Alex Trebek's Final Jeopardy! Episode Air Date Revealed

12/21/2020 09:51 pm EST

Following the death of long time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, it was previously revealed that his final five episodes would premiere on Monday, December 21 with his last episode as host premiering on Christmas Day. These plans were later changed however and now Jeopardy! producers have confirmed when Trebek's last episodes will be seen on television. According to a report from TV Line the first of the final five will premiere on Monday, January 4th with the final episode set to premiere on Friday, January 8th. The last episode that Trebek filmed as the host of the series was shot on Thursday, October 29th. Trebek passed from pancreatic cancer on Sunday, November 8th.

"That first show of that final week...he gives a speech talking about togetherness, how important family is, and it will resonate even more now," executive producer Mike Richards previously told CNN. "It was so beautiful that we were all emotional, we were all in tears, and we all started clapping. It almost distracted him because he was going, 'OK, now let's play Jeopardy!'"

Ahead of Trebek's final episodes, the next two weeks will be filled with ten episodes being described as "Around the World With Alex." According to the official Jeopardy! website, Trebeks three favorite types of categories were "Movies, Geography, and Movies About Geography." The ten episodes that will be broadcast over the next two weeks include subjects like: Hockey, Sesame Street, The U.S. Air Force: USO Tour to Japan, Machu Picchu, Niagara Falls, Journey Through Israel, Galápagos Wildlife, Operatic Costumes: The Met, and National Museum of African American History and Culture.

On the Monday following Trebek's final show the series will air its first episode featuring a new host. Prolific Jeopardy! contestant Ken Jennings, previous winner of the "Greatest of All Time" tournament, will host the show and will be the first of several guest hosts to take on the role. The series is not naming a full-time replacement host at this moment.

"Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him," Richards said in a statement. "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."

(Cover photo by Eric McCandless via Getty Images)

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