LeVar Burton has landed a game show host gig after all.
The former “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star and "Reading Rainbow" host, 64, has signed on to host "Trivial Pursuit," a new TV game show version of the classic trivia game that's being developed by Entertainment One (eOne), according to Variety.
"'Trivial Pursuit' is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe,” Burton said in a statement. “I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television."
"LeVar Burton has been an iconic member of American pop culture for decades from ‘Roots’ to ‘Reading Rainbow’ to ‘Star Trek’ and beyond," said Tara Long, president of global unscripted television for eOne. "His love for intellectual curiosity paired with his ability to connect with audiences worldwide make him the perfect partner to bring Hasbro’s beloved trivia game to households in a new and exciting way."
Earlier this year, Burton was a popular choice to take over hosting duties for "Jeopardy!" following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek. As the game show rotated through guest hosts, Burton — who hosted the show from July 26 to 30 — campaigned heavily for the permanent position, and became a fan favorite.
In September, the "Roots" star told "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah that he had moved on from angling for the "Jeopardy!" hosting position, which is currently being shared by Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings following the firing of would-be host and former executive producer Mike Richards in August.
"The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something... 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 Noah. “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, okay, what’s next?’”
Burton also said his brief stint on "Jeopardy!" — and likely the excitement he generated among viewers for months — had opened doors to more opportunities.
"The opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up," he said. "If you had given me a pen and paper and said, ‘Well, so what do you want this to really look like?’ If it doesn’t include ‘Jeopardy,’ I wouldn’t have been this generous to myself."
He added, "We’re trying to figure out what the right game show for LeVar Burton would be."