Soon after Alex Trebek’s death, Jeopardy fans and viewers were throwing out multiple names as possible replacements for the late host. Since then, the game show has been hosted by everyone from Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings to producer Mike Richards to NFL star and current guest host Aaron Rodgers. But one early candidate fans are still floating around is actor LeVar Burton, and Burton’s Jeopardy bid gained some traction as late-night host Stephen Colbert weighed in.
While LeVar Burton hasn’t said much about hosting Jeopardy, fans such as Stephen Colbert have been vocal. If you’re a fan of Colbert, you know The Late Show host is a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan. So, Colbert backing up the campaign for Burton to become the new host isn’t off-brand. The late-night host recently took to Twitter to make his suggestion for the Star Trek: TNG star. Check out Colbert’s Trekkie wishes below:
Stephen Colbert suggested some very Star Trek changes, but in the end, he just pitched a reboot. Colbert’s suggestions weren’t too bad as they could pull in more viewers, especially Trekkies. It would be a nice nod to LeVar Burton’s best-known role. That said, incorporating some Reading Rainbow elements wouldn’t be too bad either. That's just the 1990s kids in me.
The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert wasn’t the only one who backed LeVar Burton’s Jeopardy bid. Film and television legend Dick Van Dyke threw his support behind the Star Trek: TNG star by calling out the game show’s distributor Sony Entertainment on Twitter. Check out Van Dyke’s tweet of the fans’ petition below:
Having both Stephen Colbert and Dick Van Dyke in his corner means LeVar Burton gained more traction in the race for Jeopardy’s next host. That would put him in competition with other fan favorites such as Ken Jennings and Mike Richards. Their support was refreshing given the mixed reception guest hosts have received since new episodes started airing.
As previously mentioned, this wasn’t the first time LeVar Burton’s name has been pushed to replace Alex Trebek. Back in November 2020, fans created an online petition to get the Reading Rainbow host to headline Jeopardy. The fan petition led to many placing Burton high on the list of possible replacements behind Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and past guest host Ken Jennings. Despite all the support for the actor-host, most Jeopardy! fans seemed to be throwing their support behind Jennings.
While LeVar Burton has been appreciative of the fans’ support, he hadn’t shown any interest in hosting Jeopardy until recently. The actor took to his Twitter to post the much-shared fan petition:
With that, it appears LeVar Burton has officially thrown his hat in the ring to be Jeopardy’s new host. Only time will tell if the actor will get his chance to host the game show. Until Burton gets his chance, you can check out guest host Aaron Rodgers on Jeopardy until April 16.
