SNL Salutes Alex Trebek, Sean Connery in Classic ‘Jeopardy’ Sketches
by Best Classic Bands Staff
“Cruise,” “Sandler” and “Connery” torment Alex Trebek on Celebrity Jeopardy on SNL in 1998
Among the things that er, bonded, Alex Trebek and Sean Connery were the ongoing sketches on Saturday Night Live that parodied Jeopardy!, the popular game show that Trebek, born July 22, 1940, hosted since 1984 until his death on November 8, 2020. The SNL writers regularly incorporated Connery, who died just days before, on Oct. 31, into the clever series.
Saturday Night Live has posted several of their classic Celebrity Jeopardy! sketches to YouTube, including a pair from 1998. The clips all feature SNL regular Will Ferrell as Trebek, who is continually exasperated by the ineptness of the various guests. The ones included here feature Darrell Hammond’s superb impersonation of Connery.
Will Ferrell as Alex Trebek on a SNL Jeopardy sketch
Other “celebrities” include Tom Cruise (courtesy of Ben Stiller’s phenomenal take on the actor), Martha Stewart (via Ana Gasteyer), Ozzy Osbourne (Horatio Sanz), Adam Sandler (played brilliantly by Jimmy Fallon), and more.
Because the celebrities’ responses are so hopeless, the program’s categories are constructed to be foolproof. Thus, we get “Drummers Named Ringo,” “The Number After 2,” “Presidents Who Are on the One Dollar Bill,” and so on. Naturally, the guests still manage to fail with their questions. And that, of course, is what makes these recurring sketches so fun.
Each time, Connery’s character mischievously alters the categories to suit his sophomoric humor, much to Trebek’s disgust. Thus, “RICHARD NIXON” becomes “RICHARD NIXON.”
Watch Jimmy Fallon as Robin Williams, host Lucy Liu as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Darrell Hammond as Connery torment Trebek in 2000
In 2009, the evening’s host Tom Hanks joins in the fun as himself who fails to recognize his own film, Castaway, with Kristin Wiig as “Kathie Lee Gifford, “Connery” and Norm Macdonald’s brilliant, gum-chewing Burt Reynolds.
On July 22, 2024, on the anniversary of his birthday, Trebek’s life and legacy was honored with a U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp. The dedication ceremony was held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif.
Related: More of SNL‘s Jeopardy! parody sketches
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2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationDon’t watch the Connery Jeopardy episodes unless you haven’t eaten for several hours. The uncontrollable laughter will HURT.
Darrell Hammond was just priceless in these skits, and needless to say, Norm showing up as Burt Reynolds was beyond priceless. And almost as good as “Jeopardy”? “Black Jeopardy!”, especially the one with Chadwick Boseman as The Black Panther.