Probably one of the most well-known game show hosts in the history of television, Alex Trebek is a soothing and supportive presence for nervous contestants to whom he offers clues in the form of answers and who must provide him with answers in the form of questions.  As the host of “Jeopardy!” since it was syndicated in 1984, Trebek has hosted more than 6,000episodes.  The show — and Trebek — have won a slew of Emmy Awards, and as 48 HOURS MYSTERY Correspondent Susan Spencer learns, Trebek has come a long way from his early jobs at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  

“The only reason I got into broadcasting,” he tells Spencer, “was I needed money to pay for my junior and senior years at college. And they hired me, those fools! I did everything, I did newscasts, I did sports, I did dramas.  The first quiz show I did was a high school quiz show called ‘Reach for the Top.’ And one of the things I learned there is that I could handle a fast-paced game, because the teenagers were quick.”

              Trebek hosted more than a dozen less-than-memorable shows until 1984, when he hit his own “Daily Double.” According to Trebek, “They called me up one day and said, ‘we're going to syndicate Jeopardy! Would you like to host it?’  And I said, ‘are you going to pay me?’  They said, ‘yeah.’  I said, ‘okay.’”

Still, Trebek insists the show’s success is not about him; it’s all about the game.

“It satisfies one aspect of humanity that is very, very important,” he tells Spencer, “and that is our need at a gut level to compete.  We want to know how good we are, how fast we are.”

At 71, Trebek says the clue to the ultimate Jeopardy question – when will he retire? – is “probably sooner, not later…”

Thefull interview will broadcast May 13, on CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD (9:00-10:30 AM/ET) on the CBS Television Network. Rand Morrison is the Executive Producer.

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