Fear not, LeVar Burton fans. The “Star Trek” and “Reading Rainbow” alum gets to host a quiz show, after all.
Burton and Entertainment One are developing a TV game show based on Hasbro’s “Trivial Pursuit.” Hasbro bought eOne for $3.8 billion in 2019. Burton will host the program as well as executive produce, alongside Tara Long and Geno McDermott from eOne and LeVar Burton Entertainment’s Sangita Patel.
“LeVar Burton has been an iconic member of American pop culture for decades from ‘Roots’ to ‘Reading Rainbow’ to ‘Star Trek’ and beyond. 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,” said Long, President, Global Unscripted Television, eOne.
“Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe. I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television,” stated Burton.
“Trivial Pursuit” is currently available in more than 26 countries and 17 languages. Over 100 million copies of the game have been sold and it was named to the “Games Hall of Fame” by Games magazine. It is the latest of Hasbro’s games to be adapted into a film or TV show, joining “Clue,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “G.I. Joe,” “Power Rangers,” “Transformers,” “Mouse Trap” and “Risk.”
Burton was one of the guest hosts for “Jeopardy!” this past season as that long running quiz show was searching for a replacement for longtime host Alex Trebek, who died last year. “Jeopardy!” is still looking for a permanent host and is currently alternating Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings throughout the rest of the year.