When the search was on a few years ago for a new permanent host for Jeopardy, LeVar Burton was a name enthusiastically supported by fans. The actor is well-respected not only as a performer but for his valuing of education, as demonstrated through his years making Reading Rainbow, and he seemed like a perfect fit for the job. Ultimately, of course, the job went to former champion Ken Jennings, but there is definitely no ill will about it, as Burton now has his own game show to leave a stamp on with Trivial Pursuit.

He recently spoke about his latest small screen adventure during an appearance on the Dropping Names with Brent and Jonny podcast. Much of the conversation concerned his shared Star Trek: The Next Generation history with hosts Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes, but his current job making The CW show came up, and he explained how making Trivial Pursuit became a great opportunity in the wake of all the conversation surrounding Jeopardy. Said Burton,

While it's true that The CW's Trivial Pursuit is not technically the first time the classic board game has been made into a game show, it can most definitely be said that Alex Trebek made a significantly bigger pop culture impact on Jeopardy than Wink Martindale did while hosting two seasons of the original Trivial Pursuit series in the early 1990s.

Simply put, one job meant stepping into some huge shoes, and the other gave him a chance to customize his own. He continued,

At the end of the day, LeVar Burton did make his own impact on Jeopardy history, having hosted the show from July 26 to 30, 2021 – and in the big picture, it seems like that’s plenty for the actor/host now that he has his exciting new gig.

The new iteration of Trivial Pursuit premiered in October 2024, and it was renewed last spring for a second season – which is airing now on The CW, having launched last month on the 2026 TV premiere schedule. New episodes premiere every Thursday at 9:00pm ET/PT.

The 2025 TV schedule has been delivering this year, and it's going to continue doing just that with the revival of Reading Rainbow. The longtime PBS staple ran for a whopping 21 Seasons from 1983-2006 and amassed a diehard fandom. But, viewers are already anticipating one major change as LeVar Burton will not be reprising his hosting duties. So, as OGs want to see Burton’s return, his successor, Mychal Threets, has shared his thoughts on the matter.

As we’ve seen over the course of the last decade or so–including this year–notable public media stations (and their series) have seen a lot of change. But, amid the turbulence, Reading Rainbow’s legacy has been revived. The new iteration of the beloved kids’ show will premiere on October 4 on KidZuko’s YouTube channel (operated by Sony Pictures Television). As mentioned, though, Mychal Threets, a popular digital creator and librarian, is taking on the reins.

After the news surfaced, conversation about Threets taking over the role held by Burton sparked immediately. It was followed by a Threads post from the new host as he agreed with the masses, noting he’s first in line for the icon’s return. He even proved his love by equating himself Donald Glover's Troy Barnes when he met the Star Trek actor on Community. He closed out with a promise to do the series and library kids everywhere proud, writing:

As a PBS kid, I’m mostly thrilled that a new Reading Rainbow will be reaching a new generation of kids. Like many, I’m a little shaken that Burton won’t be leading the revival. However, of all the present candidates, Mychal Threets would’ve been my top pick. His online presence he’s grown reflects the 21 Season classic beautifully while also being true to modern-day interests.

Fingers are crossed Threets hits all the right marks. I have a pretty good feeling about him, though, and the Donald Glover and Community reference makes me more confident. (Though I do continue to wonder how those two may fare after hearing the latter’s comment in regards to the Community movie updates.)

Regardless of the up-in-the-air turmoil public media currently faces, many still hold these series and personalities in high regard. Netflix premiered a Reading Rainbow documentary, Butterfly in the Sky, which showcases the show’s history and is still available with a Netflix subscription. Burton is one of the many celebs who host podcasts, and it’s essentially an adult version of RR. And of course, those with the PBS Kids add-on for an Amazon Prime subscription can still revisit the original.

So, however fans of Reading Rainbow choose to dabble in its legacy, it’s great to know its world is expanding. I, for one, am excited to see how its new host will honor LeVar Burton and the show the 68-year-old created. But I'm also holding on to hope that the pair unite at some point during this new leg.

As noted, the new show arrives on October 4 on KidZuko’s YouTube channel and will air every Saturday until October 25.

Star Trek fans are waiting for the 2025 TV schedule to reunite them with the latest installment of the Paramount+ subscription driver Strange New Worlds. Unfortunately, that Original Series prequel doesn’t include veteran co-star Wil Wheaton. That doesn’t mean his time in the final frontier is concluded, but rather waiting for the right window to return. That leaves the author with time to reflect on the career he’s had on the screen and the page.

Thanks to a recent interview diving deep into both corners, the frequent Big Bang Theory guest star and geek icon opened up not only about his childhood struggles with his parents, but also how those unfortunate events led to Wheaton considering his Next Generation crewmates his chosen family.

Why Wil Wheaton Considers His Star Trek Co-stars His Family

As a guest on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, the geek culture personality opened up about how his struggles with his parents led to this unique situation. Laying out how childhood abuse and exploitation from his own family left him feeling as if he didn’t actually have parents, Wheaton broke those feelings down into this bittersweet story:

Whether you knew his story or not, Wil Wheaton’s reaction to TNG’s lifetime achievement award from last year’s Saturn Awards is even more heartwarming when you think about it. Not only has this role secured him a spot in sci-fi pop culture, but it also gave him a murderer’s row of actors with whom anyone would feel honored to merely chat.

Those connections run much deeper, however, as you’ll see in the stories that the Just A Geek author shared about how The Next Generation’s LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes. Instilling a sense of pride and warmth through simple interactions, those seasoned performers

LeVar Burton And Jonathan Frakes Continue To Remind Wil Wheaton Of How Proud He Makes Them

Continuing the story about releasing a book into the world, Wil Wheaton offered another anecdote about a text he’d sent to the legendary Reading Rainbow host about the big moment. That led to the long, but thankful message you’re about to read:

Knowing Wheaton’s voice from gigs like audiobook narrations and even his ecstatic return for Star Trek: Prodigy, you could practically hear those words in his voice (even if you haven’t clicked on the convenient video link sourced above). That sentiment is more important than you’d think, as Burton’s part of the story led to this emotional turn:

Pride is something that many of Wil Wheaton’s Star Trek family members have expressed throughout his career. Even before his recent appearance on Inside of You, receiving that phone call was like a surprise reminder that these ties, and the feelings associated with them, remained strong as ever. Which brings us full circle through this final anecdote:

No matter what incarnation of his character he’s playing, Wil Wheaton’s emotional connection to Wesley is always going to shine through. Learning a little more about the man himself, it’s clear that it isn't just a case of loving a role, but also basking in the feeling of family it inspires. So while we’re waiting to see if that hypothetical Wesley Crusher spinoff ever comes to pass, now’s a great time to recognize Wil Wheaton’s dedication to maintaining the personal connections that come with those duties as well.

While the podcasting market continues to expand, with everyone and their mom seeming to have one, there truly are some gems on the airwaves. Regardless of your familiarity and regularity in dabbling, where does one start? As someone who dabbles in a few series and loves a good pop culture injection of any form, a celebrity-hosted show can offer a lot! These stars’ pods cover plenty of ground from BTS on favorite sets to politics to emotionally forward conversations. If you’re lost, in a rut or just looking for another stellar title to add to your audio arsenal, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive in!

Oprah’s Super Soul - Oprah Winfrey

We know her, we love her, and the dynamic Oprah Winfrey continues to evolve and push interviewing bounds. Super Soul is more or less an adaptation of her inspiration and often a spiritual talk show that ran through the early 2020s. Be prepared to hear some deep conversations if you aren’t already, though we all know it tends to come with the unmistakable Hollywood giant.

Literally! With Rob Lowe - Rob Lowe

The 61-year-old Hollywood vet has wide-ranging conversations with plenty of well-known professionals. Whether it's well-established or rising stars in movies and TV, music or sports, Lowe jumps right in with them. And as a member of The Brat Pack, the pull he has with landing guests is pretty impressive and diverse.

Renegades: Born In The USA - Barak Obama, Bruce Springsteen

Though it only ran for one season and has 8 episodes to its name, the former president and The Boss’ collab rocked. Their conversations consisted of the changing dynamics of the USA through the lens of music, personal happenings, fatherhood and future revitalization. They also share their backstory on how the friendship and pod came to be.

Goop - Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow and Goop’s virality continues to regularly break the internet (especially those body-forward scented candles). But the Hollywood A-lister and her empire went to new heights with the addition of their own podcast, which she hosts. Naturally, it dives in holistically to grander topics with today’s ‘brightest thinkers and culture changers’ to dissect the conversation at hand.

Wiser Than Me - Julia Louis-Dreyfus

As always, when Louis-Dreyfus commits to a project, she knocks a role out of the park. One of her most recent titles as host of Wiser Than Me is no different; her interviewing women who are expert veterans in their given career is a true delight. She’s had everyone from Jane Goodall to Jane Fonda, and she’s just getting going.

Good Hang - Amy Poehler

Don’t overlook the Parks & Rec star’s Good Hang, even though it may be one of the newest entries on the list. Poehler’s sunshine bright vibes radiate through the show while she chats with A-list Hollywood names. But the most signature part shines through when she has a mini cameo from a friend of the guest who praises them ahead of the main convo. (If you haven’t seen or know where the viral clip of Rachel Dratch fumbling with headphones on a Zoom, now you do.)

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Conan O’Brien

In the comedian’s corner of the interview world, you can certainly expect his signature smart silliness he has brought to the masses over the decades. But why did he jump into the world? As the title implies, and per his summary, O’Brien realized after years of interviewing celebs, ‘the only people at his holiday party are the men and women who work for him,’ and wanted to change that.

Fly On The Wall - David Spade, Dana Carvey

While not an outright Saturday Night Live podcast, two huge alums, Spade and Carvey, lead this industry-leaning show. The pair has their fair share of guests and covers plenty of Studio 8H lore depending on who’s with them that week. Beyond the sketch show conversations, they often jump into current pop culture, current events and even fan-submitted fare.

Bill Gates And Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions - Bill Gates, Rashida Jones

Gates and Jones came together at the beginning of the pandemic in search of musing about some big questions. Though there are only five episodes, nothing seems off the table, from climate change to the psychology behind lying. But the unexpected co-hosts tackle these larger sociological and worldly topics with intentionality and ease.

The Big Podcast With Shaq - Shaquille O'Neal

The dynamic retired basketball player continues to surprise us with his plays (he just confirmed he was a Swiftie on the Kelces’ pod), and did just that when he kicked off his new podcast network by way of his own. Aptly named, Shaq and co-host Adam Lefkoe, of course, talk sports among themselves and alongside guests, but also hit a range of topics.

Minnie Questions - Minnie Driver

The Good Will Hunting actress’ offering sets up each interview through seven thoughtful questions. Though each question is relatively simple, it’s proven time and again that it unearths quite a conversation. Her therapy session meets fireside chat structure stands apart from other celebrity podcasts since its intention dives into a soulful exploration of life’s questions.

All There Is With Anderson Cooper - Anderson Cooper

While plenty of entries on the list cover an array of subjects from casual conversations, behind-the-scenes Hollywood magic and love and relationships, Cooper dives into loss (which he’s experienced multiple times over since childhood). What started as the beloved CNN news anchor processing the passing of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and the ins and outs that go along with it, has blossomed into something much more. He’s built a safe ground for guests and listeners alike to reflect and process the big topic.

Red Table Talk - Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris

The multi-generational, familial women-hosted show has gone viral a few times over since its inception on Facebook. Nothing, as we’ve seen, is off limits in this conversational style show and doesn’t shy away when things get nitty gritty. Though the OG got the axe in 2023, it got going again with no ties to Facebook, and its episode catalog continues to rank with some of the best Hollywood fodder out there today.

The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart - Jon Stewart

The beloved TV host has a podcast that pairs with his regularly scheduled show. The Weekly Show offers a more expansive look into our ever-developing world with notable minds in essential roles across the professional field. If you’re looking for even more Stewart material, he had a short-lived but excellent 2 season show called The Problem with Jon Stewart that dove into topics that were ‘too big for TV.’ With either, you can count on a laugh paired with some big, thought-provoking discussions.

SmartLess - Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Sean Hayes

SmartLess is like an improv dinner party you weren’t invited to, but somehow snuck into. Each episode brings a surprise guest to the table, and with it comes comedy, curiosity, and the kind of bromantic chaos that three A-listers with zero filters can deliver. It’s part talk show, part therapy session, and all charm—who would’ve guessed the vibe would be achieved by the Michael and Gob Bluth actors with a dash of the Jack McFarland actor.

Armchair Expert - Dax Shepard

Maybe one of the most recognizable and longstanding on the list, Shepard started his series in 2018. Though the premise is relatively simple in terms of chatting with well-known faces, things can go deep quickly. The CHiPs alum has had ex-costars like Lauren Graham, incidentally spill about Parenthood peer, Mae Whitman’s baby daddy, and Oscar-nominated stars like Michelle Williams reflect about her late ex-partner, Heath Ledger. Needless to say, there’s a lot to work with here (and a 300+ episode backlog to sift through).

Office Ladies - Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer

Of course, there was bound to be at least one rewatch pod in the bunch, and with The Office ranking as one of the best sitcoms ever, it’s a natural pick to include. Kinsey (who played Angela Martin/Lipton/Schrute) and Fischer (who played Pam Beesly Halpert) recount excellent tidbits and memories as they rewatch the NBC classic while hosting Dunder Mifflin cast and crew members.

Life Is Short - Justin Long

First and foremost, I’ve got to give the Jeepers Creepers actor’s name for his show is A+ play on words (specifically short and long). But, behind the small chuckle the title of the pod offers is a surprisingly poignant base for Long and his brother, who co-hosts the show. The siblings jump in the deep end with their guests and discuss all there is about life, which includes everything from emojis to their perspective on life.

