Levar Burton, best known for playing Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Kunta Kinte in Roots, will be the Grand Marshall of the Tournament of Roses Parade AND hosting a new Trivial Pursuit TV show. He was considered as a replacement host for Jeopardy, but lost out on the position to Mike Reynolds, who was himself replaced by Ken Jennings and Dr. Mayim Bialik.

Originally launched in 1981, Trivial Pursuit involves players trying to answer questions from six different categories. When they answer a question from a specific category correctly, they receive a pie-shaped game piece that goes into their board piece. When a player has all six category pieces, they return to the center of the board and try to answer a final trivia question from a category chosen by the other players. Dozens of Trivial Pursuit variants have been released over the years, ranging from sports-themed versions to versions for kids and even tougher questions.

Trivial Pursuit, like Dungeons and Dragons, has its celebrity enthusiasts. For example, Blake’s Seven star Paul Darrow was a hardcore Trivial Pursuit fan. 

LeVar Burton is a respected actor and an up-and-coming director. He won a Peabody Award and twelve Emmy Awards for his work as host and Executive Producer of PBS’ Reading Rainbow. Over 300,000 fans signed petitions requesting he be hired as the new host of Jeopardy. Instead he will be host of a brand new game show currently being developed by eOne and Hasbro.

About Levar Burton

LeVar Burton is a noted literacy advocate, winner of the Inamori Ethics Prize and PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion.

Actuallly, Hasbro purchased eOne in 2019. eOne is a Canadian production company, responsible for such shows as The Rookie, The Walking Dead, and such films A Clifford the Big Red Dog and My Little Pony: A New Generation.

Since LeVar Burton was a co-star on Star Trek: Next Gen and The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion (formerly the star of Firefly, it’s not impossible Trivial Pursuit could have a special Science Fiction night, the crew of the Serenity vs. the crew of the EnEterprise.

According to Tara Long, president of global unscripted television at eOne, “[Burton’s] 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.”

The new game show is both a validation of Levar Burton and of game shows in general. Television may be changing into something we barely recognize, but nothing beats the favorites.

Are you planning to watch LeVar Burton’s new show. Once, it’s on the the air? Are you looking forward to seeing it?

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Susan Macdonald
Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress ”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.