'Jeopardy!' resuming production next week with Ken Jennings as first guest host

Jeopardy Productions via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Jeopardy! will resume production again next week, with Ken Jennings stepping in as the first guest host following the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek earlier this month.

“We will resume production on 11/30 with a series of interim guest hosts from the Jeopardy! family -- starting with Ken Jennings,” the game show tweeted Monday. “Additional guest hosts to be announced.”

Executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement, “Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him.”

“We will honor Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”

Jennings is certainly a familiar face to Jeopardy! fans -- he holds the record for the longest winning streak on the show with 74 wins.

Trebek, who hosted Jeopardy! for 35 years, died of pancreatic cancer on November 8 at age 80. His final day in the studio was October 29. The show will air 10 of Trebek's best episodes the weeks of December 21 and December 28, and air his final week of episodes starting January 4.

The first week of guest-hosted shows will air the week of January 11.

By Andrea Tuccillo
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