Always knew this day would come, but....

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mas3cf
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Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by mas3cf »

...it's unreal and sad that it's here.

I was introduced to Jeopardy! by my grandmother when my brother and I went to stay with my grandparents for the summer of 1989. She had been a huge J! fan ever since the first Art Fleming episode. At the time, I was only a kid so was thrilled if I knew only a few answers over the course of the whole episode.

Over the years, Alex's Jeopardy! has woven its way into my life in all kinds of different ways. It inspired me to join the quiz bowl team in HS and college. I've had lots of friends who were also Jeopardy! fanatics. In grad school, we used to go the the Archive and play a random game together over lunch. I had an audition in 2004, at which time I was woefully underqualified (and would possibly have had to face Ken if I made it on the show). Later, after I met my wife, we watched Jeopardy! together as part of our evening routine. I had an audition in 2019 and have been obsessively preparing ever since, just in case.

The constant through all this is Alex. His perfect balance of gravitas and cheekiness, the consistency with which he read clues, the respect and love he showed for contestants... will all be hard to match. This morning, it was hard to play the J!6 clues knowing it's his last air date, and having to wonder if they'll still use his voice in the app. For 31 years, Alex has consistently brought joy and excitement into my life. Thank you Alex for a lifetime of entertainment.
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morbeedo
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by morbeedo »

mas3cf wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:48 amThis morning, it was hard to play the J!6 clues knowing it's his last air date, and having to wonder if they'll still use his voice in the app. For 31 years, Alex has consistently brought joy and excitement into my life. Thank you Alex for a lifetime of entertainment.
I thought the same and really hope they do! It would be jarring for them to replace his voice so soon
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twelvefootboy
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by twelvefootboy »

morbeedo wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:06 am
mas3cf wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:48 amThis morning, it was hard to play the J!6 clues knowing it's his last air date, and having to wonder if they'll still use his voice in the app. For 31 years, Alex has consistently brought joy and excitement into my life. Thank you Alex for a lifetime of entertainment.
I thought the same and really hope they do! It would be jarring for them to replace his voice so soon
I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...

Plus one for the comments about AT's wit, gravitas, and je ne sais quoi. But I think there were a lot of other good James Bonds besides Sean Connery and I'm looking forward to the reveal.
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Woof
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by Woof »

I started watching Jeopardy! during the Art Fleming era, either the first or second season. It was a breath of fresh air on daytime TV on those days when I was out of school and helped nurture my love of learning. When Alex started, I was in grad school and didn’t own a TV and I lost track of the show for a bit. I wasn’t too sure about that new, mustachioed presence on stage. It wasn’t until Ken’s run that I reconnected, but I’ve watched regularly since. Alex has been a constant presence and has come to epitomize what it means to host a game show. I still cannot imagine the show without him.
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Robert K S
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by Robert K S »

twelvefootboy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:57 am I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...
Does the app use a generated voice or actual recorded reads from him?
mas3cf
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by mas3cf »

Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:29 pm
twelvefootboy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:57 am I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...
Does the app use a generated voice or actual recorded reads from him?
Recorded reads. Not for the clues, but for the generic parts that can be used in any game. Clues are read by a female CGI voice.
MattKnowles
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by MattKnowles »

I’m surprised that I haven’t seen any promotion for Alex’s last episode. I think a lot of people, several times more than the number of daily viewers, knew who Alex was and held him in high regard. He is one of the few people I can think of today that are almost universally well liked.

I thought there would be a big promotion to make it an event so people could honor him by watching his last game. I’ve been telling people to tune in.
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by Bamaman »

My mother was a big fan of the original version. I was born in 1967 so I would watch it with her. As a kid I had a desk with a chalkboard on top. As a young math geek I would keep scores as the game went along. I obviously didn’t get many clues right (kind of like now) but I was mesmerized by the lights, seeing the big board, and people winning money by asking questions. I used to think losers got party gifts (not parting) and visualized people getting horns and hats. I also thought Art Fleming just seemed like an important person.

Mom wasn’t a big fan of Alex when he started. She thought he was too silly to fill Art’s shoes. Looking back at his early games I can understand. But he certainly grew into the role. Mom died in 1986 so she never got to see how good he got.

I have gone through periods where I didn’t miss an episode and spans where I went weeks without watching. Ken’s run got me back into it and the old Sony board made it must see TV for me. (Thanks to everyone).

