I've still got a soft spot for Art Fleming, the stodgy gent who hosted NBC's original daytime version in the '60s and '70s. But you have to hand it to Trebek, the journeyman host of forgettable games like High Rollers and Battlestars, for taking a show that was considered too intelligent for TV and making it one of the most durable and popular of all time. Proof that having no discernible personality is the road to longevity on television. As long as you can put it in the form of a question.
By Richard Zoglin