LeVar Burton Reads - LeVar Burton

Fiction lovers and previous PBS Kids unite! The beloved Reading Rainbow star’s pod is a modern-day take on the classic 26-year run show, but now catered toward adults. Short form stories are the main genre he dives into each week, and the whole thing feels just like a little bit of a time machine, for those who tuned in regularly to RR.

New Heights - Jason, Travis Kelce

No, I’m not talking about their mom, Donna Kelce, landing a spot on S4 of The Traitors US, but it’s worth mentioning. The NFL family show is full of BTS looks into being brothers while also playing football professionally. They also often go out of bounds of the shared ground and discuss everything from pop culture to UFOs.

The High Life - Ricki Lake

The former television host is getting back to her roots with The High Life. And while she still has plenty of Tinseltown names as guests, the focus with her offering is health and wellness. Nothing is off the table within the larger landscape; she hits everything from menopause to energy healing.

Las Culturistas - Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers

In case you’d like to know, this is my ride or die pick of the list. The college besties-turned-Hollywood-darling co-hosts have amassed a cult turned mainstream following thanks to culture catch-ups, regular bits they have A-list guests participate in (what sparked their interest in culture and their wry ‘I Don’t Think So Honey!’ critique of something) and their own award show. Clearly, I could go on about it, but if you need more proof, Tina Fey’s iconic advice to Yang speaks to why we, ‘readers, kayteighs, publicists, finalists and kyles,’ love it all.

WTF With Marc Maron - Marc Maron

The rough around the edges comedian and actor’s podcast is one of the most well-known celebrity series. As a blueprint of public figures' iterations to come, Maron got started in 2009 after his radio show got canned. In the decade-plus he’s been at it, he hosted writers, directors, comedians, actors and many more in the typical style that is commonplace today. But, heads up, he just announced his show will end this fall, so don’t miss out!

Podcrushed - Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, Sophie Ansari

The Gossip Girl alum’s shared show isn’t a far cry from the hit teen series fodder. They’ve just spun the clock a little further back to schoolyard drama and middle school crushes. Badgley, alongside Kavelin and Ansari, takes on listeners' stories, reads them and explores all the ins and outs of starting to grow up (and all the turmoil that tags along).

Broad Ideas - Rachel Bilson, Olivia Allen

While you may know of Bilson’s other pod, Beyond The O.C., involving ex-castmate Melinda Clarke, Broad Ideas includes her longtime bestie, Olivia Allen. The new duo essentially cover any ground two girlfriends would in any given conversation (mental health to ghosts are promised). But hosting a new guest to join in on the fun each week brings it to the next level.

The Mess Around With Hannah And Lamorne - Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone

If you know anything about where these two co-hosts met, you can probably guess this is a New Girl rewatch series. And if you know that, you probably know they played CeCe and Winston (Bishop), respectively, and the title comes from a bit that the characters shared. Also, plenty of past cast and crew come through to reminisce about all the shenanigans that went down in 4D.

Films To Be Buried With With Brett Goldstein - Brett Goldstein

Though he’s still relatively new to the scene, the Ted Lasso star is hitting it big (and is now on Shrinking). With that success, his unique corner of the recording studio has only found more success. And while the title of Goldstein’s show is pretty straightforward and self-explanatory, it has me hooked. I think it’s safe to say he’s just getting started.

At Your Service - Dua Lipa

While I haven’t actually listened to the singer and actress’ show, it may be the hidden gem on the list. Heading into her third season, she continues to host a slew of knockout guests, and her collection of candid conversations runs the gamut of interesting fare. Everything from psychedelics to running Apple.

Getting Better With Jonathan Van Ness - Jonathan Van Ness

Ever since being introduced as the current generation’s hair & grooming lead on Queer Eye, JVN has been stealing the show as they help build up others. By natural curiosity and the drive to learn, the Getting Better podcast helps them grow and build spaces to learn even more. The weekly episodic content comes in all shapes and sizes–from finance lessons to discourse on culture, they’ve got it covered.

Why Won’t You Date Me? - Nicole Byer

The Nailed It! host is also a pro-podcaster. If you go looking for Byer’s love and relationship pod, you may find quite a slew aside from the aforementioned one (Best Friends!, 90 Day Bae and Newcomers). But this humorously titled one is the most well-known and long-standing one, where she has everyone from friends and experts to an occasional ex or two dish all about dating and love.

Lovett Or Leave It - Jon Lovett

While Jon Lovett’s beginnings aren’t traditional Hollywood standards material, the comedian was a former speech writer for Barack Obama. From there, he and fellow Obama peers (Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau–not to be confused with the A-lister) then co-hosted Pod Save America. His newest show is a hybrid of political news mixed with fun, well-known guests, and a bit of shenanigans all tied into one, always providing a laugh.

The Bald And The Beautiful - Trixie Mattel And Katya Zamolodchikova

One of RuPaul’s Drag Race’s biggest winners, Trixie and ride or die fellow queen, Katya, have taken the world by storm together. After meeting on season 7, they quickly went on their way to make creative projects together, starting with their viral cult followed series, UNHhhh, to their aptly titled pod. It’s a lot of the same banter, just funneled into discussing pop culture and Tinseltown-leaning topics.

When Star Trek: Picard Season 3 ended, there were rampant calls for a spinoff, which many code-named Star Trek: Legacy. Showrunner Terry Matalas assured fans Paramount was aware of their requests, but those who peep our upcoming Trek shows rundown will note it's not on the list. While talk about the spinoff has diminished as of late, LeVar Burton's latest comments may get the conversation going as strong as it ever was.

Burton didn't hold back when asked by TVLine about Patrick Stewart's comments at New York Comic Con a couple of years ago when he said the adventures of The Next Generation crew were not over. The actor was asked to weigh in on that, and he talked through what he thought his co-star was getting at:

I know that I personally was so convinced Star Trek: Legacy would happen to the point that I assumed it was secretly already in the works. Of course, time went by with no updates on a follow-up, and when Terry Matalas was announced as showrunner for Marvel's Vision series, some lost hope of it ever happening.

Personally, I think the Vision series only helps the odds of Star Trek: Legacy happening, as there would be more demand for Matalas after he wraps the project. LeVar Burton admitted he has no idea what the future plans are for Star Trek, but considering he's a veteran of the business who knows about Hollywood, he pointed to Starfleet Academy as a reason why it would "make sense" for them to pursue Legacy afterward:

I agree with LeVar Burton that Star Trek is going all-in on Starfleet Academy. That was evident enough when they brought in Oscar-winner Holly Hunter and followed that up with the casting of the legendary Paul Giamatti. Then they went ahead and added a number of Discovery actors and Voyager's Robert Picardo. It's clear, to me at least, that a lot is being put on this show to deliver, which may be why so many others were canceled ahead of it.

I also can agree with the idea that if Star Trek is prioritizing big shows that have known actors and familiarity, the Legacy spinoff is another great choice. That said, LeVar Burton and others can only advocate for Paramount to make the call and bring the series back, and who knows what other factors come into play? I can only hope that they take it if there's still an appetite for the series when the opportunity is there for Alex Kurtzman and others to sign on for it.

For now, we can enjoy the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which has new episodes out on Thursdays. It's already off to a great start, and I'm sure it will finish strong as we see what's coming up for the Cerritos crew.

Since LeVar Burton is now on the 2024 TV schedule as host of the new game show Trivial Pursuit, here’s a little TV fun fact on our radars. Did you know the Star Trek: The Next Generation actor was a key part of Donald Glover’s final appearance on Community? Back in 2014, Burton cameoed when Troy Barnes said goodbye to Greendale to go off on a year-long sailing trip on the “Childish Tycoon.” As we get ready for the Community movie on the way, Burton was asked about being part of Glover’s return to the cast.

Yes, a Community movie is in the works after fans have been calling for the “six seasons… and a movie” tagline to become a reality for years. We know that the creator of Community, Dan Harmon, has written the film alongside Andrew Guest and much of the cast will return, including Donald Glover. Here’s what LeVar Burton said of another cameo a decade after his last one:

While LeVar Burton spoke to TVLine about the idea of another cameo in the Community movie, he left it up to the creator to make that decision. With that in mind, it sounds like the actor and new game show host hasn’t been approached about returning.

In the Season 5 episode “Geothermal Escapism,” the Community cast say goodbye to Donald Glover’s Troy by watching him leave on the “Childish Tycoon” with LeVar Burton by his side. While he keeps his cool when he boards the ship, in Troy’s final scene in the show, he pulls out a list of Star Trek questions for the actor to answer. In the following Season 5 episode, "Analysis of Cork-Based Networking" it’s then revealed that his boat was captured by pirates in the Gulf of Mexico. Burton said this when asked about whether that report was accurate:

When it comes to the Community ending, Troy’s storyline was definitely left with a fun cliffhanger. Wouldn’t it be fun if the upcoming movie followed it and had Troy and LeVar fighting pirates, or something of that sort? The Star Trek actor certainly thinks an “update” is in order for the cliffhanger, and now we’re just curious how Troy will return to the fold.

From what we’ve heard already, the Community movie will involve a college reunion, but will also have Abed being a big director who is ready to execute “his magnum opus.” So there has to be some Community-branded chaos in the storyline, right?

Some of the Community cast have already reunited this season on The Masked Singer when Yvette Nicole Brown went on the show for host and Community co-star, Ken Jeong. When she spoke to CinemaBlend about the reveal earlier this month, she talked about where Shirley might be now. Additionally, Joel McHale has made a few appearances this season on the reality show as well.

While we wait for more updates on the Community movie (which does not have a release date currently), you can stream the series in its entirety with a Peacock subscription.

As we wait until more upcoming Star Trek shows finally hit the 2025 TV schedule for streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, there's something to celebrate related to one of the franchise's beloved stars. LeVar Burton recently shared he's celebrating a major anniversary milestone with his wife, Stephanie Cozart, and his picture from his wedding day with The Next Generation cast is amazing.

October isn't just a time to celebrate Halloween, it's when LeVar Burton married his wife. The former Picard actor made a post to commemorate the event and uploaded a photo that features her, as well as his beloved castmates:

From left to right, we see Jonathan Frakes, his wife Genie Francis, Patrick Stewart, the newlyweds, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner. Maybe it's because I had seen all of them fairly recently in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, but it's wild to see the entire cast out of costume and looking much younger. I'm not at all used to seeing Michael Dorn out of prosthetics, and it's almost as WTF-worthy as some of TNG's wilder moments.

Star Trek readers will no doubt clock that Wil Wheaton is not featured in this picture, though we don't know whether he was at the wedding or not. It is worth noting that he had left The Next Generation as a series regular by 1992, with just two appearances in Season 5 in "The Game" and "The FIrst Duty." This might be a reason why he's not in the picture or present at the wedding, but we can only speculate.

After searching around, I did manage to find more info about LeVar Burton's big day, and it was from his former Picard co-star and daughter, Mica Burton. Burton posted some more photos from this day back in 2016 and noted that Stewart, Frakes, Dorn, and Spiner were all part of the wedding party. Spiner was the best man, according to an interview he did with People, while the others served as groomsmen.

It's cool to see these photos from LeVar Burton at a time when we may never see this cast together in a series again. Of course, Michael Dorn has noted that the story never ends in Star Trek, so maybe we shouldn't give up hope that this crew won't appear in a series or movie. Patrick Stewart did mention that a script was being written for Jean-Luc Picard, so I wouldn't rule it out.

Currently, The Next Generation cast is seemingly absent from Star Trek projects that are on the way. With temporal distortions and other anomalies occurring in space, I can never entirely rule out a surprise cameo that lands one of these actors as their character in Strange New Worlds Season 3 or elsewhere. It would be easy to bring any of the cast to Lower Decks since they're set in the same timeline, so maybe we'll see them sooner than we think.

Stream Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+, or be on the lookout for it to appear on the dedicated Pluto TV channel for the franchise. Even with all the new projects on the way, it's never a bad time to watch Captain Picard and his crew traverse the galaxy.

May is when the summer movie season starts to heat up and, with that, there are more and more reasons to get your media outside the house. Of course, while the best streaming services are all owned by companies that also make those movies, the minds behind streamers like Netflix and Disney+ don’t want you to stop watching their new content entirely. The good news for them is that there’s plenty of reason to stay home.

From music to animation, and documentary films to the streaming debut of theatrical hits, there’s plenty to look forward to this month whatever streaming subscriptions you happen to have. Here are a just a few of the shows and movies worth checking out this week.  

Netflix This Week: Jennifer Lopez, Reading Rainbow And More

Anyone with a Netflix subscription will have a strong week ahead, as three very different new additions all worthy of note are on the way. A live-action sci-fi movie starring Jennifer Lopez, the streaming debut of a documentary that will probably make you cry, and a new animated series from the Jurassic Park franchise are coming.

Atlas - May 24

One gets the impression that the elevator pitch for this one, “Jennifer Lopez in a mech” was enough to sell the project, because who wouldn’t want to see Lopez kickass in a sci-fi action movie where she’s chasing one AI with the help of another, built inside the giant mech that’s keeping her safe from an alien world?

Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow - May 24

For more than 20 years, Reading Rainbow helped imbue kids with a love of reading. Now, a new documentary film takes a look back at the important series with host LeVar Burton, as well as many of the people who helped make the show happen. Viewers will also hear from some of the people the show most impacted. Get the tissues ready.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - May 24

Fans of Jurassic World: Camp Cretatious, which ran for five seasons on Netflix, are likely eagerly anticipating the new animated series, Chaos Theory. The sequel show picks up years after the events of its predecessor and sees the former Camp Cretatious kids come together to unravel a new mystery.

