Fans watched in dismay as the beloved actor, LeVar Burton, was passed over to host Jeopardy! Well, look no further he has got another gig.
The famed toy company, Hasbro has a content studio called Entertainment One (eOne) that is partnering with LeVar Burton Entertainment (LBE) to develop the classic trivia game, Trivial Pursuit into a new game show.
According to a recent statement from eOne, award-winning actor, author, host, and educator LeVar Burton will host the show as well as executive produce, alongside Tara Long and Geno McDermott from eOne and LBE’s Sangita Patel.
“Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe. I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television,” Burton said in a statement.
Following the death of the beloved host, Alex Trebek, Burton was among the many who auditioned to host Jeopardy! He campaigned heavily to win a guest hosting spot from July 26-30. Scores of fans supported the pop culture icon of “Reading Rainbow” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fame becoming the next host. However, those requests, unfortunately, fell on deaf ears.
Photo by Todd Wawrychuk/Disney Junior/Getty Images
To the dismay of literally everyone, Mike Richards, the show’s then-executive producer nabbed the role. But his hosting position was short-lived due to disparaging comments he made about Jews, women, African Americans, and Asians on the podcast “The Randumb Show.” Richards was later fired from Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune as executive producer. Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings are co-hosting the show until the end of December.
In an interview on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” in September, Burton said that he was no longer interested in hosting “Jeopardy!” following his experience with the quiz show.
“The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something…they say be careful of what you wish for because what I found out is that it wasn’t the thing that I wanted after all,” Burton told Noah. “What I wanted was to compete. I mean, I wanted the job, right, but then, when I didn’t get it, it was, like ‘Well, okay, what’s next? And so, the opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up.”
Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
“LeVar Burton has been an iconic member of American pop culture for decades from Roots to Reading Rainbow to Star Trek and beyond. His love for intellectual curiosity paired with his ability to connect with audiences worldwide make him the perfect partner to bring Hasbro’s beloved trivia game to households in a new and exciting way,” said Long, President, Global Unscripted Television, eOne.
Tell Us: Are you excited to see LeVar Burton host Trivial Pursuit? Will you be watching?
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