Alex Trebek made history while hosting the award-winning game show Jeopardy! After his passing, the show needs to move forward with a new host.
While many potential stars can continue the legacy Alex Trebek started, fans seemingly found the best one.
Letting go of Jeopardy! is hard, especially since its story began in 1984. Trebek also managed to host over 8,000 episodes for more than 30 years.
Unfortunately, Trebek passed away due to pancreatic cancer. He initially did not have a good prognosis upon learning the disease last year.
After his death, his fans began searching for the perfect star to host Jeopardy!, and they found one.
Who will succeed Alex Trebek?
Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex. pic.twitter.com/Yk2a90CHIM
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 8, 2020
On change.org, fans began nominating LeVar Burton to be the next host of the game show.
They directly addressed the “Make LeVar Burton the next host of Jeopardy!” petition to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Fans also called Harry Friedman and Mike Richards’ attention to consider their wish.
At first, they only wanted to collect over 75,000 signatures. But many fans signed up, causing them to surpass the goal.
As of the writing, the appeal has 89,000 supporters.
Burton established his empires through his award-winning projects like Reading Rainbow and Star Trek.
“LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds,” the creator said.
For Burton’s part, he responded to the fans’ wishes and approved the idea.
On Twitter, he shared the petition’s link and thanked the fans for their support.
“Even if nothing comes from it, I can’t tell how much I appreciate all of your love and support!” Burton wrote.
He also paid tribute to the late host and showed empathy toward his family. Burton then added that he saw his as a devastating loss to the family and fans.
Fans approved!
While Sony Pictures Entertainment is yet to approve this, fans already expressed their excitement in seeing Burton as the next host.
One fan said, “I am signing because this man helped my son learn reading at a very young age! I ran into him once, he was nice and a gracious man! He would be a perfect fit!”
“LeVar Burton makes being brainy cool, sexy, and fashionable!! Plus he has a great voice. He would make a wonderful Jeopardy! host,” another one wrote.
Another one added, “He’s been a force for imagination and learning my entire life. His endearing enthusiasm for knowledge would make him an excellent Jeopardy host!”
Photo courtesy of Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons