Alex Trebek was the iconic host of the decades-long-running “Jeopardy!” TV game show. But even as fans continue to mourn Trebek’s recent passing at 80 from pancreatic cancer and celebrate his indelible contribution to American pop culture, some have started a petition lobbying for their choice of the trivia show’s next host.
Some want legendary actor LeVar Burton to be the next “Jeopardy!” host. Burton sports an illustrious Hollywood portfolio of movies and TV shows, but it was his performance as captured slave Kunte Kinte in the record-breaking and historic “Roots” miniseries that he remains best known for.
Most fans also point to Ken Jennings, due to the fact he is one of the greatest contestants in the history of the show and he already has a role as a consultant on “Jeopardy!” Jennings is nearly synonymous with the trivia show after his incredible 74-game winning streak and is a fan favorite.
But others still want Burton to take the helm of the “Jeopardy!” if and when it resumes.
“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 miniseries ‘Roots,’ LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds,” the Change.org petition reads. “This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producer 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!’ ”
So far, the Burton petition has garnered more than 8,000 signatures.
