More and more people are coming to the same conclusion on who would be the ideal new host of the venerable quiz show, and it is someone familiar to Star Trek fans too.
LeVar wants the Jeopardy! podium
Last November we reported on the online call for Star Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton to be hired as the new host of Jeopardy!, following the passing of longtime host Alex Trebek. Burton, who is also known to many as the host of the PBS educational series Reading Rainbow, has made no secret of his interest in the gig, including saying: “I feel like I’ve been preparing my whole life to occupy the Jeopardy! host podium.”
The online petition calling for Burton to be tapped for the job has reached over 175,000 signatures. This week Burton has continued amplifying the message on social media. He has been joined by other celebrities, including his TNG co-star Jonathan Frakes, sending the message “LeVar Burton should be the next host of Jeopardy!” Other Trek celebs joining in include Bryan Fuller, Anson Mount, and George Takei.
Sony Pictures Entertainment: LeVar Burton should be the next host of Jeopardy! – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/Hl1VzYGr0M via @Change
— Jonathan Frakes (@jonathansfrakes) April 6, 2021
Other celebrities have been jumping on the Burton bandwagon this week including Dick Van Dyke, David Alan Grier, and Stephen Colbert, who suggested Burton could host the show as Geordi LaForge.
I think LeVar Burton should host Jeopardy! As Geordi La Forge. And the buzzers should be phasers. And Data should be the judge. And it should be in space. And just be Star Trek.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 7, 2021
All of this buzz over Burton has him trending today on Twitter and Reddit. A number of other media outlets are reporting on the Burton campaign, including The New York Post, Salon, Huffington Post, The Hill, E!, Newsweek, and ABC’s Good Morning America.
Since returning to the air following Trebek’s final shows, Jeopardy! has had a series of guest hosts, including Ken Jennings, Mike Richards, Katie Couric, and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Ratings for the show have been dropping, with Dr. Oz garnering the worst ratings along with controversy over being chosen in the first place. The current guest host is Aaron Rodgers, who will be followed by Anderson Cooper, Mayim Bialik, Bill Whitaker, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Sony has not yet announced if they will continue with more guest hosts past the summer; nor have they confirmed a timetable for when they will name a new permanent host.
Keep up with the Star Trek celebrity news at TrekMovie.com.
He’d definitely be better than Dr. Oz.
I liked Dr. Oz. I might like Levar Burton, but he ought to do a guest host stint so we’ll be able to compare him to other guest hosts. So far, my favorite is Ken Jennings.
Who is the Star Trek star that should host this venerable quiz show?
LaVar Burton, apparently…
LaVar would be perfect for Jeopardy. I mean the man was the host of the Reading Rainbow and a Star Fleet engineer for god sakes!
The logical choice
Make it so.
I would say he is most likely better than most of the choices so far
As a huge Packers fan, my first choice is Aaron Rodgers. He said that being on Jeopardy is the second biggest highlight of his life, behind only winning the Super Bowl. He has been doing well this week.
I think we need to see LeVar Burton host the show in a guest spot before taking over.
I’m a Rodgers fan…but I don’t see him hosting while also still playing in the NFL. And I don’t think he’s finished with that yet. But it’s a great way for him to show his hosting chops before he does retire.
I’d like to see him as one of the guest host, but I’m holding out for Ken Jennings as permanent host.
I like Rodgers thus far, and as a Bears fan, I wouldn’t mind seeing him step down to host Jeopardy full time, but Levar deserves at LEAST a chance to guest host as a tryout for permanent host. Wanna see how Mayam does as well as a guest, but right now of the guest hosts, i have Ken first, Mike second Katie Couric third, Rodgers fourth and Dr Oz nineteenth.
Oh, Hades yes!
Make it so.
At least give him the two week trial! He’s well-educated and curious, has been on the show (and won), has a healthy intersecting fan base and is a great interviewer with the best laugh. He deserves a tryout.
IMO Mike Richards was actually the best stand-in so far. He knows the game inside and out, what makes for good banter and energy and rhythm, and he’s a good-looking guy. If he got the gig I’d always be a little annoyed at the idea that he might have Andy Cohened his way into a starring role after being EP, but if it’s good for the show…
But yeah, give LeVar a go!
I think that the petition for LaVar to be the next host instead of petitioning him to be in the rotation as a guest host like every other candidate is disingenuous. What qualifies him to step over all of the others who have done, or are going to do a guest host rotation?
I love Jeopardy! and Star Trek, so, this would be a melding of my worlds ha! But I’m personally rooting for Ken Jennings to be the permanent host… but I agree Levar should have a turn at guest hosting!
Levar Burton was my first choice as Jeopardy host. It just came naturally to me. When you want someone people trust and respect, someone who’s character hasn’t been thrown into the Mud. Someone who has been respected throughout his whole acting career. This is my choice, and it was before this push to have him host. He is well respected in all circles and genuinely one of the good ones.
When I was young I learned so much from his Reading Rainbow show. Even now he is voice narrating short works of fiction, for free in “LeVar Burton Reads”.
In the age of TMZ, there are very few people left that are scar free that can take the mantle. He is one of them.
Loved Mike Richards as the guest host. Would love to see him get the permanent hosting job. But, hey, let’s at least see how Levar Burton does as a guest host. Might be very interesting.
LeVar Burton is the perfect choice for Jeopardy! And I believe Alex would heartily approve!