Saturday Night Live and Jeopardy! share a unique relationship. The comedy show turned the game show into one of its signature sketches. Now, Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings has revealed who he'd like to play him if SNL reboots the sketch.
SNL's first "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch came in 1996. Cast member Will Ferrell played host Alex Trebek, enduring a round with celebrity contestants like Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond), Burt Reynolds (Norm Macdonald), and more.
All told, there were 14 "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches over the years, plus one during SNL's 40th anniversary special in 2015. However, SNL has not done one since Ferrell left the cast or since Trebek's passing.
Now, Ken Jennings runs the show at Jeopardy!. When asked who should play him in a Saturday Night Live sketch, Jennings had an unexpected answer: Kate McKinnon.
Of course, McKinnon hasn't been on SNL In a couple of years. But that didn't stop Jennings from thinking outside of the box and hoping for a cameo.
While Saturday Night Live audiences would probably love to see another edition of "Celebrity Jeopardy" and see Kate McKinnon back in Studio 8H, it's doesn't seem like a good fit. Jennings doesn't exactly demonstrate the oddball behavior that lets McKinnon shine.
Would SNL consider rebooting Celebrity Jeopardy?
Even more unlikely than Kate McKinnon playing Ken Jennings is the idea that Saturday Night Live would reboot "Celebrity Jeopardy." There have been two key losses that may make the audience uncomfortable during the performance.
As mentioned, Alex Trebek passed away in 2020. SNL would never ask Ferrell back to play Trebek again in the 50th anniversary special or any other time.
Norm Macdonald was also synonymous with the sketch. The former cast member died in 2021. Watching a "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch today would just make fans miss Macdonald even more and think something wasn't quite the same with the sketch.
So what is the alternative? "Black Jeopardy" has been a successful sketch for SNL. If the 50th anniversary needs something akin to "Celebrity Jeopardy," they already have an answer in-house.
Then there's Pop Culture Jeopardy! airing on Amazon. The show is exactly what the title suggests, with questions more about celebrities, movies, and music than history, art, and science. The best part is Colin Jost hosts the show.
So maybe the next best thing Saturday Night Live can do is have Jost play himself in a "Celebrity Pop Culture" sketch.
We'll find out when SNL continues season 50 in 2025 or when it airs its 50th anniversary special live on February 16.