‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Go Wild as Alex Trebek’s First Show Rehearsal Video Resurfaces

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Alex Trebek‘s first pilot rehearsal video for Jeopardy! has resurfaced online, and fans can’t help but notice how the beloved star kept getting irritable while filming!

The fascinating video from 1983 shows just how much the show has changed in appearance over the years, from graphics to the set and more. But it’s still essentially the same Jeopardy! that viewers know and love today.

Back then contestants’ names were written on the podiums instead of on the screen, and their dollar amounts were in lights instead of on a screen. The Jeopardy! logo was yellow and more pushed together. The buzzer sound resembled a doorbell.

The amounts ranged from $25 to $125, and the screens were not digital. The clues flipped around on slides instead. For the Daily Doubles, a bell chimed instead of the usual music.

A black, curly-haired Trebek stood at his podium in a tan blazer, brown shirt, and black pants. He got annoyed when his microphone didn’t work on one of the clues. He also wasn’t a fan of one of the contestants correcting him. Carlo was in the lead with $1,125 when he picked the category “Journalism” for $100.

Trebek said, “Brand new category” and started to read off a clue that wasn’t shown on the board. In the middle of him talking, Carlo interrupted him and said, “I said journalism. They pulled journalism.”

“Oh, what the hell am I doing? I thought you said ‘Birds,’” the host replied. “Jesus Christ.” He then proceeded to read off the correct clue. After the answer was given, Trebek scolded Carlo.

“Why didn’t you say ‘Birds?’” he asked. “I had it in my mind that you were going to say ‘Birds,’ so next time say ‘Birds.’”

On the next clue, Carlo said “Journalism” really slowly with a laugh.

“Oh, that’s the way you’re going to be?” Trebek asked.

During Double Jeopardy, Trebek seemed annoyed when one of the producers asked him to do his lines again. He asked them to zoom out and show the full clue board as he introduced the categories.

Reddit users shared the video on the platform and pointed out how annoyed the host was. “Rehearsal for Alex Trebek’s first pilot episode in 1983, with a radically different (and much lower-tech) set than what we eventually saw when the show aired a year later. Also, check out annoyed Alex!!” the poster said.

“This is a fantastic clip! Alex getting irritated at the little mess-ups is hysterical,” another said.

Many fans said they were annoyed at how the contestants buzzed in before Alex Trebek finished reading the clue. “The ring-ins here were really annoying,” one user wrote.

“Yeah, that was pretty terrible,” said another.

“Interesting that they could buzz in before the question was finished being read,” one last fan said.

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