This beloved actor was passed over for the Jeopardy! gig, but his dreams of hosting a trivia show will still be realized. Who is ... LeVar Burton?
Burton, the former Reading Rainbow host and Star Trek actor, has been tapped to host a new game show based on the trivia game Trivial Pursuit, Variety reports. Entertainment One is developing the show, though there isn't a network attached yet.
"Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe," Burton said. "I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television."
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Burton was one of the contenders to become the new permanent host of Jeopardy!, and he had plenty of vocal supporters online. In numerous interviews, he wasn't shy about the fact that he wanted the job, telling The New York Times, "I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do." Ultimately, Jeopardy! chose Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik, though after Richards stepped down due to offensive podcast comments, the role of daily host still hasn't been filled. It appears that job is likely down to Bialik and former champion Ken Jennings.
Despite the Jeopardy! job being open again, Burton previously said he was no longer interested.
"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," he said on The Daily Show in September. "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, well what's next?'"
Burton also indicated on The Daily Show he was looking into hosting another game show, and he said he "couldn't have dreamt" of the "opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig."
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