When I first heard that Jeopardy host Alex Trebek was going to moderate the one and only Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate, I, as many others, was star struck, but for me the euphoria lasted for all of 30 seconds.

“Wow, what a great catch!” I said initially. I love “Jeopardy” and match wits with the contestants nearly every weeknight, and Trebek is so good at what he does. But then reality set in.

“Wait a minute!” I said. Here is a Canadian-born game show host now living in California who will be moderating this all-important Pennsylvania event, which will be the only opportunity for us voters to see and hear Democratic incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf and his Republican challenger Scott Wagner give their platforms and interact with each other before the Nov. 6 general election.

There are many possible competent moderators who cover the state House daily who did not have to do intense study on the candidates and the issues as Trebek did, but I suspect the sponsoring organization, the state Chamber of Business & Industry, viewed Trebek as a bigger draw than the candidates. Probably true, because there was a sellout crowd of 1,700 in attendance at the Hershey Lodge, part of the organization’s fundraising dinner where tickets sold for $275 and up per person.

My concern was that Trebek’s celebrity would overshadow the purpose and content of the debate, which was broadcast statewide and aired on C-Span Tuesday.

Sure enough, my worst fears were realized. From the outset, it was clear that Trebek was not going to be a traditional moderator. While this in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, the moderator’s role is to stay in the background and let the candidates be the stars. That didn’t happen.

Trebek opened the proceedings by joking that he was drunk when he accepted the invitation. He also made sure that the audience knew the angst he felt after his acceptance. “I cannot tell you how much agony and stress I have experienced over these many months because I accepted this invitation,” he said. He said that he accepted the invitation on the condition that he would get to moderate his way — with a “conversation” among him and the candidates rather than a “debate.”

During his four-minute opening, compared to a minute and a half for each candidate, Trebek told several jokes that fell flat. “I’m not here to embarrass the candidates,” he said. “They are perfectly able to do that all by themselves.”

He also joked, “I won’t tolerate any booing or hissing, even if it’s directed at the candidates.”

Actually, the only booing and hissing was aimed at Trebek himself. It came when he noted that the state Legislature’s approval rating is just 14 percent. “The only thing with a lower rating,” he said, “is the Catholic Church.”

This was part of another four-minute stretch where he was the only speaker. “I am just as ticked off as everyone else about what’s happened to the Church.” He then went on to tell an anecdote about how as a teen he attended an all-boys Catholic boarding school where he and his friends never experienced abuse from the priests who taught there. I scratched my head wondering what this had to do with the program.

He also was booed when he tried to interrupt Wagner, who was giving his closing remarks. Wagner was not to be deterred. To a chorus of laughs, the challenger said, “I’ve got the stage, and he’s not taking it away from me.” Wagner wanted to be sure to get in his closing zinger: “When I’m elected governor, if I do not do anything in four years, I pledge to you that I will change my name to Tom Wolf.”

According to an analysis of the hourlong debate by watchdog.org, the “Jeopardy” host did 41 percent of the talking. Wagner spoke for 32 percent of the time, and Wolf spoke for 27 percent of the time.

What also was maddening was when Trebek took issue with some of what the candidates said and interjected his own views about education and the often proposed Marcellus Shale extraction tax. This is a Moderator 101 No-No.

Although Wolf did not directly comment on Trebek’s handling of the event, Wagner did, calling for two new debates and referring to Trebek as a “failed moderator.”

The Washington Post suggested that Trebek stick to his day job.

Trebek told a Harrisburg TV station after the event that it was a learning experience for him and that he was naive going into the debate. He admitted that his belief that the conversational approach to the event would be a better idea than a traditional debate-style format was a flop.

I couldn’t agree more.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com