So much for the best-laid plans.

Nine months ago, Sony Pictures Entertainment executives thought they had an ideal successor for “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek in Ken Jennings, a former contestant who held the record for longest winning streak on the game show, people close to the program said.

While Mr. Jennings didn’t have much experience hosting, the executives at Sony and producers at “Jeopardy!” were confident that he would grow into the role. He was a fan favorite and already a familiar face to the “Jeopardy!” machine from working as a consultant on the show since 2020.

Then came the old tweets.

Just before Mr. Jennings was set to be the first person to sit behind the “Jeopardy!” podium as part of a rotation of guests hosts, tweets he made years ago resurfaced.