Disney+ This Week: Behind-The-Scenes Of X-Men '97 And More

Disney+’s month of music, which has included the remastering of a Beatles documentary and a Queen concert film, continues with a look at another seminal band. Additionally, there's a behind the scenes look at one Disney+’s most popular shows this year that you might want to check out.

Marvel Studios’ Assembled: The Making of X-Men ’97 - May 22

The Marvel Studios: Assembled series has featured a strong run of documentary look backs at the various Marvel movies and Disney+ live-action series that have made up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With X-Men ‘97 now behind us, the series now takes a deep dive into the popular animated series revival. 

The Beach Boys - May 24

Just a couple of weeks after Disney+'s release of a remastered version of the Beatles documentary Let It Be, the platform will give Disney+ subscribers a modern look at another iconic ‘60s band. The Beach Boys includes interviews with the original band members and more of the people involved in this often underrated creative group's success. 

Max This Week: Dune Sequel And Lady Gaga

If you have a Max subscription, then the coming week is looking pretty good. Get ready, because the highest-grossing movie of the year is heading your way. Not only that, but fans of Lady Gaga also have a reason to smile as well.

Dune: Part Two - May 21

Following the critical and box office success of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, fans had been eagerly awaiting the promised sequel. Based on the fact that Part Two is the top box office movie of he year, there’s a decent chance you’ve already seen the film. However, if you decided the nearly three-hour movie was a bit long for a theater showing, or you just want to binge both halves of the epic together, you can do that this week.

Gaga Chromatica Ball - May 25

While Disney+ has been the go-to streaming service for concert films of late thanks to Taylor Swift, Queen, and more, they haven’t cornered the market quite yet. Gaga Chromatica Ball will debut on Max this week, and Lady Gaga fans will want to check out this 2022 performance in its concert film form.

Paramount+ This Week: Evil's Finale Begins

This week, Paramount+ subscribers who are also serious horror fans begin the process of saying goodbye, as one of the platform's original series begins its farewell season.

Evil (Season 4) - May 23

Evil originally debuted on CBS but, following its first season, it moved to Paramount+ where it would become an early hit for the recently rebranded streaming platform. It's already known that this fourth season will be the last for the show and, hopefully, it goes out strong. Evil is a truly chilling show and some of the best horror on TV. 

Prime Video This Week: The Blue Angels

The big new release on Prime Video this week was actually filmed for IMAX, but even if you don’t have the chance to see it in it’s massive screen glory, it will certainly look amazing on your TV at home as well. 

The Blue Angels - May 23

The Navy’s Blue Angels are possibly the most well known symbol of the military organization. However, while their primary job is to perform rather than fight, the new documentary film shows just how difficult, stressful and potentially dangerous the job really is. The film follows the team, including several brand new members, for a year as they train and perform and learn to work together.

Of course, these are just a few of the shows and movies that are coming out this week. Be sure to check out the full list of everything upcoming on Netflix to be sure there isn’t something else you might want to see. We also have a complete list of what’s new on Disney+ as well as what’s new on Hulu so that you don’t miss anything there as well. 

There was a time when music videos were as important as the radio in promoting the hottest artists and songs of the day. Back in the '80s and '90s, MTV was one of the most powerful cultural forces in the country, and that was reflected in how many stars you can spot in videos from the day. 

Sometimes, they were already huge stars, like Robin Williams and Chevy Chase, other times, they were actors looking to get their break and now, years later, we can marvel at their humble beginnings. This is a list of famous people in videos from the zenith of MTV highlights both.

Alicia Silverstone - "Cryin'"

Alicia Silverstone first got famous for starring in videos, specifically Aerosmith videos. The Clueless star appeared in three videos for the Boston rockers, the first for the song "Cryin'", then later showing up in the videos for "Amazing," alongside Dazed & Confused cast member Jason London. Silverstone's final appearance, and maybe the most famous video, was for the song "Crazy," alongside Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. 

Courteney Cox - "Dancing In The Dark"

One of the most famous examples of a star getting her first break in a music video is, of course, Friends star Courteney Cox in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The video, which came out in 1984, was directed by Brian De Palma and, according to Cox, she was one of several women Springsteen could have picked out of the audience, and it was random that he chose her. What kismit! 

Cindy Crawford - "Freedom '90"

Director David Fincher, who has had quite an amazing career in film, started in music videos. One of those videos, George Michaels' "Freedom '90," was challenging because Michaels told Fincher he wasn't going to appear in the video. Fincher decided to cast a bevy of famous supermodels to lip-sync the song, including Cindy Crawford in a bathtub. 

Eva Mendes - "Miami"

In 1998, a young actress from Miami was cast in a video for the Will Smith song, "Miami." Eva Mendes had starred in one direct-to-video movie at that point and was that actress. It would be another three years before her breakout role in Training Day. It's a brief moment in the video, as she drove her convertible next to Smith's on the causeway to Miami Beach.

In 1993, Janet Jackson was on top of the world. Her fifth album, janet. was another huge hit, selling millions of copies, partly on the strength of the single, "That's the Way Love Goes." Little did anyone know at the time that one of the extras in the video would go on to a career that eclipsed even Jackson's, a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez. 

Matt LeBlanc - "Miracle"

Bon Jovi's "Miracle" is, let's be frank, not the New Jersey legends' best work. One thing they did get right was the casting for the video. Matt LeBlanc was a young actor and model just starting out on a career, so while his job is really only to look good in this video, he certainly does. It would be a few more years before America was introduced to his comedic chops too. 

Hugh Laurie - "Walking On Broken Glass"

By the time Hugh Laurie appeared in the video for Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992, he was already very famous in the UK. It would be a few more years until the legendary TV show House would debut in the US, making Laurie a household name on both sides of the pond. John Malkovich also stars in the video, reminding fans of his role in Dangerous Liaisons. 

Angelina Jolie - "Wondering"

Angelina Jolie was a model in Hollywood from her teen years on, so it's no wonder she would have a few videos of her resume, including The Rolling Stones' video for "Has Anybody Seen My Baby," but it is surprising to see her in a video for the Athens, GA-based jam band Widespread Panic's song "Wondering" from 1993. Jolie also appears on the cover of the band's album Everyday, which includes "Wondering."

Zooey Deschanel - "She's Got Issues"

Zooey Deschanel is as successful in music, with her duo She & Him as she is on the big screen, so of course she has an early credit in a music video. Deschanel appears with fiery red hair in the video for "She's Got Issues" by The Offspring. 

Naomi Campbell - "Is This Love"

Bob Marley died over four decades ago, but his legacy is as big as ever, with the release of the biopic One Love in 2024. Back in the day, the reggae superstar filmed a video in London for his song "Is This Love" featuring a couple of local kids, including a 7-year-old Naomi Campbell!  

Macaulay Culkin - "Black Or White"

Michael Jackson redefined what a music video could be with "Thriller" and after that, he often released short films that were much more than just a song, and often they had big stars in them. For "Black or White" in 1991, MJ brought in Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt to play father and son, for example. 

Christina Hendricks - "One Hit Wonder"

Long before Christina Hendricks hit the big time with her role in Mad Men, she was a model and struggling actor in the '90s. One of her earliest roles, way back in 1998, was in the video for "One Hit Wonder" by Everclear. Luckily for all of us, that wasn't her only hit. 

Matthew McConaughey - "Walkaway Joe"

Alright, alright, alright, we'll concede that Dazed and Confused is what made Matthew McConaughey famous, but before that, he appeared in Trisha Yearwood's video for her hit "Walkaway Joe," playing the titular character of the song. 

Wesley Snipes - "Bad"

For the second single, "Bad" from his album of the same name, Micheal Jackson teamed up with Martin Scorsese to make an 18-minute short film for the video. In the video, Jackson famously has a dance-off with his rivals in a New York subway station. One of the baddies is none other than Wesley Snipes, who only had a few credits under his belt previously. 

Patrick Swayze - "Rosanna"

Toto's song "Rosanna" is famously about Rosanna Arquette. Less well-known is that if you watch the video closely, you'll notice a familiar face as one of the West Side Story-like dancers. Patrick Swayze, one year before his big break in The Outsiders is one of the dancers. In an even cooler bit of trivia, another one of the uncredited dancers in the video is Cynthia Rhodes, who would co-star as Swayze's first dance partner, Penny, in Dirty Dancing. 

Elijah Wood - "Forever Your Girl"

Elijah Wood has been working in Hollywood forever. He started as a child actor in films like Back to the Future II and The Good Sun, but before those even, he had a part in Paula Abdul's video for "Forever Your Girl" in 1989. 

Chevy Chase - "You Can Call Me Al"

Chevy Chase was one of the biggest stars on the planet in 1986 when he starred in the video for "You Can Call Me Al" with his buddy Paul Simon. It is, no lie, one of Chase's best performances, and it's impossible not to crack up at his facial expressions and physical comedy in the video. 

Johnny Depp - "Into The Great Wide Open"

Johnny Depp has always wanted to be a rock star, so it was a great move by Tom Petty to get him to play the part of one in the video for "Into The Great Wide Open" in 1991. The video also stars the legendary Faye Dunaway and Gabrielle Anwar. 

Jennifer Connelly - "I Drove All Night"

The late, great Roy Orbison found almost as much fame after he died as he found in life. Two albums of all-new songs were released posthumously and one song, "I Drove All Night," released in 1992, featured Jennifer Connelly alongside Jason Priestly, in the video, along with Orbison in grainy images of an old TV appearance. 

Kirsten Dunst - "I Knew I Loved You"

Does anybody remember the band Savage Garden? The Aussie duo had a string of huge hits in the late '90s, including the song "I Knew I Loved You" which features Kirsten Dunst as a woman on a subway with whom the lead singer, Darren Hayes, is in love. 

Robin Williams - "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Bobby McFerrin's 1988 song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has to be one of the most surprising #1 hits of all time. The song was huge when it came out, and went on to win three Grammys. Someone must have had an inkling though, because superstar Robin Williams co-stars in the video with McFerrin. 

Kim Basinger - "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

Tom Petty made some legendary videos during his career, but the strangest has to be the one for "Last Dance With Mary Jane" which features Kim Basinger playing a corpse, dressed up as a bride. Great song, but a very weird video.

Keanu Reeves - "Rush, Rush"

1991 was a big year for Keanu Reeves. Not only did he star in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Point Break, but he also appeared as a James Dean-like character in the video for "Rush, Rush" by Paula Abdul. 

Eddie Murphy - "Do You Remember The Time"

In case you've forgotten just how huge Michael Jackson was in the early '90s, remember there was a time he could premiere a video on MTV, BET, and Fox all at the same time. The video starred Jackson, of course, along with Eddie Murphy and Iman as ancient Egyptian royalty. Magic Johnson also appeared. 

Katie Holmes - "Tongue Tied"

Katie Holmes' career was just starting to take off in 1999 with her starring turn on Dawson's Creek. She also found some time to appear in the video for the song "Tongue Tied" by pop punk band Eve 6. It's not the last time Holmes has appeared in a video, either. A year later, in 2000, she starred with Micheal Douglas and others in a Bob Dylan video. 

Winona Ryder - "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"

By far the award for the strangest appearance on this list goes to Winona Ryder in the video for Mojo Nixon's song "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child." Leave it to the late Nixon for coming up with the most ridiculous premise for a song, then landing a star like Ryder to star in the video in 1989, the same year she appeared in Heathers. 

RuPaul - "Love Shack"

If one were to guess which 1980s video to expect a RuPaul appearance, the smart money would be a B-52's video. That's exactly what happened in 1989 when RuPaul popped up very briefly in the video for "Love Shack" as a dancer and partygoer. He wasn't close to famous yet, but he was good friends with the band and he fits right into the campiness of the video. 

Benicio del Toro - "La Isla Bonita"

Benicio del Toro made his big screen debut in 1988 in Pee Wee's Big Top, but a year earlier, he was one of the extras in the video for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita." He is way in the background and can only be clearly seen in one shot, but when you watch the video, it's unmistakenly del Toro. 

Liv Tyler - "Crazy"

According to Liv Tyler, she didn't meet her biological father, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, until she was eight, and didn't know he was her father for another few years. Still, by the time she starred in the video for "Crazy," they had developed a healthy relationship, and the video, in which she co-stars with Alicia Silverstone, launched her career.

Captain Lou Albano - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"

Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest breakout stars of early MTV and for good reason. The low-budget video for her debut single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" featured a quirky cast that included her mother (playing her mother), her lawyer, and wrestling star "Captain" Lou Albano as her father. It's a video as fun as the song and it was played on repeat in those early MTV days. 

John Goodman - "Wild Wild Life"

The song "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads was part of their soundtrack for the David Byrne-directed film True Stories. For the video, he recruited some of the people who appear in the film, including John Goodman, who lip-syncs along with the song in a karaoke bar. 

LeVar Burton - "Word Up"

LeVar Burton first found fame as Kunta Kinte in Roots, one of the most memorable performances by any actor, ever. About a decade later, between Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton popped up in the video for "Word Up" by Cameo, playing a police officer trying to arrest the band. 

One video we left off this list because it's just too big a list on its own is the video for Ghostbusters which, in addition to the stars of the film also includes Chevy Chase, Danny Devito, Peter Falk, Al Franken, John Candy, and more. It's all too much to add to his list of some of the coolest appearances of stars in music videos! 

When Jeopardy! went on its search for a new host following Alex Trebek's passing, LeVar Burton really pushed for the gig. The trivia series finally gave the actor, as well as many other celebrities, a shot, but in the end, it settled on a tag-team lineup of Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to host. Burton might've been disappointed he missed out on the gig, but it's all in the past now, because he is the new host of Trivial Pursuit. 

