Why LeVar Burton No Longer Wants To Be Permanent Jeopardy Host

Why LeVar Burton No Longer Wants To Be Permanent Jeopardy Host

LeVar Burton opens up about why he no longer wants the permanent hosting job of Jeopardy! following being passed over for the position the first time.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

Why LeVar Burton No Longer Wants To Be Permanent Jeopardy Host

LeVar Burton opens up about why he no longer wants the permanent hosting job of Jeopardy! following being passed over for the position the first time. Producers Sony Pictures Television have been searching for a new host of the iconic quiz series following the passing of Emmy winner Alex Trebek, who previously held the position all the way up until his death in 2020 from a battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer. The studio took to a roster of guest hosts for its previous season while they continued looking for a new long-time host, with Burton on said roster.

The search would briefly conclude as executive producer Mike Richards was announced to be the permanent host of Jeopardy!, although would depart the position after just nine days due to controversial comments made on a deleted podcast resurfacing. Richards would lose his EP job shortly thereafter as the studio continued searching for a new host, with former champion Ken Jennings initially coming as a frontrunner for the job, though being removed from the list due to controversial old tweets being discovered. Due to Richards having recorded episodes prior to his dismissal, those are currently being aired to retain continuity for current winner Matt Amodio until returning to temporary host Mayim Bialik.

Burton recently sat down with Trevor Noah for the latest episode of The Daily Show and discussed his journey around Jeopardy! so far. The Emmy winner expressed his gratitude for fans’ love and efforts to get him the permanent hosting job, but explained he is no longer interested in the gig as not getting it the first time has opened up new opportunities he never imagined getting before and teasing possibly hosting a different game show. See what Burton said below:

See also  JoJos Bizarre Adventure 9 Ways Dio Brando Is Unlike Any Other Shonen Villain

“You know, we did a Kickstarter several years ago. I discovered then that the generation of adults now, who grew up on Reading Rainbow, they were down with whatever it is I wanted to do, and the same was true with this Jeopardy! thing. I made it public that I wanted it for myself, that it made sense to me, and they were all about it. It made as much sense to them as it did to me. And, so, they wanted it for me as much as I wanted it. 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? And, so, the opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up. If you had given me a pen and paper and said, well, so what do you want this to really look like? If it doesn’t include Jeopardy! I wouldn’t have been this generous to myself. I never thought about hosting any other game show outside of Jeopardy! But now, they went in a different direction with their show, which is their right, and now I’m thinking, well, it does kind of make sense, let me see what I can do. So we’re trying to figure out what the right game show for LeVar Burton would be.”

See also  Ghostbusters 3 Every Ghost In The Afterlife Trailer Explained

Burton’s confirmation of no longer being interested in becoming the permanent host of Jeopardy! is sure to come as a disappointment to many who were eager to see the Reading Rainbow host take over. Fans have been fervently pushing for the Emmy winner to lead the quiz series, with the petition for his hiring nearly reaching a 300,000-signature goal following Richards’ firing as host and EP of the show. That being said, as disappointing as it is to hear of his disinterest in the gig, it should come as exciting to hear him reveal how being passed over for the job the first time not only helped him evaluate what the future should hold for him, but also opened the door to a number of opportunities he never dreamt of getting.

Additionally, Burton’s tease of looking towards another game show to host is comforting to hear following his well-received guest appearance on Jeopardy!. Now that the actor has confirmed stepping out of the race, temporary host Mayim Bialik and former champion Buzzy Cohen are the frontrunners for the studio to hire for the long-time position, with sources reporting the Big Bang Theory alum is the one most sought after, though her schedule with her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat and family commitments are currently looking to keep her from getting the job. In the meantime, fans can look forward to Bialik returning to host the majority of the rest of the current season while Jennings also hosts multiple weeks of episodes.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/jeopardy-host-levar-burton-future-response/

Movies -