a quality program. We don't demean or insult our contestants. We do not demean or insult the subjects of our clues. So, that helps. I like to think we're a class act."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Alex-Trebek-Jeopardy-30th-Anniversary-Sweepstakes-Decades-Tournament-1072619.aspx

Contestant Molly Kossoff looked hot in two night appearances. She is best Molly contestant in Jeopardy! history.

Here's what I like to see;bring back the sets form the Art Flemmin era,and DON PORDO to announce for just one week;they can do it in NEW YORK.

Not to be lost is the fact that come next year (which will be here soon), Jeopardy! will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of it's NBC debut.

I have fond memories of Jeopardy from the early 1970s, watching Art Fleming on our old black and white set. It went off the air Jan. 3, 1975, just 2 weeks after I turned 8 years old. I remember always feeling frustrated when they would have 1 clue left on the board and the time's up bell would ring. I always wanted to see a cleaned board, but don't ever recall seeing that happen on Art's version, although I'm sure it did during it's 11 year run on NBC daytime.

I also have fond memories of Alex Trebek as host of "High Rollers", a game and a program that is still very near and dear to my heart. Alex, like Pat Sajak and Bob Barker, has stood the test of time very well, hosting the same program for at least 30 seasons. Even though Price has 70 plus pricing games and wild contestants, and Wheel has its many bells & whistles, for my money Jeopardy must be the most challenging program to host. Having to read 61 clues at a rapid fire pace every night, so many pronunciations involved, Trebek is a credit to the game show host. He may come off as snooty or aloof at times, but that just adds to his charm I believe. When he eventually steps down, he will be sorely missed.

She is best Molly contestant in Jeopardy! history.

How many others were named Molly?

Contestant Molly Kossoff looked hot in two night appearances. She is best Molly contestant in Jeopardy! history.

Could you explain these statements?