Readers might be familiar with Trivial Pursuit, the board game in which players collect wedges by answering questions in different categories. TMZ reports that a television adaptation of the popular game is being developed and will eventually head to The CW with a twelve-episode order. The deal to bring in LeVar Burton as host is almost finalized, though no word is given on when to expect the show. 

One interesting note is that Hasbro, who is behind the Trivial Pursuit series, was responsible for getting in contact with LeVar Burton initially. It's reported the company felt that Burton was snubbed after Jeopardy! didn't even approach him with an offer of any kind for a permanent hosting position. However, now, on Trivial Pursuit, Burton will get a chance to show off his talents as a host. 

When LeVar Burton missed out on hosting Jeopardy!, the actor admitted it was the "perfect blessing" for him. The actor said that while he thought he wanted the gig, he ended up realizing it wasn't the job he really wanted, and he might've never realized that had he not campaigned for it in the first place. Now that he has Trivial Pursuit, and one can imagine he isn't thinking too much about what he's lost going forward. 

As far as other endeavors, LeVar Burton recently reprised his role as Geordi LaForge in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. There, he was able to act alongside his daughter, Mica Burton, and return to a beloved role that thrilled many fans. There's even a chance he could have more adventures as La Forge in the future, though it would depend on a Picard follow-up being green-lit by Paramount+. 

For now, it seems like Burton will stick to hosting a game show, which sounds like a pretty fun gig. Trivial Pursuit may not be as prestigious as Jeopardy!, but it's definitely up there in terms of one of the most known trivia games on the market. Here's hoping that the television version is just as fun to watch as playing the game is and that Burton will crush it in his reported hosting gig. 

We'll keep an eye out for more of LeVar Burton in upcoming Trek projects as we wait for the debut of Trivial Pursuit on The CW. I can't wait to see Burton put on his hosting suit and take on this fun job, and maybe even show Jeopardy! what they missed out on. 

Ken Jennings may hold the Jeopardy! record for most consecutive games won, and Brad Rutter stands as the biggest winner in Jeopardy! history, but when it comes to the best to ever play the game, Matt Amodio is at the top of a pretty unique statistic: He’s competed under seven different hosts. The super-champ recently reflected on what it was like to be a part of the quiz show following Alex Trebek's death, and he joked about why he might want one of those guest hosts to come back.

The majority of Jeopardy! contestants over its four-decade history competed with Alex Trebek as the host, and more current participants have seen either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik. However, Matt Amodio’s 38-game win streak came amid the hosting shakeup that followed Alex Trebek’s passing. Many fans took issue with the uncertainty of that era, but Matt Amodio explained on Inside Jeopardy! why it was an honor to witness, saying: 

When Buzzy Cohen pointed out that Matt Amodio’s only losses have come from episodes led by either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik, the Jeopardy! Masters contestant said that when he returns for the spinoff’s second season, maybe he’d like to see a different face behind the lectern. Amodio joked:

In addition to Joe Buck, Matt Amodio participated in Jeopardy! games guest-hosted by Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton and David Faber. Then-executive producer Mike Richards then came in after appointing himself the permanent host. However, that lasted only a day, before scandals forced Sony to part ways with Richards, and Mayim Bialik was called to fill in. 

That's a lot of star power that Matt Amodio crossed paths with, but it was Ken Jennings who he most wanted to field clues from. However, he didn’t get that chance until the 2022 Tournament of Champions, where he was eliminated in the semifinals. He saw Jennings again on Jeopardy! Masters, where he placed third behind James Holzhauer and Mattea Roach. Did those experiences sour Amodio’s impression of Jennings as a host? The champ said: 

It's interesting to hear Matt Amodio’s recollection of that turbulent time in Jeopardy!’s history, since his experience of seeing seven different hosts is one that (hopefully) no other contestant is ever likely to experience. You can see Amodio in action, as ABC is re-airing Jeopardy! Masters at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on ABC, with all episodes also available to stream with a Hulu subscription. 

May the 4th has come yet again, and everyone seemed to celebrate the annual holiday a little differently. Some watch the Star Wars movies in order, and others might hop on social media and post a message or meme to commemorate the day. A number of notable celebrities chose the latter route, as James Gunn, Mark Hamill and more decided to acknowledge the day, and it's giving me all the feels. 

Gunn showed some love to Star Wars, even though he's only hours away from the release of one of his biggest movies to date. Fortunately, we already know a good deal about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so now was as good of a time as any for him to drop some personal thoughts about how his Marvel franchise was influenced by Star Wars: 

Guardians of the Galaxy isn't Star Wars, but I think many readers can appreciate that James Gunn did his best to deliver something he felt evoked the same emotional response just as well. In any case, I think it's a great tribute, especially from a guy who will soon be dealing with upcoming DC movies more than any future Disney project he might have. 

Gunn's response must've been appreciated by the folks at Lucasfilm, as the Star Wars account on Twitter said the following in response to his message: 

Mark Hamill, of course, is going to celebrate May the 4th. The Luke Skywalker actor paid tribute by mentioning another worthy Star Wars event happening today. Today, Carrie Fisher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along with attending the event itself, Hamill reacted on Twitter to Fisher's star news when he first heard about it and reacted again today to remind people of the reason for the season: 

Carrie Fisher's Walk of Fame ceremony was extra special, thanks in part to an appearance by her daughter, Billie Lourd. She showed up in a gorgeous dress honoring Leia, and then sprinkled some of Fisher's glitter over the top of the star:

Even the Star Trek actors couldn't help but get in on the fun of May the 4th. LeVar Burton, fresh off celebrating his reprisal as Geordi LaForge in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, used his iconic character and an assist from Mark Hamill to give fans a new catchphrase:

Lin-Manuel Miranda also had a creative contribution to May the 4th, with an assist from the one and only J.J. Abrams. The duo introduced Miranda's Cantina song, which he then performed in Hutteese: 

Even The Muppets, currently prepping for the release of The Muppets Mayhem, took some time to show some love for Star Wars. Granted, they had Robin do the video, and he didn't even crack the list of CinemaBlend's top 25 Muppets, but I'll personally advocate for his inclusion after seeing this great video:

I'm not sure I could've recapped the movie any better myself. All of these tributes always make what would otherwise be a regular day in May a little more special, so I'm hoping that the Star Wars celebrations continue for every May 4th to come!

Snag a Disney+ subscription and stream all of the Star Wars content to your heart's content right now. I would personally suggest celebrating with the latest season of Star Wars: Visions, or something like Rebels to prepare for other live-action shows in the franchise coming up later this year. 

Actor and beloved former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton has never really gone away, but it would probably be pretty fair to say that he’s been having a bit of a career resurgence over the past couple of years. Not only can he currently be seen helping Patrick Stewart finish Star Trek: Picard in Season 3 (along with many returning Next Generation vets), but he’s also appearing in Season 2 of Blindspotting and working on hosting the upcoming Trivial Pursuit game show. But, it’s his lost opportunity to host Jeopardy that he recently opened up about, and he now calls that loss “perfect” despite how it felt at the time.

What Does LeVar Burton Say Now About Losing Out On The Jeopardy Hosting Gig?

Obviously, fans of the long-running game show were devastated to lose 35-year host Alex Trebek in November 2020, but so many were willing and ready for the show to go on with the Geordi La Forge actor behind the podium that a petition was started to try and convince those behind the program that he was the correct choice. Burton was also eager to take on the Jeopardy gig (and did guest host while the replacement search was on), but ultimately ended up not being the producers' pick. In a recent chat with People, the star was able to reflect on the loss positively, and said:

We all know that it’s hard to miss out on something that you really want, especially if you feel like it will be a natural progression for you (as the Roots star did with potentially hosting the game show), but he’s been nothing but a class act in the aftermath, despite admitting in the summer of 2022 that finding out he wouldn’t get the gig left him “not just disappointed, but wrecked.”

Aside from him not being the type of person to raise public hell over such a thing, it turns out that part of why he pretty quickly came to be OK with what happened is his ability to be appropriately rational about it. He wanted to host Jeopardy, didn’t get the job, and that hurt, but he realized that it would leave him open to other opportunities, whatever they may be.

Luckily, Burton not nabbing the chance to become the new face of the game show allowed him enough time to do something that he and many fans have wanted for a long time: revisit his time in Trek by appearing on Picard. The enduring star said that he’s in “absolute bliss” at being able to work with his TNG friends again, which turned out to be “effortless — like the old days,” so it seems that he’s correct in believing that his big loss actually led to the thing that was really meant for him. 

For the first half of Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut’s Sidney La Forge was the lone member of the La Forge family aboard the USS Titan, working at the helm as our protagonists confronted the Changeling known as Vadic and her forces for the first time. Then Episode 6, titled “The Bounty,” looped in her father, Geordi, and her sister, Alandra, the latter played by LeVar Burton’s real life daughter Mica Burton. With the La Forge family reunion having finally been shown to Paramount+ subscribers, Chestnut talked with CinemaBlend about what it was like shooting her first scene with the Next Generation alum, and how he’s formed a true “sisterhood” with the woman playing her onscreen sibling.

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut has previously spoken to us about how she’d been made to feel like a member of the Burton family, but since then we’ve finally seen Sidney and Geordi together, I was curious to learn what shooting that first scene was like. Here’s what the actress told me when I interviewed her ahead of the most recent episode, “Surrender”:

A lot of people know LeVar Burton best for playing Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the four follow-up movies and the Voyager episode “Timeless,” but there’s also a (pardon the word choice) generation that remembers him fondly for his many years of hosting Reading Rainbow. So that combined with Star Trek was enough for her to Chestnut to feel starstruck by the time it came to work with him. Conversely though, Sidney and Geordi’s relationship is rather strained when Picard Season 3 is taking place, particularly since the former didn’t follow in the latter’s engineering footsteps in favor of becoming a pilot. 

Alandra La Forge, on the other hand, is quite close with her father, as evidenced by her being at his side when they came aboard the USS Titan after it arrived at the Starfleet Museum looking for safe refuge. But Alandra and Sidney are also on good terms with one another, as is the case in real life between Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut and Mica Burton. I inquired with the former about what it’s been like sharing a close bond with the latter even after Picard finished filming, and she answered:

Along with Sidney being back with her father and sister (it’s unclear if we’ll meet her mother by the time Picard is over), we’ve also been seeing her flirting with Ed Speleers’ Jack Crusher, though the two also got a cool action sequence together in Episode 7, showing that they also work well together in a stressful situation. With just two episodes left to go in Picard’s run, it’s hard to tell what’s in store for Sidney, although like a lot of fans and talent associated with the show, she’s expressed interest in doing a spinoff, which has been informally called Star Trek: Legacy. Assuming such a show is greenlit, not only might it mean more adventures with her, it’d provide more opportunities to flesh out her familial relationships, thus potentially giving Chestnut additional time to work with Mica Burton and/or LeVar Burton.

Head to Paramount+ to catch up on Picard if you’ve fallen behind, or to check out the other Star Trek TV shows available on the platform. You’re also welcome to look through our 2023 release schedule to see what other series are currently airing or will arrive soon.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 will be the ultimate and likely final adventure for the characters of The Next Generation, but there are plenty of new faces who will appear in the last season as well. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut is one of those newcomers to the franchise, stepping into the very important role of playing Sidney, the daughter of LeVar Burton's Geordi La Forge. Burton's other real-life daughter, Mica, will play Geordi's other daughter, Alandra. Off-camera, they're not all related, but one could see how this entire crew as a family given how warmly Chestnut says the Burtons welcomed her in. 

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut spoke to CinemaBlend ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 and recalled how LeVar Burton made her feel like she was part of the family. Chestnut talked about the Burtons and the special invite she received when she first moved to Los Angeles: 

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut thinks the Burton family is great, but you don't have to take her word for it. LeVar Burton's general public persona after Star Trek has shown he's someone audiences want to stick around, even if he'll never host Jeopardy! full time. Still, it's nice to hear that he and his daughter Mica welcomed Chestnut in with open arms.

The good news for Star Trek: Picard fans is that we'll get to see the fruits of that friendship play out onscreen during Season 3. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut spoke briefly about Sidney and Alandra La Forge's relationship, and how it's rooted in her real-life friendship with Mica Burton: 

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut's Sidney La Forge is an ensign in Starfleet, though she's not quite the chip off the old block when it comes to her role. While Commodore Geordi La Forge was known for his work in engineering, Sidney serves as the helmsman on the U.S.S. Titan (via TrekCentral). Apparently,she wanted to fly the ship rather than work on repairs, and truthfully, I'd feel the same way given how often I've seen engineering teams dealing with warp core troubles. 

The La Forge family joins join a gaggle of other characters, like Worf, Beverly Crusher, and Deanna Troi, in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. This is said to be the final adventure of the series, though with upcoming Star Trek shows popping up all the time, perhaps we'll see some of these characters appear in other shows in the years to come.

Those with a Paramount+ subscription can catch the premiere of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 on Thursday, February 16th. Catch up on the previous seasons now or check out some of the other shows available to binge right now on the platform.

Kanye West has made some “interesting” declarations (one being of “civil war”) in the past, but his latest one may even be his most surprising. The music mogul and fashion designer recently revealed that he’s not the biggest fan of reading. Since then, a number of people across social media have been weighing in on his views, and one major literacy advocate is among those who’ve spoken out. Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton caught wind of the West’s statements and offered an honest take. 

To add some additional context for those who aren’t in the know, Kanye West dropped his head-scratching views when he appeared on Alo Mind Full podcast. The star asserted that he hasn’t read “any book” before providing an analogy to sum up his views. For him, “reading is like eating Brussels sprouts” while “talking is like getting the Giorgio Baldi corn ravioli.” I’m not quite sure anyone would’ve had “Kanye compares reading to eating a vegetable” on their 2022 bingo cards, but here we are. 

