Alex Trebek Cannot Be Replaced.

Alex Trebek has left behind more than just loved ones. He also left behind a legacy. Although he was born on July 22, 1940, in Greater Sudbury, Canada, since 1984, the famed television host became a regular staple in living rooms across America.

To countless viewers, Alex Trebek and Jeopardy! were interchangeable. One could not think of Jeopardy! with its all too familiar sounds and daily doubles without the mental image of Alex Trebek. Complete with his calming voice akin to a college professor and his famous mustache. However, it was not just Trebek's ever too familiar appearance. The vast number of topics covered on Jeopardy! attracted viewers of all walks of life. Not a day went by that one would see Alex Trebek quizzing contestants on various subjects. This wasn't just limited to the contestants either. Viewers at home usually played along answering categories, daily doubles, and even the final jeopardy question.

Now, Alex Trebek was not the only host of Jeopardy!. During its original run from 1964 to 1975, Art Fleming held the reigns. One could only imagine the reaction when Jeopardy! was revived in 1984. Jeopardy! without Fleming was something unimaginable. Needless to say Alex Trebek made the show into a part of American pop culture. So much one could read trivia.

Yet, everyone knew it would come time for Alex Trebek to sign off for the final time. As it was with Bob Barker and the Price is Right!, one day, Alex Trebek would one day retire from Jeopardy!. Or at least we all had hoped. Sadly, that would not be the case. On Match 6th 2019, Trebek revealed that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer. Ultimately, Alex Trebek would succumb to cancer, dying at the age of 80 on November 8th, 2020. Leaving family and fans to mourn his passing.

Yet the big question is: whom should replace Alex Trebek? He was a rarity in this age with his charm and ever present time on Jeopardy! Once asked about his replacement Alex Trebek had joked that 98-year old Betty White replace him. In 2018 Trebek did suggest L.A. Kings Hockey announcer Alex Faust be his replacement. There are also fans petitioning that either Ken Jennings or LeVar Burton take of the reigns of Jeopardy! host.

Perhaps it maybe time for Jeopardy! to end its long run. As nobody can replace Alex Trebek. He was one of a kind. There will be no one like him. Everyone can argue and ponder as to whom should be his replacement. Even then, Jeopardy! will never be the same. Many grew up watching Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! and came to associate the show with him. Even if a new host takes over the reigns, the Jeopardy! we all came to love is gone.

All of us who grew up watching Jeopardy! may not like this. Yet it is a heartbreaking realization we must all face. Nobody can ever recapture the essence Alex Trebek bought to Jeopardy! Many will try but all will fail. Though a number of Jeopardy! spin-offs were created; Jep!, Rock & Roll Jeopardy!, and Sports Jeopardy!, unsurprisingly, these shows simply did not possess the same level of an impact as its parent show. One reason these Jeopardy! spin-offs failed was that they all lacked one attribute: Alex Trebek.

At least we can all take solace that Alex Trebek spent his last days in peace. Sources say Trebek was writing his memoirs and spending time with his family. Most notably with his wife, Jean Trebek, and their two children; Matthew and Emily, as well as his daughter, Nicky, from his first marriage. For Alex Trebek's family, he was not just someone they would see on television. For the Trebeks, the loss of Alex Trebek is hardest of all because to them, he was more than someone on television, for them, he was family.

Good bye, Alex Trebek. And thank you for the memories.