LeVar Burton is currently developing a variety game show centered on the trivia game Trivial Pursuit, in partnership with Entertainment One (eOne). The announcement of his new venture draws upon the momentous public support he received for the Jeopardy hosting opportunity following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek.  

Burton's fans championed for the actor to receive the role, with him being selected to guest host the show from July 26–30. 

Joshua Sanders, a self-proclaimed fan, created a petition last fall advocating for Burton to be selected for the role, as Blavity previously reported.

Despite the public push, executive producer Mike Richards was initially picked for the role, which caused an outcry among the actor's fans. But Burton set out to create his own opportunity. 

As the host for the new game show, Burton will produce the project through his company, LeVar Burton Entertainment (LBE) in a collaboration with eOne, whose parent company is Hasbro. Burton is an executive producer on the series, in addition to LBE's Sangita Patel, and eOne's Tara Long and Geno McDermott. Presently, no major network is associated with the production.  

“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,” Burton told Variety. 

Tara Long, president of global unscripted television for eOne, exuded sheer excitement to work with Burton and his brand.

“LeVar Burton has been an iconic member of American pop culture for decades from Roots to Reading Rainbow to Star Trek and beyond,” Long said, according to Variety. “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.”

In September, Burton spoke with The Daily Show With Trevor Noah and said he lost interest in hosting Jeopardy following the whole ordeal.  

“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,” he said. “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?’”