Now a new era begins. Obviously, they didn’t have much time to hire a new host. It is good someone very familiar with the game will be the host the first few weeks. Whoever it is I will watch.
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Robert K S
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by Robert K S »

mas3cf wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:12 pm
Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:29 pm
twelvefootboy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:57 am I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...
Does the app use a generated voice or actual recorded reads from him?
Recorded reads. Not for the clues, but for the generic parts that can be used in any game. Clues are read by a female CGI voice.
Few people have been recorded as much as he has, so if anyone's a candidate for a high-quality voicebot, it would be Alex Trebek.
CyrusChan
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by CyrusChan »

Would anyone be able to share today's episode somewhere online?
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floridagator
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by floridagator »

MattKnowles wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:57 pm I’m surprised that I haven’t seen any promotion for Alex’s last episode.
My local station has been running promos all week encouraging people to tune in today for Alex's Final Jeopardy.
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AntmanB
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by AntmanB »

Man looking at tweets about the final episode was harder than watching the episode itself.
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by TenPoundHammer »

When I was 5, my mom and I would often go over to visit an elderly couple who wanted companionship. We would watch "Jeopardy!", "Wheel of Fortune", and either "Hot Country Nights" or "Crook and Chase" depending on the day.

I remember enjoying the unusual blue-and-yellow color scheme, the giant light-up sign, and the electronic sound effects. Even though my gameplay strengths were more on "Wheel", my mom says she remembers me getting a couple of clues right even then.

I continued to have some degree of awareness of J! and WoF as I grew. At some point, my mom gave me a copy of "The Jeopardy! Book" that Alex co-wrote in 1990. I was amazed to see the history that the show had and couldn't believe that something so well-known was actually a revival. Included in said book was sheet music for the iconic theme music, which I begged my piano teacher to teach me.

The thing that puzzled me was how often people at the time seemed to see Alex as stuffy and pretentious. I saw that in Will Ferrell's portrayal of him on SNL; in the (admittedly hilarious) MAD magazine article about ways for contestants to annoy Alex; and in a myriad of online comments on various forums. Even original host Art Fleming didn't like him! But somehow I just never saw that in him, nor did I understand how anyone could. There was just something unique about how he hosted, and it only became clearer when I was able to access episodes of earlier shows that he had hosted.

Although I had played along with and recorded a few episodes before (I even remember the first time I got Final Jeopardy! right and none of the contestants did!), it wasn't until Ken Jennings came along that I was on board for good. I would watch both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune back to back every night, barring preemptions or technical malfunctions. I only sometimes kept score, and constantly got frustrated at my poor performance, but that didn't stop me from watching daily. I also found that over time, the preconception of Alex changed for the better. Whenever something happened to him, such as his heart attack, his torn Achilles tendon, or his brain surgery, people always seemed to speak very highly of him.

In March 2019, when Alex announced his diagnosis, I decided that I would audition for the show because I wanted to share a stage with him while he was still around. After all, I had been on Wheel, so why not make it 2 for 2? I actually passed the online test and got invited back to a second-tier audition. But then COVID hit and threw everything, game shows included, into disarray. I don't know if I would have made the cut regardless, but at least I was moved enough to try. I also bought his excellent memoir and after reading it, I felt like more than ever I knew who exactly Alex was.

As I type this, I'm actually wearing a shirt I got for Christmas that has the "Final Jeopardy!" logo on it.

Just like the actual show, "Final Jeopardy!" is only the end of one installment. "Jeopardy!" will continue with someone else who will continue the show's legacy and make it their own. After all, it's happened before.
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twelvefootboy
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by twelvefootboy »

Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:23 pm
mas3cf wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:12 pm
Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:29 pm
twelvefootboy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:57 am I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...
Does the app use a generated voice or actual recorded reads from him?
Recorded reads. Not for the clues, but for the generic parts that can be used in any game. Clues are read by a female CGI voice.
Few people have been recorded as much as he has, so if anyone's a candidate for a high-quality voicebot, it would be Alex Trebek.
Sorry I hadn't recalled that the clues were read by computer. I probably haven't played J6 for a year. I believe the thing I heard the most was Alex's voice telling me after my long silence that I need to answer the clue or ask for it to be repeated :lol:.

I "think" I'd rather not hear his voice remaining in the intros, etc.., but I do not play it and have no dog in the fight.
We just watched the final ep. A mundane game, just the way we like them. RIP, Alex.
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
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twelvefootboy
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by twelvefootboy »

Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:23 pm
mas3cf wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:12 pm
Robert K S wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:29 pm
twelvefootboy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:57 am I hadn't thought about this, but I think I'd rather hear a Siri/Alexa computer voice in lieu of some deep fake of Alex's voice. I'm not ready for the CGI recreation of dead actors, etc...
Does the app use a generated voice or actual recorded reads from him?
Recorded reads. Not for the clues, but for the generic parts that can be used in any game. Clues are read by a female CGI voice.
Few people have been recorded as much as he has, so if anyone's a candidate for a high-quality voicebot, it would be Alex Trebek.
Sorry I hadn't recalled that the clues were read by computer. I probably haven't played J6 for a year. I believe the thing I heard the most was Alex's voice telling me after my long silence that I need to answer the clue or ask for it to be repeated :lol:.

I "think" I'd rather not hear his voice remaining in the intros, etc.., but I do not play it and have no dog in the fight.
We just watched the final ep. A mundane game, just the way we like them. RIP, Alex.
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
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Picked Off
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Re: Always knew this day would come, but....

Post by Picked Off »

Godspeeed, Alex.
Season 27 player and lifelong fan
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