A return to the small screen appears imminent for LeVar Burton, as reports of a deal being worked out for his new gig as the host of “Trivial Pursuit” at the CW have surfaced. Burton was tapped as the face of the show in November 2021.
A purported “CW insider” shared the news with Deadline. The outlet’s story was endorsed by Burton when he shared their tweet along with an emoji wearing sunglasses. One excited fan commented, “It’s what we’ve all been waiting for!” Another person wrote, “It’s what we wanted all along. So happy for him and us. We getting LeVar Burton back on TV.”
“I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television,” said Burton, who is well-known for his roles on “Roots” and “Star Trek,” in 2021. Thus far, he has yet to release a statement addressing the growing excitement about the new deal that is on the table.
The game show already has a 12-episode order and will be executive produced by Burton. It is the third iteration of the show, which is based on Hasbro’s board game of the same name. Previous attempts include its stint on The Family Channel with Wink Martindale as the host in 1993/94 and “Trivial Pursuit: America Plays” hosted by “Brady Bunch” star Christoper Knight in 2008/09.
Two years ago, months prior to the initial announcement of Burton being picked for “Trivial Pursuit,” the actor and fans were disappointed to learn that he had not been chosen as longtime “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek’s successor.
Burton, along with a handful of other celebrities and past “Jeopardy!” winners, took a swing at helming the long-running game show after Trebek passed away at the age of 80 in 2020.
“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,” Burton told Trevor Noah about the snub. “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, OK, what’s next?'”
The show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, and “The Big Bang Theory” actress Mayim Bialik were chosen as co-hosts. Richards would never step into the new role, as a resurfaced clip from a defunct podcast exposed him for making controversial comments about women, Asians, and Jewish people.
He issued a public apology and exited the show. He also stepped down from his role as executive producer of “Wheel of Fortune.” In his place as host, “Jeopardy!” winner Ken Jennings stepped in.
