Category: LeVar Burton

Holy Christmas, what a roller coaster. To briefly recap for anyone who didn’t follow the story: When it became apparent that Alex Trebek’s cancer was going to take him from us, eyes turned to who would host Jeopardy next. One of the first fan favorites was LeVar Burton. From the start, LeVar seemed on board with the idea. A series of guest hosts were brought in, seemingly to try out for the position. LeVar was not brought in until very late and at a very inopportune time during the Summer Olympics. As it turns out, the whole thing was just a set up to slide the ill-fated Jeopardy producer Mike Richards into the hosting position. And the show got what it deserved for that move. Even though fans were still clamoring for LeVar to take his spot at the podium, he rejected the idea, basically saying the whole experience left a bad taste in his mouth. He also said that everything happens for a reason and that he would have missed other opportunities if he had gotten the Jeopardy gig. It turns LeVar is getting his very own game show based on the Trivial Pursuit board game. LeVar’s entertainment company will be co-producing it.

LeVar Burton is returning to the game show scene!

The 64-year-old actor’s entertainment company has inked a deal with Hasbro’s content studio Entertainment One to produce a game show based on the classic game Trivial Pursuit.

“Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe,” Burton said in a statement released by eOne Tuesday. “I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television.”

Tara Long, President of Global Unscripted Television at eOne, said the company is looking forward to working with Burton as “an iconic member of American pop culture.”

“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,” Long said in the statement.

[From People]

My father and I were unstoppable as a Trivial Pursuit team, in case LeVar is looking for contestants. There isn’t much to go on as far as what this will look like, how it will be played or even when it will be aired. But that’s not really the message here. The message is that LeVar came out on top. And honestly, this is so much better. As some of us have said a couple of times, whoever fills the Jeopardy slot will forever live in Alex’s shadow. That’s fine, but now LeVar doesn’t have to work his way out from under that. He gets to forge this territory all on his own *desperately trying to refrain from a Star Trek tagline pun here*. Trivial Pursuit is well known so there’s already cross-platform marketing. And Hasbro money to boot. If all of those fans who signed the Change.org petition to get him on Jeopardy show up for this, it’s an instant hit.

I’m sorry LeVar had to go through that BS with Jeopardy. It sounds like the host position was something he wanted. Both how it was handled and the eventual outcome hurt him. It would me too. For him to take that and turn it into his own trivia-based show, that he will design, host and produce is such a graceful win. I don’t watch many game shows, but I’ll give this one a try. I support most thing LeVar does. And besides, I have a Trivial Pursuit crown to protect.

Photo credit: Instagram and InStar Images

So many of us have been swept up in the drama around the new host of Jeopardy. Not the stuff with Mike Richards, because that was a terrible idea from the start, but before that. I have long been a big fan of LeVar Burton. So when fans called for him to host and he said it was something he wanted, I was all for it. I was really perturbed when they finally scheduled him during the Olympics. In the end, with the sloppiness with which Jeopardy handled it, I wished LeVar would wash his hands of the whole situation as it ended up being beneath him. Fortunately, LeVar has confirmed to The Daily Beast that he’s done with Jeopardy. During an interview promoting his second book, , LeVar admitted he would say no at this point, even if they came a-callin’. Below are his comments on that and a few of his Star Trek compatriots.

On his mother, Erma Gene Christian: Every time I have the opportunity to speak my mother’s name, I do. I am the man I am because she was the woman she was, and that’s the truth. So, everything that I’ve ever done in the field of literacy is done in her name and in her honor because she was my first teacher. I grew up in a house where it was expected that you read. We read three daily newspapers when I was a kid. Reading was important, and it was communicated as an important activity, an important thing for us to do, by my mom.

On William Shatner (Capt Kirk): The Shat went to space and came back safe. It’s a good day!

On Brent Spiner (Data): We genuinely love one another. I think that without really trying we’ve demonstrated over the years how much we mean to one another

On James Doohan (Scotty): I had a great time with Jimmy. The storyline had nothing to do with how we got along, I have to say. You know, I tend to forget how much of a dick Geordi was in ‘Relics!’

On hosting Jeopardy: I’d say, ‘No. You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re out of your mind. Goodbye!’

I want to make it clear, for the record, that I’m really happy with the way things worked out. I was disappointed to not get the job, but I’m the sort of person, I believe that everything happens for a reason. And if I didn’t get that job, that meant it wasn’t supposed to be for me, and I accepted that almost instantly and willingly. I know that the opportunities that are in front of me right now wouldn’t have come my way had I gotten the job, so I’m certain that this has worked out better for me than I could ever have imagined.

[From The Daily Beast via Yahoo]

I put in the quote about LeVar’s mother because of his statement, “Every time I have the opportunity to speak my mother’s name, I do.” I don’t know if that’s a well-known compliment but it’s the first I’ve heard it and I love it. I actually just lost somebody very dear to me from my childhood.’m having to explain who she was to newer friends. I should have spoken her name every opportunity I had. I also appreciate that he mentioned newspapers. People tease me for still getting a physical newspaper, but I find I read it cover to cover while I only read parts of one online.

As for the Jeopardy portion, I’m glad LeVar made peace with it. I didn’t see his episodes, so I don’t know how he performed. I did read a breakdown of why he wasn’t the best choice given both his celeb status and, ironically, the fan swell and expectation to make him host. The author contended that since Jeopardy is supposed to be about the contestants and the game, LeVar’s celebrity would overshadow everything else. I also believe the second part of Levar’s comment, that there were better opportunities he may have had to pass up because of a Jeopardy contract. He probably would have been a good Jeopardy host, I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed him more than Mayim Bialik, but he’ll shine somewhere else. I’m upset that he got hurt, but I’m thrilled that everyone was reminded how beloved LeVar Burton is. He’ll end up so much better off than he would as host of Jeopardy, I know it.

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