William Shatner Backs LeVar Burton for Permanent 'Jeopardy!' Host

[Mojochi]

There was an episode where he had one, don't remember which. It wasn't second season, because Dr. Crusher was present.

Season 6 episode 9, "The Quality of Life"... The Exocomp episode. They open with a poker game that turns into Riker, Worf & Geordi wagering shaving their beards against Crusher changing her hair color... Cut short by a bridge call.

 

[trekshark]

found them on youtube
first of his episodes, this uploader has the rest as well www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk_nofP-cvw

 

[Qonundrum]

Maybe that's all he'll need.

I honestly hope so.

I read Ken Levine's blog frequently, and I would have to agree with his assessment. By no means was LeVar Burton the worst (that's agreed to be Dr. Oz), but he didn't particularly impress me, either. He was trying to be energetic, but that energy needs to come from the contestants, whereas the host sets the tone of the room. LeVar was energetic to the point where it became distracting. The host is a crucial element of the show, but the contestants are supposed to be the stars.

Burton certainly could've improved with more time, but if the week of shows he did is any indication, I will be surprised if he were made host full-time.

I liked his energy and the questions, which I'd argue could be the most important part of the show - if not match a flow with the contestants (and how they answer?) as a total ensemble, of which "Jeopardy" is often very bland with the contestants - unless it's parodied on "The Golden Girls" or other shows where the "contestant" answers goofy or draws stick figures because the answer (or any) couldn't be fathomed in time. But this isn't Family Feud or Match Game either...

 

[Herbert]

He's not getting rave reviews outside his fanbase. Example (link).

I think a lot of the Trek fanbase wants him as host because they are Trek fans.

When I first heard he was going to be a guest host, I was happy. I was looking forward to seeing him. I expected him to be great.

I was unimpressed and disappointed. People need to take off their rose-colored glasses.

 

[CRM-114]

I think a lot of the Trek fanbase wants him as host because they are Trek fans.

When I first heard he was going to be a guest host, I was happy. I was looking forward to seeing him. I expected him to be great.

I was unimpressed and disappointed. People need to take off their rose-colored glasses.

I think what people really wanted, as much if not more so than Levar getting the job, was that they were going to make it happen and the satisfaction from thinking they were partly responsible for it.

But Twitter polls and online petitions don’t mean much in real life.

 

[Maurice]

I want the person best suited for the job to get the job over someone I happen to like from their association with something else I enjoy who is demonstrably less suited for it.

 

[Qonundrum]

He's not getting rave reviews outside his fanbase. Example (link).

Didn't see the link earlier.


His enthusiasm/"hyper" wasn't a negative factor, at least for me. But YMMV...

First time ever in such a position as a game show host, he probably would make a few mistakes - no?

He has been an actor, interviewer, and presenter in more controlled venues and he shines pretty well in all of those. But I'll agree that's not the same as dealing with people in real time with vaguely- and/or un-scripted interactions. Even Steve Harvey opined on Family Feud where it takes a special personality to do this sort of work...

What won me over was this:

LeVar just cast the contestant aside.

although

He said something like, “this just wasn’t your day” implying on another day with other categories she might’ve done much better.

I'm sure Alex Trebek and other game show hosts were never once snarky at any contestant. Actually, numerous examples from numerous people exist, especially in long-running shows. Since this isn't a new thing, the blog author should sit through an old episode of, say, Match Game where, pitted against another contestant of similar caliber and/or nervousness, the MC spouts "A tie game of zip to zip, we're having a dumb-off!" Or other shows, incidents aplenty exist.

More here, if not partially tangentially, too: https://www.grunge.com/347772/these-game-show-hosts-got-caught-yelling-at-their-contestants/

Game show hosts are human too...

Another interesting gem:

Now, I’m sure in part that’s because he didn’t realize this contestant was digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself. And without question, there are a lot of moving parts the host must negotiate at one time, but constantly taking the temperature of the room, making each contestant feel comfortable is a big part of the gig. He was overly excited when someone got an answer right, often screaming “YES!” as if they had won a million dollars instead of $400, and a curt “no” if someone answered incorrectly.

Which goes back to his claim of "HYPER!", I guess.

Oh well. At least the article reiterates a fair point about "need a PRO". LeVar's not been a long running game show host and it's not the easiest transition to do. Maybe the other three guest hosts had more experience doing game shows or were more suited despite it all. Fair enough.

In the end, everyone has an opinion and I'm sure his is as unbiased as his frothing for Anderson Cooper proved.

https://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2021/04/anderson-cooper-on-jeopardy.html

Wow. Like some Trekkies (or fans of LeVar's overall work) wanted him to be host, maybe others feel the same for the other hosts based on what they did on the past? Oh, this humany-wumany stuff is a hoot...

Or maybe people want a cookie cutter cutout of Trebek's style as people do always seem to want more of the same from everyone else when they get done spouting how boring the world is if everyone is the same. Good luck to that.

 

[Maurice]

Or maybe it’s just his opinion.

 

[Oddish]

He didn't win. I'm not sure who won, though: I saw two different names announced as winner.

 

[think]

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/13/1027426388/jeopardy-host-mike-richards

Let me say first that I don't have opinions — at all — about whether Mike Richards, who was recently announced as the new host of Jeopardy!, will be a good host. (While they announced that there are two new hosts, understand that's not really the case — more on that in a moment.) I haven't been terribly interested in post-Trebek Jeopardy!, and I didn't closely follow the weeks in which there were guest hosts like Aaron Rodgers, Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, and others. So I'm entirely willing to give all the benefit of the doubt to them that he did a good job guest-hosting and will be a good permanent host.

_____________
Well yeah..

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

Mike Richards is out as Jeopardy Host... but you don't have to take my word for it.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/media/jeopardy-mike-richards-steps-down/index.html

 

[Oddish]

Funny how they didn't reveal all this stuff about him when he was still a mere candidate for the job.

 

[think]

LeVar Burton Says He’s Looking For “The Right Game Show” To Host

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https://deadline.com/2021/09/levar-burton-trevor-noah-jeopardy-daily-show-1234838648/

 

[Jayson1]

Bill Burr is my suggestion for host.