File under: precious time capsule. This hand-written 2006 note from late Alex Trebek to his ‘Jeopardy!” protege, Ken Jennings, is an absolute treasure.
“Just randomly found this 2006 note from Alex Trebek commiserating about a question I got wrong on a game show called 1 vs. 100,” the All-Time ‘Jeopardy!’ champ posts to Twitter. “Bummer!” he recalls of the writing, quoting the late icon.
The caption comes in service to a photo of Trebek’s letter, which you can see below. Within, the legend’s trademark kindness and wit shines through as he takes the time to handwrite an extra “P.S.” to Jennings.
“Good luck with everything and I wish you all the best,” Trebek concludes the typed portion to his protege.
“P.S.: I thought you did a great job on 1 vs 100,” Trebek pens afterward. “I missed that dumb roulette clue also, & then when I researched it found that the colors do not alternate throughout. Bummer!”
We all need a mentor this kind and attentive, don’t we? What a genuine sweetheart.
The note comes in full cursive, too – a dying form of writing fit for one as kingly as Alex Trebek. Those of us old enough to have been taught it in school can read it readily in his letter (which certainly came in handy whilst transcribing it!). Consider that one for the team, young buck Outsiders.
‘Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek in 2006: Mustachegate
Moreover, the note comes from a particularly controversial time in Trebek’s career. No, nothing of that sort – the man was an angel. A gift! As such, the most controversial the ‘Jeopardy!’ host ever became… is when he shaved off his trademark mustache – and sent the world into a tailspin.
Back in 2001, ‘Jeopardy!’s beloved host Alex Trebek shocked the world-over when he appeared without his mustache for the year’s season. Much to his own disbelief, the facial-hair-disappearance made headline news and front pages across the world. And it’s still being talked about, see: this article!
So why did the late legend go clean-shaven? Outsider has the answer, courtesy of The Archive of American Television – and the man himself. Within, a revealing 2001 home interview with Alex Trebek features the answer in full:
“You talked earlier about being very attached to that mustache,” the interviewer states. “What prompted your decision to shave it?” she asks.
“Pure whim,” Trebek brushes off with a smile. “On tape day, we were about to tape our fifth show. And I went into the makeup room… sat in the chair… and said ‘I’m gonna shave my mustache,” the icon recalls.
“So I shaved half of it,” he continues, tongue-in-cheek. “So then I shaved the other half, and walked out, and I’m not sure everybody noticed immediately.”
This nugget doesn’t hold a candle to the revelation that he made his son Matthew cry by shaving it off, though.
You were one of a kind, Alex Trebek. ‘Jeopardy!’ fans will never forget you.
