It’s definitely weird that Sony Pictures seems to think the only people capable of hosting Jeopardy! are ones with a spotty history on social media and podcasts, or who just embrace a regressive view of feminism. But LeVar Burton, the Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation star who didn’t end up getting the job people would’ve loved to see him take on, has already started looking at what’s next.
Burton bared some of his thoughts on Jeopardy! opportunity during his recent chat Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. “I made it public that I wanted it for myself, that it made sense to me, and [my fans] were all about it. It made as much sense to them as it did to me,” he said.
It wasn’t to be, though. And for Burton, the process, and more importantly what came after it, led him to realize that it wasn’t the Jeopardy! job he really wanted, it was the chance “to compete.” He admits he would’ve taken the job had it been offered, but he’s more excited by the doors that tryout opened. “The opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up.”
He doesn’t delve into any of the specifics beyond that, though at Noah’s urging he does tease the possibility that he’s open to hosting some kind of game show. “We’re trying to figure out what the right game show for LeVar Burton would be.” It sounds like books would be involved.
Speaking of books, the Jeopardy! portion of this interview is only half the picture. Burton and Noah start out with a discussion of books and reading, and it surfaces a bit of trivia for the Reading Rainbow host: He’s only ever stopped reading one book part of the way through. You’ll have to watch this chat to find out what it is.