Alex Trebek, who has hosted the popular game show "Jeopardy!" since 1984, recently underwent brain surgery, but expects to return to taping new episodes soon. 
 
 The venerable host and Canadian icon underwent brain surgery in December, but he posted a video message on Thursday saying he expects to return to taping "Jeopardy!" soon. Sony Pictures, which produces the show, said they will return to filming new tapings with Trebek in mid-January. 
 
 The show will continue airing new episodes, taped in advance, in the meantime. However, the annual college tournament will now be delayed until April, Sony Pictures said. 
 
 Dressed in a yellow sweater and blue "Jeopardy!" cap, the 77-year-old Trebek delivered the news of his surgery and recovery himself in a video posted to the show's Facebook page. 
 
 "Some of you may have heard by now that during the holiday break, I had a slight medical problem -- a subdural hematoma, blod clots on the brain, caused by a fall I endured about two months ago," Trebek said in the video. "Surgery was performed. After two days in the hospital, I came home to start recovery. Prognosis is excellent, and I expect to be back in the studio and taping more 'Jeopardy!' programs very, very soon. 
 
 "And I want to thank all of you for your concern." 
 
 "Jeopardy!" enjoys cult-like popularity in the United States now in its 34th season, with over 7,000 episodes. It has drawn parodies from the likes of "Cheers" to "Family Guy," and "Saturday Night Live"'s infamous celebrity sketches featuring Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 / Updated By Alex Johnson 
 
 LOS ANGELES — Taping of the game show "Jeopardy!" has been suspended briefly while host Alex Trebek recovers from surgery to remove blood clots from his brain, Trebek and the show's producer said Thursday. 
 
 Trebek, 77, who has hosted the quintessential American quiz for more than 33 years, said Thursday that he was diagnosed with the blood clots, a condition called subdural hematoma, in December after he suffered a bad fall in October. 
 
 In a video from his home that was posted on the show's official website, Trebek downplayed the operation as "a slight medical problem" and said he hoped to resume taping "very, very soon." 
 
 Sony Pictures Entertainment, which produces the program, said in a statement that Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 15 and underwent surgery the next day. 
 
 "He is expected to make a full and complete recovery," the company said. "Alex spent Christmas at home with his family, and he will return to the Jeopardy! studio for taping in mid-January." 
 
 Related: Alex Trebek sets Guinness World Record for hosting shows 
 
 Like many other syndicated game shows, "Jeopardy!" is taped months in advance, so Sony said it had plenty of unaired episodes already in the can. It said the only change in its schedule would be to delay the show's annual college championship to April.
– Alex Trebek has a "slight medical problem," in his words—but it's serious enough that Jeopardy! is now on hiatus. NBC News reports the 77-year-old game show host underwent brain surgery to remove blood clots on Dec. 16 at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is now recuperating. The blood clots, also known as a subdural hematoma, came about after Trebek fell in October. Per ABC News, he announced the news himself in a video posted to the show's Facebook page on Thursday. "Prognosis is excellent, and I expect to be back in the studio and taping more Jeopardy! programs very, very soon," said a baseball-cap-wearing Trebek in the video. The show tapes its episodes ahead of time, so viewers shouldn't notice much of a disruption in the schedule, though the show's college championships will be pushed to April. Trebek "is expected to make a full and complete recovery," show producer Sony Pictures Entertainment says in a statement, noting Trebek is due back in the middle of this month.