In any case though, LeVar Burton provided some civil thoughts on the matter. The beloved star took to Twitter, where he seemed to question the validity of Ye’s comments. He also expressed one “hope” that he has regarding one of the “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” performer’s latest ventures: 

The Star Trek vet is referring to Donda Academy, a private Christian school that Ye recently established in California. The tuition-based institution opened for the 2022-2023 school year at the end of August and has already been marred by controversy. As reported by Rolling Stone, many are curious as to what pupils are actually learning, as the school’s website is vague in regard to the curriculum. It’s also turning heads due to the fact that parents are forced to sign non-disclosure agreements when their kids are enrolled. As of this writing, the school has yet to be accredited. 

With all of that in mind, one can honestly understand why LeVar Burton would question Kanye West’s logic. Burton has been a staunch education advocate over the years, and his efforts were greatly channeled through Reading Rainbow, which premiered on PBS in 1983. Years after the critically acclaimed show ended its run, Burton launched a kickstarter to revive it for digital platforms, and he had a tearful response when Rainbow received a massive amount of backers, including pledgee Seth MacFarlane. Aside from his efforts on behalf of the series, Burton has also spoken out on other reading-related causes, such as the banning of certain Dr. Seuss books last year. 

You really have to appreciate just how restrained LeVar Burton is about the Kanye West situation. It should be said that the rapper is, of course, more than entitled to his opinion. However, I seem to recall my parents telling me that eating your veggies was important for personal growth.

Those who do have a fondness for literacy can check out the first two seasons of Reading Rainbow using an Amazon Prime subscription.

Star Trek: Picard is prepping for a massive reunion in its final season, as The Next Generation’s main cast will reunite for a thrilling adventure decades after the latter series' conclusion. LeVar Burton recently spoke about the much-anticipated reunion set for 2023, and the inspiring way he and his fellow TNG vets helped Patrick Stewart finish out the Paramount+ series like a champ. 

LeVar Burton spoke spoiler-free about working on Star Trek: Picard Season 3 while at MegaCon Orlando this year, touching on his experiences reuniting with co-stars like Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, and of course, Patrick Stewart. While complimenting himself and the other cast members on how well they’ve aged, Burton gave attendees a sense of where Stewart was at when the gang showed up on the set, and shared how he believes their presence gave the actor an extra boost that may or may not have been necessary. In his words:

Star Trek: Picard went straight from wrapping work on Season 2 to filming episodes for the upcoming third season, so I can’t fault the 82-year-old Patrick Stewart for being “dead-dog tired” by the time the TNG cast arrived. Fortunately, it sounds like the esteemed actor enjoyed a second (or perhaps third or fourth) wind from seeing some old friends who will have a heavy presence all throughout Season 3. 

And while LeVar Burton didn’t get that Jeopardy gig he campaigned so hard for, he’ll thankfully get to return to one of his most notable characters in television, Geordi La Forge. (Not that his Trivial Pursuit gig is anything to sneeze at.) Burton spoke to attendees about playing his character once again and stressed just how close the TNG cast has been since their days appearing on screen together, saying:

The details of Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard are still largely under wraps, though we have learned a few things about what to expect, such as a female villain and a return to the Enterprise. As for what’s happening with LeVar Burton’s Geordi specifically, we saw in a first-look trailer that Geordi will have a higher Starfleet rank when we see him next, as he'll now be a Commodore. 

One negative about this massive reunion is that a good number of cast members from Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and 2 were written off to make way for The Next Generation stars. Fortunately, some favorites like Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd’s Raffi will return and hopefully get some closure with the arcs they’ve been building up since the beginning of the series. Regardless, at least we’ll get what might be the final adventure with the TNG crew, provided Alex Kurtzman, and other Trek bigwigs don’t have any unexpected surprise plans for them in the future. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is set to premiere for anyone with a Paramount+ subscription in 2023. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of new Trek to look forward to in 2022, which should make the wait for the final season a bit easier to bear.

To use a corny stereotype: if you look up TV treasure in the dictionary, you’ll probably see a picture of LeVar Burton. The Star Trek: The Next Generation vet isn’t only a legend to genre fans, but also to millions of former children who grew up loving Reading Rainbow. (That, on top of dozens of other TV and film roles.) As such, he seemed like as perfect a choice as any to take over Jeopardy!’s hosting job during the height of that ill-handled debacle tied to former EP Mike Richards. He didn’t get the gig — no one officially has, more than seven months later — and while he has been flush with projects in the aftermath, it sounds like he’s still got a noteworthy chip on his shoulder about it.

Just ahead of LeVar Burton taking the stage as host of the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and far ahead of his return to outer space for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, the well-spoken actor and producer spoke with Newsy about the residual emotions still within him this far removed from the Jeopardy! process. Even if he could eventually appreciate the way things turned out, with Burton taking on hosting duties for the syndicated Trivial Pursuit game show reboot, he said he was totally wrecked at the time. In his words:

There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance, but I think we can all agree that LeVar Burton fell more on the “confident” side of things, given his fanbase, his know-how, and his relaxed demeanor behind the Jeopardy! lectern. Granted, not everyone was into his efforts (which he was fully aware of), but enough people were, including former champions, that he clearly thought he had a straight shot to the top of the applicant chart, as it were. 

LeVar Burton certainly doesn’t sound like he thinks Jeopardy!’s hosting situation is a purely objective and democratic process, either. To the point where he calls it a “fix,” saying: 

As bothered as he might be by how Jeopardy! shunned him, LeVar Burton has come to accept that losing out on that one job has made way for other opportunities that he likely wouldn’t have been able to accept had he been saddled with a full-time gig hosting the syndicated hit. 

I gotta say, any silver lining such as “landing a variety of TV jobs that included a return to the NCIS-verse” is about as good as it gets, so hopefully LeVar Burton can go into each of his new opportunities with all the confidence and happiness that’s deserved. I also hope that Jeopardy! makes the best decision possible when the new permanent host is announced in the near future, but that’ll be a judgment call either way.  

LeVar Burton is a man of many talents. After it was recently announced that he will be reprising his beloved Star Trek role of Geordi LaForge in the upcoming third season of Star Trek: Picard, Burton has landed yet another role. And that is also on top of his game show gig!

According to Deadline, LeVar Burton is set to have a recurring role in the second season of Starz’s Blindspotting. He will join Katlynn Simone Smith, Tamera Tomakili, and Tim Chantarangsu, who were also announced to recur. It’s unknown what Burton’s role will be, but hopefully, more news will be revealed soon.

Starz’s Blindspotting is set six months after the events of the 2018 film and stars Jasmine Cephas Jones, Jaylen Barron, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Benjamin Earl Turner, and Atticus Woodward. It will be interesting to see Burton’s dynamic with the rest of the cast and what his role will entail.

Meanwhile, the actor and television host is staying plenty busy these days. Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard completed filming last month and is set to premiere in 2023. The upcoming season is said to be the biggest Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion yet, with other appearances including Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner.

When asked about the possibility of appearing on Star Trek: Picard in December, he said that he didn't know whether or not he'd appear, although the third season that will feature him is done filming, so he may have just been keeping the secret. 

Along with Picard, Burton will also be hosting Trivial Pursuit, a TV iteration of Hasbro’s popular trivia board game. The gig came after Burton became a fan-favorite host on Jeopardy! during the game show’s rotating celebrity hosts following the death of longtime beloved host Alex Trebek.

And there's still more! Burton is also set to be the host of the 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee during the televised semifinals and finals on June 1 and June 2. He is keeping himself occupied with a variety of gigs – scripted and game show. 

My fingers are crossed that more information will be revealed about Season 2 of Blindspotting sooner rather than later. It’s not yet known when the season will premiere on Starz, but given that the first season ran through the summer of 2021, it's possible that the second season will be summer viewing as well. 

Production on Season 2 is ongoing in Oakland and Los Angeles, California; depending on how far into production the new season is, fans may not have too painful of a wait for the next batch of episodes. Still, fans can only speculate for now. 

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, and in the meantime, check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what else to look forward to.

Although Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard has been primarily accompanied by newcomers during the events of Star Trek: Picard, there have been a handful of familiar faces from this sci-fi franchise who’ve come along for the ride. Along with “several glasses of champagne” paving the way for Jeri Ryan to reprise Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation vets Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie and Whoopi Goldberg have also popped up here and there. Well, get ready, because Picard Season 3 is gearing up for the biggest Next Generation reunion yet, including LeVar Burton coming in.

As a result of Star Trek: Picard Seasons 2 and 3 shooting back-to-back, Season 3 finished filming last month and is set to premiere sometime in early 2023 for people with a Paramount+ subscription. While it’ll presumably be a while until we learn the plot of what will be Picard’s final season, Paramount+ has announced that LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner will all be appearing. Watch the announcement video below.

Throw in John de Lancie having already been confirmed to reprise Q, and that’s eight Star Trek: The Next Generation actors accompanying Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard Season 3.  The only Next Generation mainstays missing are Denise Crosby, Diana Muldaur and Will Wheaton, but given that Crosby’s chief character, Tasha Yar, died back in The Next Generation Season 1, Muldaur only appeared as Dr. Katherine Pulaski in Season 2, and Wheaton doesn’t act as much anymore, their absences makes sense. I’m still hoping Wheaton might be able to make a cameo as Wesley Crusher, but if that doesn’t pan out, at least we can likely count on him interviewing most, if not all of his returning Next Generation castmates on the Ready Room aftershow. Also, if we get more of Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan, we could end up getting 10 Next Generation faces in Picard Season 3 total!

It is worth noting that although LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner will appear in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, don’t expect to see all of their Next Generation characters. Remember, Brent Spiner’s Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis, and in the Picard Season 1 finale, Jean-Luc Picard encountered a copy of Data’s consciousness with memories up until the original Data sacrificed himself in the final Next Generation movie. This Data copy requested that Patrick Stewart’s character terminate him, so unless there’s one final surprise way to loop Data back into Picard before the show’s over, expect Spiner to appear as a member of the Soong family, like Altan Inigo Soong, the son of Noonian Soong, Data’s creator.

As for how the rest of the Star Trek: The Next Generation gang fits into the Star Trek: Picard Season 3 picture, going off the brief footage screened in the announcement video, we know at the very least that Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes’ William Riker will team up one last time. Both Riker and Marina Sirtis’ Deanna Troi didn’t hesitate to offer Picard and Isa Briones’ Soji Asha a place to lie low in Season 1’s “Nepenthe,” and Riker returned in the Season 1 finale to help the main characters out of a jam, so naturally he’d be ready to fight alongside his former captain again. Fingers crossed all the returning Next Generation have meaningful roles to play in Picard Season 3, especially Worf. The Klingon may be older, but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of tearing into any enemies that get in his way.

For now though, we still have the latter half of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, with the events of last week’s episode, “Fly Me to the Moon,” possibly strengthening a fan theory about Agnes Jurati that’s been floating around, as well as being packed with First Contact references. New Picard episodes drop Thursdays on Paramount+, and you can keep track of what else is currently airing by scanning through the 2022 TV schedule.

Though he's arguably best known for his potentially ongoing Star Trek work, multi-hyphenate LeVar Burton also has some experience with series on the opposite end of the spectrum from Trek, such as the NCIS franchise. NCIS: Hawai’i is getting ready for a big two-part episode that will kick off following the NFL's AFC Divisional Playoff Game. Not only is the first part airing on a special night, but it will boast Burton's return to the franchise as director. And according to the entertainer, it was not only a good time but also a “healing” experience.

Prior to directing the upcoming NCIS: Hawai’i episode, LeVar Burton directed 10 episodes of NCIS: New Orleans, as well as an episode of JAG, the series that kickstarted the NCIS universe. Now the fan-favorite actor and director is back behind the camera for the newest NCIS iteration, and Burton opened up to TV Insider about the experience, saying:

With the episode “Spies Part 1” landing such a high-profile time-slot, and with NCIS: Hawai’i only being in its first season, the directing gig wasn’t without challenges. Working with a still-evolving cast and crew for the first time can definitely spark some struggles. But because working on a gorgeous island is more relaxing and uplifting than most places, LeVar Burton definitely made sure to take advantage of everything he could, and the efforts seem to have had a magical effect.

It’s unknown if LeVar Burton will return to direct a late-season episode of NCIS: Hawai’i, or even installments of NCIS or NCIS: Los Angeles. Considering it looks like Burton had a great time in the Aloha State, it wouldn’t be surprising if he were to return to the spinoff in some capacity. Maybe the next time he directs, he can also pop in front of the camera as a guest star, since Burton did appear in NCIS: New Orleans in 2019, so perhaps his character Rufus Nero can make a reappearance in a different series? One can hope!

Along with directing, LeVar Burton has also been working more on his hosting skills. Besides Star Trek, many will recognize him as the host of popular children’s educational program Reading Rainbow. In 2021, Burton served as one of the many rotating celebrity guest hosts on Jeopardy, after which fans kept petitioning for him to become the new permanent host. Even though that gig didn’t work out, he is set to host and executive produce the upcoming Trivial Pursuit game show. It doesn't seem likely that the board game adaptation will immediately feature any celebrity-based episodes in which Vanessa Lachey and other NCIS: Hawai'i stars could appear, but stranger things have happened. 

Don’t miss LeVar Burton’s episode of NCIS: Hawai'i, “Spies Part 1,” after the AFC Divisional Playoff Game on Sunday, January 23, on CBS! “Spies Part 2” will air in the drama's regular time-slot on Monday evening. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 winter and spring TV schedule to see what other shows to look out for.

