Dick Van Dyke Endorses LeVar Burton For New Jeopardy Host

Back in November, beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away at age 80 after a battle with [...]

By Jamie Jirak

Back in November, beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away at age 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Since his final episode aired, the search for a permanent host of the show has continued. A handful of people have already filled in as temporary hosts, including "Greatest of All Time" winner Ken Jennings, series executive producer Mike Richards, TV presenter Katie Couric, and Dr. Oz. However, there's one person who seems to want the job more than anyone, and that's Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow alum LeVar Burton. In fact, Burton recently shared a petition that requests he get the gig. Many people are rooting for Burton, including legendary comedic actor, Dick Van Dyke.

"Sony Pictures Entertainment: LeVar Burton should be the next host of Jeopardy! - Sign the Petition! https://chng.it/rBVjCXH4 via @Change," Van Dyke shared on Twitter. You can check out the post below:

"Between hosting 21 seasons of the educational Reading Rainbow, playing the brainiac engineer Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and filling the role of Kunta Kinte in the ever-important mini-series Roots, LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds," the petition's description reads. "This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producers Mike Richards and Harry Friedman just how much love the public has for Burton, and how much we'd all love to see him as the next host of Jeopardy!"

Before his passing, Trebek had made it clear that he planned to stay on Jeopardy! "as long as [his] skills have not diminished". In fact, he filmed 35 episodes that had yet to air before he died. However, Trebek had been asked in the past whether or not he will take part in deciding his eventual replacement. "It's not a decision that would be up to me. And I would not make myself available to presenting an opinion," Trebek told TVLine at the Television Critics Association winter press tour last January "I would leave it up to the people in charge."

Other previously announced guest hosts for Jeopardy! that will appear on television in the coming months include 60 Minutes host Bill Whitaker, The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik, and presenters Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Would you like to see Burton take over as Jeopardy! host? Tell us in the comments!

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