Fans Danger! It could be assumed that Alex Trebek has been at the forefront of the show since its inception. Not so.
The Canadian-born host started his career on the iconic game show in 1984 and it was, in part, thanks to legendary actor Lucille Ball.
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‘Danger!’ is airing the first episode of Alex Trebek
Danger! Starring Alex Trebek in the role of presenter, it debuted on September 10, 1984 and will re-air on Monday, July 20, 2020, two days before Alex Trebek’s 80th birthday.
Announcer Johnny Gilbert was at work that first day and, like Trebek, he still is, sounds remarkably the same today as it was then. The players in 1984 were announced by Gilbert, they stepped out into the center of the studio and then took their place on their own podiums, bells in hand.
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Finally, Gilbert introduced Trebek. “And now, here is the host of Danger!Alex Trebek!
Trebek stood out in his first appearance on the show, sporting much darker hair and a full mustache at the time and saying, “Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of all of us, welcome to America’s favorite response. Asking game Danger!“
Trebek says he didn’t think “Danger!” would run a long time
In a 2007 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, the father of three children admitted that he wasn’t sure if Danger! it had staying power, since the program received complaints that the material was simply too difficult.
“At first, we weren’t sure how long it was going to last,” Trebek said, “because we were getting comments saying, ‘Oh, it’s too difficult, too difficult, I can’t do it, it’s too difficult.'”
The television personality offered to facilitate the questions, but then changed his mind.
“Well, I said, ‘I will relax with the material,’ and I did not relax with the material. . Two months later, they said, ‘hey, you did well, it’s good, everything went smooth,’ and he had done nothing. So people started to understand and enjoy the program. “
Lucille Ball helped Alex Trebek get his job in ‘Danger!’
Trebek had been before Danger!, host of various game shows, including Battlestars, Double challenge, Lucky numbersand The $ 128,000 questionand he was making a name.
According to The New York Times, it was none other than Lucille Ball herself who played an integral role in her transformation. Danger!The host. Ball suggested the show’s producer and executive creator, Merv Griffin, to hire the promising personality of the game show.
“In 1984,” the medium wrote in a review of Trebek’s upcoming memoirs, The answer is . . .“Trebek got the job he became famous for, with the help of” I Love Lucy “star Lucille Ball, who encouraged producer Merv Griffin to hire him.”
After 36 years on the show, Trebek’s contract with Danger! expires in 2022.
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