Star Trek: The Next Generation vet and Reading Rainbow mastermind LeVar Burton has had kind of a tough professional life in 2021. After being the fan’s choice to take over hosting duties on Jeopardy! after Alex Trebek’s death, his guest hosting stint failed to light many viewers on fire. Then, after a permanent host was chosen and then unchosen in quick order, Burton was still passed over for the job. Now, though, he’s landed yet another post-Jeopardy! Gig that he should be a great fit for: hosting the National Spelling Bee!

It was just back in September that LeVar Burton revealed that he hadn’t really considered hosting any game show other than Jeopardy!, but was considering his options now that he had a true taste for the gig and that long-held dream wasn’t going to be a reality. He soon landed himself the job of hosting and executive producing the upcoming Trivial Pursuit game show, and now Burton has also been announced as the host of next year’s 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Burton will handle the hosting duties during the televised semifinals and finals, which will take place on June 1 and June 2, 2022, respectively, somewhere near Washington D.C. The news of his new job has come shortly after it was announced that the National Spelling Bee will now be available to the largest audience in its entire history, with the Burton-hosted installments set to be broadcast on ION and Bounce, two channels that are accessible for free and over the air, as well as streaming and on cable. Those airings will accompany a full broadcast and streaming schedule, which will be revealed early next year. 

Obviously, this appointment is 1000% right up LeVar Burton’s alley, as the executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Dr. J. Michael Durnil, noted in a statement he gave about Burton becoming their host with the most (soothing voice) for the upcoming competition:

As noted above, Burton has made it his life’s work to help children not just learn to read, but learn to love reading, through his children’s show, Reading Rainbow, which ran from 1983 through 2006 on PBS, and a number of other professional pursuits. So, the idea of him leading the charge at the country’s longest-running competition geared towards learning, makes complete sense. 

For his part, LeVar Burton noted that hosting the National Spelling Bee “will be an honor,” and for his millions of fans (whether they enjoyed his time on Jeopardy! or not) it’s certainly good to see him get the kind of gigs that we know he’ll be even more perfect for. 

LeVar Burton campaigned to take over the role as permanent host of Jeopardy!, but in the end, he moved on to other things. After all the chaos associated with that, some fans may forget the rumors that Burton would return in Star Trek: Picard Season 2, which the actor later shot down. Now, as Picard is in production for Season 3, Burton is once again fielding questions about the possibility of him reprising his role as Geordi La Forge in future episodes. 

The actor spoke to Rolling Stone (via TrekMovie.com) about many things he’s up to, but of course, questions about an appearance by Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: Picard came up. LeVar Burton’s response may not be one that Trek fans will be super excited about, though it does give some facts that can be reassuring if nothing else.

LeVar Burton doesn’t know whether or not he’s going to appear in Star Trek: Picard but reminded anyone curious that it’s likely Picard and Geordi still keep in contact. Of course, keeping in touch may be a little harder for the two in Season 2, as Picard and crew hop back in time in order to set a timeline disturbed by Q’s meddling back on track. Even though rumors created speculation that Burton was a part of the season, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be around for the ride when Season 2 arrives. 

CinemaBlend learned earlier this year from LeVar Burton’s former Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star Gates McFadden that Star Trek: Picard had a plan for Season 2, but a lot of those plans changed due to COVID-19 and production delays. It’s possible that Burton was at one point slated to appear in the upcoming season and plans fell through, but there's no saying unless somebody comes out to confirm or deny. 

Patrick Stewart said towards the start of Star Trek: Picard that it was his wish to see the entire principal cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation appear at some point if possible, so LeVar Burton’s thoughts that Geordi and Picard keep in contact aren’t unfounded. The key is finding a way in which to organically bring members of Picard’s old crew into the story, and obviously, working around their busy schedules. 

LeVar Burton didn’t land the role as Jeopardy!’s permanent host, but he did get a gig hosting a television game show version of Trivial Pursuit among other gigs. It’s unclear how this gig or any others he has will impact his availability to appear in a future episode of Star Trek: Picard, though given his latest comments, it does feel as though he has enough love for the franchise to try and make it happen if he can. He could also be playing coy and already filmed something for Season 2 or 3, but we can only wait and see if that happened. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 will premiere over at Paramount+ in February 2022. This upcoming season should be a great one just because we get to see Q and Picard go at it again, which is always a treat.

While it appears as if things are back to normal over at Jeopardy! — or at least “quiet,” if not “normal” — there are still conversational ripples in the aftermath of the elongated host-hunting snafu. Some of the most notable ripples involve fan-favorite candidate LeVar Burton, who was passed over by producers considering who could take over as a permanent replacement for Alex Trebek. Burton’s future as a game show host is now secure, thanks to his new gig, but he had some reflecting to do when it came to fans’ negative criticisms surrounding his week of guest-hosting appearances.

Understandably, LeVar Burton isn’t flipping tables and raising all kinds of hell over what some Jeopardy! viewers thought about his hosting abilities. He’s just not that kinda person, though he does seem to have kept at least one particular critique in mind. Referencing one of Tom Hanks’ oft-quoted characters, here’s how the Star Trek vet put it to Rolling Stone:

I think it’s safe to say that “attempting to host a beloved game show in the midst of an executive producer’s problematic push to take things over himself” is itself like a box of chocolates, in that no one was fully aware of what they were going to get once Jeopardy! became bogged down in Mike Richards’ drama. The current scenario has Mayim Bialik and all-time GOAT Ken Jennings sharing duties going into 2022, which certainly wasn’t the most predictable decision the producers could have made. 

It does suck that LeVar Burton had to see some of the negative criticisms thrown his way, especially since he and other guest hosts’ episodes were largely recorded in a single day. There wasn’t exactly time for everyone to get completely settled in before their work was already done. Plus, Burton episodes in particular faced lower viewership totals due to competition from Olympics coverage and other factors. At least he takes such comments with a grain of salt and a heaping helping of maturity. 

To say that the Reading Rainbow icon shit the bed is definitely hyperbole, though. Especially when “the bed” in question was already messy AF to begin with. Maybe if Burton kept asking people to spin the wheel and guess letters, instead of picking categories, maybe that would have counted? I’m not convinced even that would have done it. For someone to completely shit the bed as a game show host in any capacity, they’d probably need to legitimately drop a deuce on the stage. Alcohol would also help.

LeVar Burton will probably have quite a number of Jeopardy! fans tuning into his newest gig whenever it makes it to the small screen — which likely includes champ Amy Schneider — as he’s set to host the newest iteration of a Trivial Pursuit game show. He’ll also serve as executive producer, which will presumably allow for more creative control behind the scenes. That project doesn’t have a network or streaming service just yet, but expect more announcements to come. 

Meanwhile, Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication, so check your local listings to see when and where to find it in your area.

Jeopardy and Alex Trebek went hand in hand for almost 40 years, right up until his death in late 2020, with a lot of moving parts going into the hunt for his replacement. Currently, the beloved game show is being co-fronted by Ken Jennings, who holds the record for longest winning streak in the game, and The Big Bang Theory vet Mayim Bialik, who currently stars in Fox's Call Me Kat. The most recent reigning Jeopardy champ has revealed her thoughts about Jennings and Bialik taking up the responsibility, while also sharing her former hopes for Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton to take up the hosting role for the long-running game show.

Amy Schneider secured her 6th Jeopardy win with the pre-Thanksgiving episode, but she’s been a fan of the game show for much longer. In an interview with Newsweek, the reigning champ says she has long considered LeVar Burton to be a perfect potential replacement for Alex Trebek behind the lectern, even though the Star Trek alum didn’t perform as well as fans probably expected when he guest-hosted for a week back in July. Here’s what Schneider had to say:

2021 was full of celebrity guest hosts trying their hand at filling the massive void that was left by Alex Trebek's passing. Some fared far better than others, both in the ratings and in the fan responses, with LeVar Burton's stint earning his own wife’s very honest opinion along with some not-so-stellar viewership stats. (Largely due to Olympics coverage and other elements.) Despite all that, Burton maintained a big following that shared similar wishes as Amy Schneider. 

Even though it didn’t work out like Amy Schneider and other LaVar Burton fans would have hoped, Schneider doesn’t think it’s all bad. In the same interview, she says that the combo of Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik is pleasing as well. Here it is in her own words:

Amy Schneider won her sixth game of Jeopardy with Ken Jennings behind the host lectern, and who better to guide contestants in the game show than someone who won the game 74 times in a row? Maybe a neuroscientist turned actress, but we don’t really have to pick as we’ll get both of best worlds for the rest of the calendar year, and probably beyond that unless the producers announce some permanent decisions soon.

Definitely don't expect for Burton to be in that mix, though, as his desire to host the long-running game show soured amidst the hullaballoo. In fact, he has secured his own hosting job for a different game show inspired by Trivial Pursuit. As it’s a brand new game show, Burton will be getting in on the ground floor as the show’s one and only host, and will also serve as an executive producer for the project.

You can catch new episodes of Jeopardy with either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik behind the host podium weekdays in syndication, so be sure to check your local listings to see when and where it's airing in your area!

As Jeopardy! continues to distance itself from the fan-angering hullabaloo that sprouted from the producers’ attempts to find a permanent replacement, former guest host LeVar Burton is worlds away from that process at this point, now that he’s set to host a new game show iteration of the classic board game Trivial Pursuit. The Star Trek vet revealed this week that he will indeed achieve his game show hopes and dreams with the new project, despite being passed over as a final choice to take over Jeopardy! And his adoring fanbase is absolutely loving it.

For all that fans were upset about that initial Jeopardy! snub, they’re seemingly just as pumped about LeVar Burton landing a new gig in which he’ll have some outright creative control. (He’s also serving as executive producer on top of his hosting duties.) The Reading Rainbow fave has been on the receiving end of all kinds of praise and happy vibes, as it goes with the post below:

Speaking of Reading Rainbow, the fan who wrote the response below has clearly been a fan of LeVar Burton's for some time now, and can't wait to learn more. 

Fan Jon Waters brought up his own Jeopardy! history with LeVar Burton, with Waters having been a contestant during Burton's second episode (which followed that bonkers recording-breaking debut). Check out the former competitor’s new life goal: 

And since we can't very well have a Reading Rainbow comment without also featuring a Star Trek nod, check out the post below:

And if you're thinking LeVar Burton's vocal fanbase didn't extend into the world of other Hollywood celebrities, that's just silly. Yvette Nicole Brown and Aisha Tyler are particularly hyped about what's to come.

Other celebs who tweeted out forms of congratulations were The Brady Bunch vet Maureen McCormick and NBA star-turned-Twitter rockstar Rex Chapman, though there are definitely more. I'm already counting the days until they announce a Celebrity Edition of Trivial Pursuit. 

To close things out, we have another potential Trivial Pursuit hopeful with just one request for LeVar Burton & Co.:

I can't imagine why that person wouldn't want to go head-to-head with someone who managed to overshadow some of Jeopardy!'s hosting issues with his 38-day winning streak. Oh wait, no, I completely understand that. My bad.

There's no real sense of when Trivial Pursuit will hit our TVs or streaming services, since the project doesn't have a place to call home just yet, but that just means fans can shower love on LeVar Burton for even longer during the build-up. But for those who need to know when other new and returning shows are debuting before the year ends, head to our 2021 Fall TV schedule!

While Jeopardy! has managed to remain largely (if not completely) controversy-free as of late, with the headline-making hosting controversy largely solved by the double-header decision to have former champ Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik trade off until a permanent fixture is found. Star Trek franchise vet LeVar Burton was formerly a top fan choice to take over the beloved game show, and he was as initially disappointed as anyone when it didn't happen. But Burton has now found the pot of gold at the end of the (reading) rainbow, and has been tapped to serve as host for a brand new-ish game show.

Fans will hopefully soon get to see LeVar Burton in his new digs as host of Trivial Pursuit, the latest TV iteration of Hasbro's best-selling board game. As far as trivia-based franchises go, Trivial Pursuit is about as close to Jeopardy! as it gets in terms of mixing general knowledge with hyper-specific facts. So if there was ever a way to classily thumb a nose at a former employee, I haven't seen it.

What's more, Burton isn't just being brought in to head up the new show, but he's also a key element behind the scenes. According to Variety, Trivial Pursuit will be a co-production between the entertainer's LeVar Burton Entertainment and the Hasbro-owned eOne. So he's getting in on the ground up, and will also serve as an executive producer. Here's what Burton had to say in a statement:

At this time, no networks or streaming services are attached to Trivial Pursuit, but this seems like catnip for Game Show Network, not to mention any broadcast networks looking for another daytime series to pair up with Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud across daily schedules. That said, with Peacock's Frogger and Create the Escape, as well as other streaming game shows on Netflix and beyond, it's possible the pie-centric trivia challenge could land at one of those services. 

First released to the public in 1981, Trivial Pursuit has been a household mainstay ever since, with a wide variety of dedicated offshoots alongside sporadic releases of core editions. The game first made the jump to live-action from 1993-1994, with game show host icon Wink Martindale heading up a changed-up iteration for TV audiences. More than a decade later, former Brady Bunch cast member Christopher Knight hosted another format-adjusted take called Trivial Pursuit: America Says. That one wrapped up back in 2009.

The actor, director, author, and Big Bang Theory guest star had his day in the Jeopardy! sun back in July, with his first episode being quite noteworthy for featuring the lowest single game score in Jeopardy! history. Unfortunately his episodes aired in the midst of the 2021 Summer Olympics, and closer to the then-presumed end of the guest-hosting phase, causing his episodes’ ratings to fare worse than earlier installments. But Burton came out of that experience with a desire to stick around the game show genre, and it’s awesome that it all culminated in the return of Trivial Pursuit.   

