While fans are still mourning the death of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, the Canadian broadcaster’s passing leaves an opening at the game show and the internet has been leaning towards LeVar Burton as a possible replacement. Not that Trebek can ever truly be replaced, but an online petition has been launched in hopes of Burton taking over the job.
The onetime Reading Rainbow host tweeted the petition on Thursday (Nov. 12). “Even if nothing comes from it, I can’t tell how much I appreciate all y’alls love and support!”
Even if nothing comes from it, I can’t tell how much how I appreciate all y’alls love and support! 🙏🏾♥️
Petition · Make LeVar Burton the next host of Jeopardy! · https://t.co/60lC1WCD61 https://t.co/QFxedpuWpU
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) November 12, 2020
So far, the petition has received more than 64,000 signatures and counting.
“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 roll 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,” reads the petition which was launched to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and Jeopardy producers Mike Richards and Harry Freidman, “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!”
Trebek began hosting Jeopardy in 1984. He helmed the show for more than 30 years before announcing his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2019. Though the 80-year-old beloved game show host passed away on Nov. 8, he pre-taped enough Jeopardy episodes to air until the end of the year.