LeVar Burton
This week may have been the most consequential one. Ever since the search for a new host of Jeopardy began, there have been online campaigns for Burton. Considering everything he means to a certain generation, it was a huge deal when he agreed to host and probably the most pressure-filled for that person.
Burton was, as you’d expect more than up to the challenge. He was charming, warm and comforting in every aspect of the show. He sounded joyful when the winner was announced. (Which we’ll get to, by the way.) And he was equally unfazed when a new record was set for the lowest score by a contestant going into Final Jeopardy. I’ll leave his name out because I have a feeling this is one person who would rather not have this place in Jeopardy history.
But as seems to be Burton’s place, he was set aside for a brighter sun. This week was dominated by one of the best champions in recent years, and certainly one of the best in the post-Trebek. Matt Adadio continued his streak from Robin Roberts’ week and, if anything, got more formidable as the week progressed, winning $74,000 in his seventh game. And just a good contestant makes the show look good, it made Burton look good as well, he continued to express exuberance with every win. As well he might. Matt’s performance guaranteed that Burton’s charity would receive just shy of $200,000 this week, news that can make everybody happy.
Burton was properly thankful on his last day. Will he actually get the job that so many people want him to have? That remains in question. My only disappointment with his week? He never once ended the game by saying: “See ya next time.” Who knows? Maybe he’ll say it if he gets the job.
My score: 4.75 stars.
David Faber: Like Bill Whitaker, I had no idea who David Faber was. And apparently I’m not alone; the online response to Faber has been favorable, but there have been a lot of people asking: “Who the hell is he?” I guess that’s the difference between a journalist and a financial analyst: even fewer people know who you are. Another key difference, you’re actually allowed to show a little personality.
Faber has been doing a fine job as the guest host; like Mike Richards he seems to be relishing in his relative anonymity. And it actually has let to some decent anecdotes along the way: following an exceptional match which ended with Matt (we’ll get to it in a moment) ended Double Jeopardy with more than $43,000 and ending Final Jeopardy with just over $6,000 Faber could make the perfect time remark for the following day that watching Matt perform was like his job at CNBC, a real roller coaster.
Just as with LeVar Burton the previous week, Matt Adadio does what great Jeopardy champions did with Alex Trebek: he makes the host look good. Having won 12 consecutive games and just under $400,000 (well within the top ten of both categories in Jeopardy history) Matt has continued to wow fans and guest hosts alike. He’s had highs ($52.000 on Tuesday) and lows ($6,200 Wednesday) but he makes the game interesting and even the contestants he beats regularly seem to enjoy being in his presence.
Faber, of course, will go back to his day job after Friday. But apparently being in the news business but not quite a reporter does seem to make you a better host. At the very least when this week is over, no one will be asking: “Who the hell is David Faber?”
My score: 4 stars.
Joe Buck: And so we come to the end of this strange season. And in an odd way, its actually fitting that Joe Buck, one of the sports broadcasters for Fox has finished up the year. Frankly, I’m a little astonished Jeopardy didn’t try to have more sports commentators hosting the show – Jeopardy is a competition series after all; albeit a mental one more than physical. If anybody can appreciate that and know the right things to say, it’s someone like Joe Buck.
More than that, Buck came around at exactly the right time. Matt Adadio continues to dominate the game and rank himself among the greatest of the greats. This is something a commentator could appreciate and its clear that Joe was more prepped for this than some of the other guest hosts. When Matt won his seventeenth game and became third all time on the money-winners in regular seasons second only to Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, Buck knew how to express the significance both to Matt and the audience. This is something that only someone like Alex would’ve been able to appreciate. And when Double Jeopardy for that game ended with Matt not having a runaway, it sounded appropriate that Buck could list the exact date this had last happened.
In handling the other aspects of hosting, he’s done a fairly good job there as well. When a category involving colorful sports teams up and one of the clues referred to the St. Louis Cardinals (the team for which his father broadcast) he expressed gratitude when Matt got it right. And he has the right level of humor and gravitas – he clowned around with a contestant on a Rodney Dangerfield clue which seemed pretty decent. He has the right level of explanation when it comes to Final Jeopardy and he’s done a better job than many of his fellow hosts at acknowledging Alex’ legacy – something you get better if you work in his field.
The job is settled now, but in my opinion Joe Buck more than did himself and his profession proud. In fact, now that were all finished, it makes me wonder – why wasn’t Bob Costas asked to guest host? Then again, he’s even busier than a lot of the journalists involved.
My score: 4.5 stars.
The season is over. I’ll be back at this spot to discuss the new hosts and why we shouldn’t be upset as to who got the job and a slightly more detailed ranking as to who did the best and worst at filling Alex’s shoes.
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