Jeopardy!'s decision to name Mike Richards as the show’s host instead of LeVar Burton was met with disappointment from many viewers. Of course, the game show's choice ultimately didn't work out so well. Some fans saw this as the perfect opportunity for Burton to re-insert himself into the hosting search. However, even that window seemingly closed, as Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings were announced as the hosts for the rest of 2021. Nevertheless, the Star Trek alum isn't too worried about being asked back to host the iconic game show and recently provided some insight into the A+ goal he has now that his hosting hopes have been dashed.

As a television icon, LeVar Burton hasn’t been one to rest on his laurels, so the fact that he has a Plan B in mind shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Reading Rainbow host said about bouncing back from losing the Jeopardy! gig:

Apparently, LeVar Burton doesn't feel he Jeopardy! to make his game show dreams come true. It honestly still has to sting just a bit knowing that he won't be able standing at the podium once occupied by Alex Trebek. But at the very least, his Jeopardy! experience inspired him to be proactive. And you can bet that fans will be looking forward to seeing the Roots star hosting again.

But of course, it isn't lost on LeVar Burton that he's had a plethora of fan support. Burton revealed on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah that they pushed him to pursue the Jeopardy! gig. The actor said about viewers getting him to the podium:

But as the old story goes, everything that glitters isn’t gold, which is what LeVar Burton learned while filming while his Jeopardy! episodes. Burton spoke on the realization he came to after completing his time on the iconic stage:

Thankfully, LeVar Burton wasn’t as sad about losing the gig as viewers were, as he knew hosting Jeopardy! wasn’t for him. If you want to see more of Burton's conversation with Trevor Noah, check it out in its entirety down below:

Rest assured, TV viewers, you have not seen the last of LeVar Burton. Hopefully, things work out for his new project and we'll get a more official update on it soon.

The long search for a permanent Jeopardy host following the death of Alex Trebek took some ups and downs with the guest hosts over the past year, and Reading Rainbow and Star Trek vet LeVar Burton was a clear favorite among fans for the job. In fact, there were fans pulling for him to become host before he even made his debut as a guest, and hopes were high that he would get the permanent position behind the podium. Unfortunately for those fans, that hasn't happened, but there may be a silver lining to Burton getting such a strong push for a prominent job.

Although TMZ cites production sources stating that Sony Studios executives didn't consider LeVar Burton the right fit to host Jeopardy as a daily syndicated series, Sony did reportedly have conversations with Burton about non-Jeopardy projects. The outlet also states that Burton has been contacted by a number of other networks and Hollywood executives about collaboration.

Plus, Ava Duvernay herself did hit Twitter with a comment about wanting to create a show for LeVar Burton to host. Sure, the tweet may have been more of a joke than anything else (albeit not at Burton's expense), but his response of "Check your DM's!" at least indicates that he was happy to open a line of communication. (Of course, who in showbiz wouldn't want to work with Ava DuVernay on a personalized project after all her accolades?)

There are no details at the time of writing about what projects LeVar Burton may have been approached about or what contacts have been made, but the fan push for him to become Jeopardy host seems to have paid off for him, even if not in the form of him getting the hosting job. While Burton was openly supportive of those fans' efforts, he responded to the news that somebody else got the job with a very gracious message.

The role of permanent host went to Jeopardy executive producer Mike Richards, although it didn't exactly turn out to be permanent. Less than three weeks after he was announced as the new host, he stepped away as comments and lawsuits from his past kept resurfacing.

Although that did create another vacancy at Jeopardy, the game show didn't turn to LeVar Burton or any of the other guest hosts other than Mayim Bialik, who was originally slated to host primetime Jeopardy events while Mike Richards would host the syndicated version of the show, as Bialik's busy schedule with Call Me Kat wouldn't allow for a full-time commitment. Bialik will serve as full-time host for three weeks' worth of episodes, however, while Jeopardy works out what to do for a new host after the Mike Richards scandal.

So, while Jeopardy figures out what direction it wants to go that doesn't seem to include LeVar Burton in any kind of permanent capacity, fans have every reason to be hopeful that all the attention Burton received will be enough for him to land a series or project of his own moving forward. He was a fun and enthusiastic guest host whose work on the show could lead to even better things, so maybe even those who were most passionate about him hosting Jeopardy can be optimistic about what comes next.

The frenzy surrounding the selection of Mike Richards as Jeopardy!’s new host was a lot, to say the least. But things heated up over the last week or so when past sexist and off-color comments from Richards were discovered on his Twitter and a defunct podcast he hosted a few years. After apologizing for his offensive comments, the Jeopardy executive producer saw the writing on the wall and decided to step down from hosting the iconic game show. Of course, once the news of Richards stepping down broke, many celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds and Jeopardy! hopeful LeVar Burton, took to social to share their thoughts.

After the news about Mike Richards hit social media, guest host LeVar Burton was arguably the celeb fans wanted to hear from the most. Instead of issuing any critiques of Richards like others, Burton decided to take the high road. And the Reading Rainbow host did so by relaying a simple message on his Twitter:

While LeVar Burton gave a simple response, others decided to support the Star Trek alum while telling their own story about being passed over for career opportunities. This was the case for Free Guy star Ryan Reynolds. The actor illustrated his career hurdle by taking to his Twitter and speaking on his battle to become Deadpool:

Upon seeing Ryan Reynolds, LeVar Burton responded with a simple reply filled with prayer hands and a purple heart. Of course, Reynolds was one of Burton’s biggest supporters before Mike Richards was hired, even going as far as to make a commercial featuring the education and literacy advocate.

Another LeVar Burton supporter – Community’s Yvette Nicole Brown – was blunt in her response to Mike Richards stepping down. She seemed to indicate that Burton did not get fair treatment while vying for the position. Brown stated on Twitter:

In addition to Yvette Nicole Brown’s opinionated take on Mike Richards, renowned author and writer Roxane Gay stated in a Twitter thread that LeVar Burton deserved a fair shot and also lambasted Mike Richards for taking the job.

As Roxane Gay reprimanded Mike Richards, others decided to view Richards’ short Jeopardy! host stint as a victory. Sports commentator Keith Olbermann, for example, offered a concise but hot take on Twitter:

Oscar-winning director and writer Matthew A. Cherry followed the same sentiment on his Twitter. The filmmaker specifically called out Richards' privilege, noting his pre-existing connection to Jeopardy!:

Needless to say, many didn't hold back when sharing their thoughts about Mike Richards giving up the hosting job. A few people even found some humor in Richards’ downfall. Of course, Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer couldn’t help but pitch a scenario for Jeopardy!’s next hosting selection process. The Jeopardy alum said on Twitter:

You can always rely on James Holzhauer to give a hilarious take during Jeopardy!’s hunt for a host. While it's hard not to take in all of these takes, the real (and obvious) question now is… who will be the permanent Jeopardy! host now? Mayim Bialik is merely the host for Jeopardy! specials and spinoffs, so she likely won't take on both duties. As Mike Richards returns to his executive producer position on the show, only time will tell who the series taps to fill Alex Trebek's shoes.

After beloved, long-time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away in November 2020, fans started to think about who they would like to see replace him. One of the first names that came up, and the one that seemed to garner the most traction early on, was Star Trek: The Next Generation vet and Reading Rainbow mastermind LeVar Burton. Well, along with several other well-known folks, Burton had a guest hosting stint while the show searched for a permanent replacement, but despite audience desire to see him in the job, the ratings didn't reflect his popularity. Now, we might know why LeVar Burton's Jeopardy! hosting gig was the least watched of all the guest hosts.

It was only a few days after Alex Trebek's death that a fan started a Change.org petition to have Jeopardy! tap LeVar Burton as the next permanent host of the popular game show. Nearly 268,000 people have now signed that petition, and not only were everyday fans committed to having him take over the hosting gig, but several celebrities backed the idea, too. However, after a string of guest hosts came through with varying degrees of success and popularity, Burton's week long stint is currently the lowest rated. And according to Newsweek, poor timing was likely what did him in.

The outlet notes that LeVar Burton's Jeopardy! week garnered an audience share of only 4.4, putting him behind the previously tied lowest audience share of 4.7, which is where Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Savannah Guthrie, and Robin Roberts stood for their respective hosting time. When Burton stepped in to guest host, audience interest had already been in a steady decline.

Jeopardy! superstar Ken Jennings was the first guest host (taking on the role for a whopping six weeks, beginning in January) and also nabbed the highest audience share of 6.1. But, each successive host got smaller and smaller shares. The only exception there was Aaron Rodgers, and he managed, in his first week, to best the previous host's audience share by just .4, so there was already a very steady trend of waning interest when it came time for LeVar Burton to step in.

Of course, if you can think back to the period that Burton called his own as he ran the proceedings on the Jeopardy! stage (which started on July 26), you can probably recall something else that would have led to a serious downturn in viewers for his hosting time...Not sure? That's totally understandable, so just think of a little sports competition that gets interest from literally all over the world, but was delayed from 2020 to this summer. You've got it! The Tokyo Olympics finally aired from July 23 until August 8, and those events dominated when it came to all syndicated shows.

Basically, even with all of the extreme fan enthusiasm for LeVar Burton to host Jeopardy!, there was very little likelihood that his guest stint would do well in the ratings, considering when he stepped into the position. Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, who also guest hosted earlier this year, has now been chosen as the permanent host for the series, with another former guest host, Mayim Bialik, taking over duties for Jeopardy! specials.

Though people didn't manage to show up for LeVar Burton's time on the show, you can bet that this move still angered them. But, as expected, Burton responded to not getting the gig with his standard level of class, meaning that something bigger and better will probably be along soon for the man who is still the new Jeopardy! host in the hearts of many fans.

The question of who will be the next permanent host of Jeopardy! to fill Alex Trebek's shoes behind the podium has been on many minds since the beloved host's death back in November 2020. Guests ranging from game show experts to TV stars to even an NFL player tried their hands at hosting, and Star Trek and Reading Rainbow vet LeVar Burton has been a fan-favorite. Now, signs suggest that somebody else will become the next Jeopardy! permanent host, and Burton has responded.

News broke recently that Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards is expected to be named the next permanent host of the long-running series, which was bad news for fans who have been pushing for LeVar Burton as host for months now. For his part, Burton had a gracious response to the reports. Taking to Twitter, Burton posted:

Mike Richards has not yet been confirmed as the next permanent host of Jeopardy!, so nothing is settled just yet, but LeVar Burton made it clear that he's grateful for the experience he had as guest host of Jeopardy! even if that didn't result in him getting the top job. "Blessed beyond measure" is a touching way to describe his time on the show, and hopefully softens the blow of somebody else likely becoming host for fans who had their hearts set on Burton.

Of course, LeVar Burton wasn't shy about his enthusiasm for hosting Jeopardy! He described hosting the popular game show as the "natural progression" of the last 45 years of his career earlier this summer, saying that it's a "good fit" for him. He also shared a message of how overjoyed he was at being named one of the Jeopardy! guest hosts after that news broke back in April. He's also not the only guest host to pitch himself as a potential permanent host.

It's no surprise that LeVar Burton emerged as a fan-favorite for the Jeopardy! job even before he was named as a guest host. Between his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow, he established himself as a figure in pop culture with a lot of knowledge. Star Trek obviously has a devoted fandom, and his time as host of Reading Rainbow spanned 23 years from 1983 - 2006, meaning that he also is a figure from the childhoods of a lot of people.

As much as there may be many disappointed Jeopardy! viewers even despite LeVar Burton's lovely message, Mike Richards does make sense as a host to follow in Alex Trebek's footsteps. He may not have the most name recognition of all the guest hosts who stepped in front of the camera over the months since Trebek's death, but he has been an executive producer on Jeopardy and game shows in general for many years.

For now, though, we can only wait for confirmation one way or the other about the next permanent host of Jeopardy!, expected to be Mike Richards. As for some other TV options now and in the coming weeks, our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule can point you in the right direction.

This week marked an exciting milestone for fans of both Jeopardy! and Star Trek vet LeVar Burton, as the two entities combined for the very first time. Burton is the latest guest host to take over the podium in the extended wake of Alex Trebek's death, and his first episode on July 26 was a moment that viewers could take partial responsibility for, considering the fandom appeared to play a noteworthy role in convincing Jeopardy! producers to bring him in. And amusingly enough, it only took a single episode for Burton to witness a record-breaking performance, for better or worse.

While just about all of LeVar Burton's first episode of Jeopardy! was by the books, contestant Patrick Pearce was apparently on a mission from the game show gods to make his presence stick out in some way, shape, or form. And in this case, that form happened to take on "the lowest recorded score in Jeopardy! history," as pictured below.

LeVar Burton definitely had his work cut out for him as far as telling contestants their answers were wrong goes, with Patrick Pearce ending the game with -$7,400, which is a rather baffling score to reach at any point in any game show in all of TV. But if one is going to be eliminated before reaching the Final Jeopardy round, then I guess it's best to go as hard as possible in that specific direction. Which is what Pearce did, ending his one-episode Jeopardy! run with the lowest score ever recorded on the show. Not the kind of total that one would want to see going towards a charitable donation, but a record is a record.

Maybe this wasn't the most ideal record-breaking performance for LeVar Burton and fans to experience together, but it'll certainly cement Burton in the Jeopardy! annals for presumably years to come, regardless of whether he becomes the permanent host or not. That said, the previous "lowest score" record holder was Stephanie Hull, whose -$6,800 was non-earned in January 2020. So perhaps Patrick Pearce shouldn't get too comfortable in his Worst Ever throne. Which just might be what he'd prefer anyway.

