He was championed by the internet who replace the late Alex Trebek as host of this long-running TV game show, but is now being hired to host a TV version of the board game Trivial Pursuit. Answer: Who is LeVar Burton?
It was announced today that Burton will in fact host a game show version of the classic trivia game, which is in development over at Entertainment One (eOne). In a statement released by the former Star Trek: The Next Generation alum, Burton expressed his excitement about his new job, saying:
"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's hosting duties are part of a deal between eOne, which is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and Burton's own production company LeVar Burton Entertainment (LBE) to develop Trivial Pursuit in a traditional game show format. Burton will executive produce the series along with his LBE partners Sangita Patel and Tara Long and Geno McDermott from eOne.
Collider had reported earlier this year that Burton was a fan-favorite to take over hosting duties for Jeopardy! after Trebek's tragic passing. The internet rallied behind the Reading Rainbow legend to the point of even collecting 300,000 signatures on a Change.org petition. Burton was one of many names that stood behind the podium as the game show searched for a new host. That search had its own controversy as the initial pick, executive producer Mike Richards, was selected, but then quickly withdrew his name from contention and resigned as EP for Jeopardy! and other classic game show Wheel of Fortune.
Amid the search Burton let the hosting gig go, as he explained to Trevor Noah on The Daily Show:
"The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something, you know, 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. 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?"
Now we have the answer to that question of what is next. While it would have been a nostalgic wish fulfillment for fans to see Burton host the popular game show, it seems that his time on Jeopardy! was an audition for something else entirely. At the moment, no network is set to air the Trivial Pursuit game show, but one thing can be certain: fans are eagerly awaiting Burton's return to their televisions.