LeVar Burton to host Trivial Pursuit based game show
Today, it was announced via Deadline that Burton, best known for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow, is going to be hosting a game show for studio eOne and Hasbro based on the iconic Trivial Pursuit board game. He will serve as an executive producer on the project, as well, allowing him greater authority on behind-the-scenes matters and how the series is formatted from top to bottom. Knowing LeVar, it will likely be knowledge-focused much in the way that Jeopardy! often is. No network has been officially attached to the series as of yet.
In a statement, here is what Burton had to say about the new effort:
“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.”
Following the initial Jeopardy! hosting search, one that led to executive producer Mike Richards being temporarily offered the job, Burton made it clear online that he was no longer interested in the gig. We understand that. While he was offered a chance to guest-host the show, it took place directly opposite the Summer Olympics, which meant fewer opportunities for him to shine in the ratings. Meanwhile, he also received a smaller number of days than other guest hosts. With Richards eventually being hired for the show, a common criticism has been that the entire hosting search was moot if an internal candidate was going to be brought on from the jump. There is still no permanent host for the series, which Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik currently splitting duties.
There’s been talk for a while that LeVar was developing a different game-show concept; now, that has come to fruition and he gets to survey his future better than ever before.
Are you glad that LeVar Burton now has a new game show after the Jeopardy! debacle?
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