JEOPARDY! fans are excited that Stephen Fry has scored the hosting gig for the game show’s new spinoff across the pond.
Some internet users, however, aren’t sold on the U.K. version being an hour long instead of the classic 30 minutes.
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On Monday, it was announced that actor Stephen, 65, would be hosting a UK version of Jeopardy! for the network ITV.
The game show is set to air this fall – will indeed be called Jeopardy! – and 20 episodes have been ordered.
Stephen said in a statement that he’s a fan of the long-running show and is ready to go.
“Whenever I’m in America, I do my damnedest to catch it every weekday. The idea of hosting it here in the UK makes me dizzy with delight.
“Such a dedicated quizzing nation as ours will, I hope, welcome this uniquely beguiling and endlessly rewarding game.”
Ken Jennings – who currently hosts the beloved trivia show with Mayim Bialik – shared his thoughts on the news too in a hilariously humble tweet.
He wrote: “Nothing gives you imposter syndrome quite like sharing a job description with Stephen Fry…”
The reboot being an hour long instead of 30 minutes is quite the change and it hasn’t been announced what will fill the extra time.
ITV said in a statement per Deadline: “The new show will allow participants to play an extra round compared to the original format, increasing the stakes for the players.”
The structural change didn’t breeze by proactive fans, many immediately expressed they’d hoped the spinoff would stick to the tried-and-true format.
One fan Tweeted: “An extra round is being forged for the rebooted UK version. You don’t have to do that.”
Someone else posted in a Reddit forum: “I hope this ‘extra round’ is just Triple Jeopardy.”
Another user replied: “I will expect this to be similar to Celebrity Jeopardy! in format and pacing, except with harder clues, perhaps even harder than the U.S. syndicated show.”
A third user wrote: “Quite Interesting. Not a fan of them tinkering with the format again, but Fry seems like a good match. Assuming he’s up to the pace of reading all the clues.”
“This will be an hour, so the pace should not be an issue,” a fourth jokingly buzzed back.
A fifth fan gushed: “I can’t wait to see this version. QI is one of my favorites and he was great at keeping things moving naturally.”
Others applauded the host pick as one wrote: “Excellent choice,” and another: I would watch Stephen Fry read the dictionary.”
Actress Mayim recently helmed the spinoff Celebrity Jeopardy!, and the show added “Triple Jeopardy!” for the first time – fans are pleading that the new version will just do that.
“Triple Jeopardy!” entailed dollar amounts being increased and three “Daily Doubles” but was in essence, just an extension, since the special’s episodes were also an hour.
As The U.S. Sun broke down in the video above, Stephen was born in Hampstead, London, in 1957 and is an actor, author, and comedian.
He shot to fame as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie with collaborator and best friend Hugh Laurie.
The pair – who have remained friends over the years – became pals at Cambridge University.
Aside from comedy, Stephen is also a talented actor and won a Golden Globe for his lead performance in the 1997 film Wilde.
His other big movie roles include Gosford Park (2001), The Hobbit (2013), and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
QI (short for Quite Interesting) is a British comedy panel game quiz show and he was its original host, helming the series from 2003 until 2016.
Stephen is also an author and has released a whopping 17 books over the years.
But despite his superstar status, he likes to keep his personal life private.
But we do know that Stephen wed comedian and writer Elliott Spencer, who is 30 years his junior, back in 2015.
In February 2018 Stephen revealed that he had spent two months secretly battling prostate cancer.
He confirmed that he underwent a life-saving operation in January 2018 and was now cancer-free.
Mayim, 47, is splitting hosting duties with 74-time winner Ken, 48, both selected after a two-year host hunt and longtime legend Alex Trebek‘s tragic death in 2020.
However, many fans want only Ken to be the permanent host, as they’ve made it no secret Mayim isn’t as quick as her counterpart on stage.
One quantifiable issue with Mayim is her cadence; namely, her pause when deeming a contestant correct or not on nearly every clue.
“Alex Trebek believed the show was about the contestants, not the hosts.” one fan recently defended on Twitter.
To which another replied: “It’s not about Ken, but it is about the flow of the show. I’ve watched since 1964, and it’s a different show with Mayim.”
A third meanly tweeted: “Jeopardy, stop trying to make Mayim happen. It’s not going to happen.”
![Jeopardy! fans agreed they would 'would watch Stephen Fry read the dictionary' as the famous Brit [seen here with his partner] has a vast resume](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/03/b954208c-4f86-497a-89f7-4ac80ddf4b64.jpg)
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