HE WAS A PRO’S PRO, BUT HE WAS
SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
>> HERE IS THE HOST OF
"JEOPARDY!"
>> HERE IS YOUR CLUE.
>> Reporter: HE SHOWED UP IN OUR
HOUSEHOLD MORE CONSISTENTLY THAN
ANY RELATIVE.
ALEX TREBEK WAS NOT A GAME SHOW
HOST.
HE WAS LIKE A FRIEND WHOSE
PRESENCE WAS ALWAYS WELCOME.
>> DID YOU COME UP WITH THE
CORRECT RESPONSE TO OUR FINAL?
YOU’RE THE BEST, ALEX, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
>> Reporter: NEVER SHOWY, NEVER
TO SHOW OFF, HE HANDLED THE MOST
DIFFICULT PRONUNCIATIONS WITH
EASE.
>> THE FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE WAS
VALENTINA.
>> AND WHEN A CONTESTANT BLEW AN
ANSWER, AN ANSWER ALEX FELT THE
PERSON OR ANY PERSON FOR THAT
MATTER SHOULD HAVE NOUN.
>> DALLAS COWBOYS?
YOU THINK WE SHOULD GO TO
COMMERCIAL?
>> Reporter: HE EXHIBITED ONLY
THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF DISDAIN.
>> IF YOU GUYS RING IN AND GET
THIS ONE, I WILL DIE.
>> Reporter: THOSE OF US WHO
WATCHED "JEOPARDY!" A LOT OFTEN
FELT WE KNEW WHEN HE LIKED A
CONTESTANT.
>> JAMES.
>> WHAT IS ANTARCTICA.
>> >> THAT’S IT.
>> WHAT IS THE CREATURE FROM THE
BLACK LAGOON.
>> Reporter: WAS THERE JUST A
TOUCH MORE ENTHUSIASM AS HE OR
SHE WOULD RACE THROUGH A
CATEGORY, THE AUDIENCE CHEERING.
>> JAMES IN THE LEAD WITH 7,400.
>> Reporter: MORE THAN ANYTHING,
WE KNEW ALEX LIKED A GOOD GAME,
A SMART GAME.
HE WAS ALWAYS SO PLEASED WHEN
ALL THREE CONTESTANTS DID WELL.
WHERE THE WIT AND THE WAGERS IN
FINAL JEOPARDY WOULD DETERMINE
THE CHAMPION.
>> DID HE RISK ENOUGH?
OH, HE DID INDEED.
7505, HE’S THE NEW CHAMPION.
>> Reporter: WHEN ALEX TOLD US
HE HAD CANCER, HE DELIVERED THE
MESSAGE WITH THE SAME STEADY
DEMEANOR WITH WHICH HE COMMANDED
THE SHOW.
>> AND WITH THE LOVE AND SUPPORT
OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND
WITH THE HELP OF YOUR PRAYERS
ALSO, I PLAN TO BEAT THE LOW
SURVIVAL RATE STATISTICS FOR
THIS DISEASE.
>> Reporter: BUT WE WERE SHAKEN.
>> ALEX TREBEK.
>> WHEN THE SHOW RESUMED THIS
FALL WITH A HEALTHY LOOKING
ALEX.
WE WONDERED IF HE HAD WON THE
BATTLE.
THAT’S WHAT WE HOPED.
>> WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START OFF
A NEW SEASON, RIGHT?
LET’S DO IT AGAIN TOMORROW.
>> Reporter: SO WHEN WORD CAME
SUNDAY, IT WAS JUST TOO SAD.
DEEP DOWN WE KNEW IT WAS COMING,
BUT LORD KNOWS WE DIDN’T WANT TO
ACCEPT IT.
>> HE WAS A SPECIAL PERSON AND
WE WILL ALL MISS HIM.
>> I FELT LIKE I KNEW ALEX
BECAUSE I WATCHED HIM SINCE I
WAS THEIR AGE.
>> Reporter: SUPPER TIME WILL
NOT BE THE SAME.
WE MISS HIM ALREADY.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS TO BE
6:30, 7:00 EASTERN TIME TONIGHT,
I’M NOT SURE HOW WE’RE GOING TO
REACT WHEN WE TURN ON THE
TELEVISION TO BE PERFECTLY
HONEST.
>> WELL, THEY’VE -- YOU KNOW,
THEY HAVE THOSE SHOWS THAT HE
DID AT THE END OF HIS LIFE,
WHICH HE APPARENTLY WAS JUST --
IT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO DO IT,
BUT HE TAPED A BUNCH OF SHOWS TO
GET US ALL THROUGH CHRISTMAS.
YOU KNOW, I LOVED READING,
HARRY, THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYONE
SAYS HOW SMART HE WAS.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT TO MYSELF, HE
HAS THE ANSWERS.
SO CUTE, I REALLY DID AND THEN I
READ THIS MORNING THAT HE USED
TO QUIZ HIMSELF.
HE WOULD ALWAYS GO THROUGH ALL
THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE GOING TO
BE IN THE SHOW AND THEN HE WOULD
QUIZ HIMSELF TO MAKE SURE THAT
HE DID PRETTY WELL, THAT HE HAD
MOST OF THE ANSWERS.
>> THE GUY DID HIS HOMEWORK AND
THEN SOME.
YOU NEVER -- HE WAS UNFLAPPABLE,
RIGHT?
LISTEN, I HAVE TO TELL A
PERSONAL STORY.
I WAS ON CELEBRITY JEOPARDY ONCE
MANY YEARS AGO.
SOMEBODY CALLED UP AND SAID
SOMEBODY’S CANCELED, WILL YOU
PLEASE COME ON.
I WAS LIKE OH, GOD, JUST SCARED
TO DEATH.
AFTER "JEOPARDY!" I WAS IN THE
RED, EVEN IN DOUBLE "JEOPARDY!"
I WAS IN THE RED, SOMEHOW PULLED
TOGETHER, GOT ENOUGH ANSWERS
RIGHT TO HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNT
OF MONEY BY THE END OF THE
DOUBLE JEOPARDY ROUND, AND EVEN
THEN IT JUST DVSWAS -- IT IS THE
MOST FRIGHTENING, SCARY,
HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE YOU CAN
HAVE.
>> WOW.
THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL, HARRY.
BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE.
AS WE WERE POINTING OUT EARLIER
IN THIS SHOW, ALEX GOT A CHANCE
TO ACTUALLY RIDE ON A SWING WITH
HIS WIFE IN HIS FINAL MOMENTS SO