Longtime network news star Katie Couric has been signed to take over the hosting reins of “Jeopardy!” for a week, according to several people familiar with the plan.
Couric will be among the first guest hosts to helm the iconic game show after the final episodes with long-running emcee Alex Trebek air this week. Trebek, who died Nov. 8 after battling pancreatic cancer, taped the programs in October.
Couric declined to comment when asked about the booking or and whether she is interested in being Trebek’s successor on a full-time basis. A representative for Sony Pictures Television, which produces “Jeopardy!,” also declined to comment.
The producers of “Jeopardy!” have previously stated their plans to have guest hosts after the final Trebek episodes air until a permanent replacement is chosen. “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings, who has an overall deal with Sony, has also been booked to handle the program. Episodes with Jennings as host are scheduled to air starting Jan. 11.
It’s likely that the guest host stints will play a role in determining who will succeed Trebek, who fronted the syndicated version of the program since its launch in 1984.
Couric, 63, is one of television’s best known personalities, thanks to her massively successful run as co-anchor of NBC’s morning news franchise “Today.” The program was No. 1 in the ratings during most of her run from 1991 to 2006.
She went on to spend five years as anchor of “CBS Evening News.” She hosted a syndicated talk show for the Walt Disney Co. and worked as a correspondent for ABC News.
In recent years, Couric has run her own media company that produces documentary films, podcasts and a daily newsletter.