LeVar Burton's wife apparently thought her husband's efforts during his first episode weren't that great either. That said, she didn't go so far as to say they were worth "negative $7,400," which is obviously a sign of a happy marriage. We'll just have to wait and see if she thought the Reading Rainbow vet's hosting skills picked up as the episodes progress. (It'd have to be a super-quick learning curve, though, since a week's worth of Jeopardy! episodes are filmed in a single day.) Here's hoping Burton himself doesn't end up earning the stats for lowest-rated episodes.

With LeVar Burton set for five total episodes of guest-hosting, Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication, so check your local listings to see when and where you can find it.

To say that Jeopardy! is a cultural institution would be a bit of an understatement. The original incarnation of the show started airing in 1964 with Art Fleming as host, but the version of Jeopardy! that we all know and love premiered in 1984 with none other than the beloved Alex Trebek. Since Trebek’s passing in 2020, Jeopardy! has continued with a variety of guest hosts, including grand champion and reigning GOAT Ken Jennings, The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik, and most recently, Reading Rainbow and Star Trek veteran LeVar Burton.

After a petition to get LeVar Burton his dream job as host of Jeopardy! went viral, the Roots actor snagged a week-long stint as guest host. It’s not the permanent position he’s always wanted, but LeVar Burton seems to have enjoyed himself nonetheless. However, as he told The Grio, it wasn’t all fun and games, since there’s a ton of pressure to live up to Alex Trebek’s legendary reputation. And according to Burton’s wife, makeup artist Stephanie Cozart, his first episode was...a bit rough. According to Burton:

Stephanie Cozart’s advisory admission ended up being a boon to Levar Burton. For the rest of his Jeopardy! filming time, LeVar Burton decided to simply relax and try to have fun. Here's how he put it:

It’s true - no one can really replace Alex Trebek, nor should anyone try to. All a host can do is try to build on the foundations their predecessor laid before them. LeVar Burton has plenty of his own experiences, plus a unique point of view, to bring to the Jeopardy! stage. After a long career focused on educating as well as entertaining, a Jeopardy! guest host spot seems like the natural next step for Burton. And if the producers decide to bring him on as a permanent host? I’ll take ‘Yes, Please’ for $400.

Finding a host to fill Alex Trebek’s legendary shoes has been hard, but Star Trek: The Next Generation alum LeVar Burton is many Jeopardy! fans’ top pick to fill the position permanently. And Burton has really been gunning for the hosting gig. And now that he's secured a guest host spot on the game show, the TV vet has explained why becoming Jeopardy!’s permanent host would represent a "natural progression" for his career.

LeVar Burton’s docile tone and thirst for knowledge are why fans have been advocating for him to become Jeopardy’s new host. That angle and his decades-long career haven’t been lost on the actor, either. The Star Trek veteran said about going after the Jeopardy! hosting job:

The acting veteran was correct in saying his decades-long career prepared him for being Jeopardy!’s permanent host. LeVar Burton’s roles on Star Trek: TNG and Reading Rainbow alone make him the perfect candidate, as he's always been a huge advocate for knowledge and literacy. Plus, at this point in his career, Burton may be looking for something more stable than going from acting gig to acting gig.

Since LeVar Burton began campaigning to become the new permanent host of Jeopardy!, he's gained some serious momentum. The outcry of support for the Star Trek: TNG star started after some fans created a petition. At first, Burton seemed overwhelmed by the support before embracing the idea, but it didn't take him long to embrace it himself. But of course, the actor still has other things on his plate, as he's even scored an endorsement deal and a new TV gig in the midst of all the fanfare.

But the Roots star wasn’t done explaining his quest to become Jeopardy’s permanent host. While speaking on The Tamron Hall Show, LeVar Burton opened up about going after the hosting job so publicly. Burton said about taking a risk in advocating for the Jeopardy gig:

As the adage goes, you never know what will happen if you don’t try, and it seems LeVar Burton took that to heart. At this phase of his career, the actor has nothing to lose. Of course, it still could’ve backfired as he said, but it's admirable that he chose courage over fear in this case. It should also be mentioned that Burton’s Jeopardy! connection goes deeper than just hosting. The Star Trek vet revealed to Tamron Hall that he actually won Celebrity Jeopardy! many years ago and even recalled his Final Jeopardy! answer being late French president Charles de Gaulle.

LeVar Burton does indeed seem like a prime candidate for Jeopardy!'s permanent hosting, and he could end up earning it. But until that happens, you can catch Burton guest host on the game show from July 26-30.

At this point in his career, LeVar Burton is an entertainment legend, having been a part of iconic productions like Roots, Star Trek and Reading Rainbow. He’s also about to dive back into the world of TV hosting, as he’ll finally serve as a guest host on Jeopardy!. The new gig is sure to be exciting for the many fans who have been passionately campaigning for him to get the job permanently. But now, Burton has landed another acting job that will follow his stint on the iconic game show. And needless to say, it’s a pretty perfect fit for the veteran actor.

LeVar Burton’s career is so deeply linked to reading and literature, so it seems fitting that he would join a franchise that’s based on a popular book series. Per Deadline, Burton is officially joining the cast of proposed Nancy Drew spinoff Tom Swift, which is currently in development at The CW. Swift (played by Tian Richards) will debut in an upcoming Nancy Drew episode, which will serve as a backdoor pilot for the show.

In the upcoming episode, LeVar Burton will join Tian Richards’ Tom Swift by voicing Swift’s trusty AI and mentor, Barclay. According to the character description provided by the trade, Tom created Barclay when he was only eight years old, and the AI has been with the young man ever since. Barclay can also be transferred to Tom’s various devices, including his laptop, tablet, stopwatch and even the screen in his car. Interestingly enough, it sounds like Barclay will also have an emotional journey of his own to take.

Whoever suggested casting LeVar Burton as an artificial intelligence that provides trivial facts should be given a raise. There couldn’t be a better role for Burton and, in a way, it actually brings his career full circle.

As you can see, LeVar Burton is still managing to stay plenty busy these days, and he’s hoping to keep it that way. Fans aren’t the only ones who want him to take on the role of Jeopardy! host, as he’s also voiced his desire to take the job. There’s no telling when the show will announce a permanent host, but Burton certainly has plenty of support behind him.

Star Trek fans are also hoping to see him make a return to that franchise via Paramount+’s Picard. Burton has provided varying answers regarding whether he’d return as Geordi La Forge, but he has confirmed that he will not appear in Season 2.

Still, it’ll be a treat to hear LeVar Burton lend his voice to Barclay on Nancy Drew. And hopefully, the Tom Swift series pans out so that we’ll be able to get more of Burton in the role.

Nancy Drew currently airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

After a lot of campaigning on the internet, LeVar Burton will finally get his chance to host Jeopardy!. Of course, the Star Trek actor has been pretty upfront that he'd like to take the job in a more permanent capacity if the show would have him. To get the lowdown on what would make LeVar Burton a great long-term host for the gig, I decided to ask one of his former co-workers, Gates McFadden.

McFadden, who spoke to LeVar Burton and her other Star Trek fans for her upcoming podcast Gates McFadden's InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?, was kind enough to speak to me ahead of its premiere on May 12th. The actress spoke about how well she thought Burton would do in the Jeopardy! gig and explained her ties to the family of Alex Trebek:

Jeopardy! has not announced a permanent successor for Alex Trebek yet, but it has welcomed several celebrities and former champions to fill in on the show in the interim. LeVar Burton was a popular choice for the job long before he was ever actually announced to be on the show. A petition even emerged for Burton to get the job full-time, which the actor shared on his social media.

Burton has been campaigning for the Jeopardy! job for a while, and it seems, according to Gates McFadden, that he's got the confidence to think he could pull it off. The Star Trek actress recalled a conversation with him before the news of his hosting was announced and how she could see he had potential as host:

As mentioned, Gates McFadden talked with LeVar Burton and others for her upcoming podcast. Other guests for Gates McFadden's InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are? include Jonathan Frakes, Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, John de Lancie, Robert Picardo, Michael Westmore, Nana Visitor, and Denise Crosby, plus others. The podcast will feature conversations not just about Star Trek but about their personal lives as well.

Gates McFadden's InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are? premieres on major podcast platforms Wednesday, May 12. For more on CinemaBlend's conversation with Gates McFadden, be sure to read up on what she had to say about Star Trek: Picard and the possibility of an upcoming appearance.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is currently in production, and on the heels of the exciting news that at least one former cast member from The Next Generation will return to make things interesting Patrick Stewart's character, fans have had their hopes high to see at least one more familiar face. After all, Jonathan Frakes took that photo earlier this year that first sparked speculation that both John de Lancie and LeVar Burton would be involved with Season 2, though Burton's recent comments about Picard's future are making some fans wonder if he's actually involved at all.

Luckily, Star Trek: The Next Generation vet Whoopi Goldberg was able to use The View to get to the bottom of it when LeVar Burton popped by as a guest. Goldberg straight-up asked the Reading Rainbow icon if he will appear in Picard Season 2, and if not then, whether we could ever expect to see him on Star Trek: Picard in the future.

It's hard to take that two different ways. LeVar Burton will apparently not be a part of Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, but as he said, it's not impossible to believe that Geordi La Forge will cross paths again with his old friend at some point before the Paramount+ series is over. The last bit made it seem like the conversations haven't really happened yet, since even Burton isn't for sure when down the line his cameo (or more) could come.

Patrick Stewart has said previously that it's his and the Picard crew's intentions to have the entire principal cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation on the streaming spinoff before all is said and done. With that said, the intentions is also for all of these appearances to be organic and relevant to the ongoing story, which may be why we haven't seen the entire cast coincidentally appearing at one big dinner party together for their old captain. Should Geordi La Forge return, it'll likely be tied to some specific story elements, and will be a reprisal that lasts at least for a couple of episodes.

What's interesting about LeVar Burton's interview on The View is that while Whoopi Goldberg got answers from him about Star Trek: Picard Season 2, she actually offered up none of her own. Fans may remember that Patrick Stewart offered a personal invitation for Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan in a future episode, and she gladly accepted. Since then, however, we've heard nothing about when she may appear. Though if Goldberg were indeed a part of Season 2's production in some capacity, it's easy to think she might have heard something about whether or not Burton would be involved.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is set to premiere on Paramount+ at some point in 2022. LeVar Burton may not be appearing in the upcoming season, but he will soon fulfill his dream of appearing as a host on Jeopardy!, and also has another exciting opportunity lined up with Ryan Reynolds.

Welcome to a brave new world, where TV, movies and even alcohol sales cross-connect in ways we may never have imagined previously. Ryan Reynolds has kind of been a genius at touting his alcohol brand Aviation Gin and now, somehow, he’s roped in LeVar Burton and the entire debate over who should be the next Jeopardy! host. The most unbelievable thing? It all works.

In an A+ new ad for Aviation Gin, LeVar Burton sits poolside enjoying his crisp and refreshing drink. He and Ryan Reynolds do a goofy bit there for a while, so be sure to stick around for the end of the video.

The new ad dropped just a few hours after Ryan Reynolds totally decided to jump into the “Who should be the next Jeopardy host?” debate, which seemed a little random at the time but now makes total sense. In fact, in a separate post on Instagram, Reynolds captioned his post the “Officially starting the LeVar Burton for literally everything campaign…” and I don't exactly disagree with the sentiment.

It is worth noting that Ryan Reynolds has been a Team Jeopardy guy for quite some time. Alex Trebek, of course, was a fellow Canadian. More notably, he and Ryan Reynolds shared a connection after Trebek had even filmed a cameo for Reynolds’ upcoming movie Free Guy while undergoing treatment for cancer. Following his passing, Reynolds had also reflected on getting to have that day on set with the longtime host, as well.

Ryan Reynolds actually even made an appearance in one of Alex Trebek’s final Jeopardy! episodes related to Trebek’s appearance in Free Guy, a movie that would have been out already if it had not been for the pandemic. So, you know, his connection to the Jeopardy debate is not totally out of left field, even if being so vociferous about LeVar Burton did come out of nowhere earlier this week.

Of course, LeVar Burton even taking a stab at the Jeopardy! gig has been a fan-favorite topic on the interwebs over the course of the past few months. Burton himself has been a staunch advocate that he’s the right person for the job and it was nice to see the longtime game show choose Burton as one of its final upcoming guest hosts. It’s hard to tell who the show will ultimately land on, but the wild ride of seeing so many different personalities and styles has been a nice change up for a show that had Trebek front and center for so many decades.

It’s also capably allowed the show to grow and change without someone having the burden of being the new Alex Trebek. It’s going to be hard even if a permanent host takes over months and months from now, but all these new faces have certainly made the transition a little bit easier.

Jeopardy has cycled through a series of guest hosts following the death of beloved longtime host Alex Trebek, ranging from Jeopardy legend Ken Jennings to NFL player Aaron Rodgers. Many fans have been calling for Star Trek and Reading Rainbow vet LeVar Burton to get a shot at hosting, with Burton himself on board with taking on hosting duties. Now, the dreams of Burton and his fans are coming true.

The final group of Season 37 guest hosts has been announced, and Levar Burton is among the names of the people who will be holding the Jeopardy host podium. The rest of this final batch of guest hosts is comprised of George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, David Faber and Joe Buck. Burton and the others will host for just one week to finish out Season 37, so Burton's long-awaited stint as host won't last for too long.

That doesn't mean that LeVar Burton is anything but excited about joining the Jeopardy hosting team, though! Shortly after the news broke that he was going to guest-host the game show, he took to Twitter with an enthusiastic and grateful message, posting:

Although it's hard to say whether or not LeVar Burton would have had the chance to guest-host Jeopardy even without the fan calls for him to take the podium, he's definitely not kidding with his reference to the "passionate support" online. The push for Burton to follow in Alex Trebek's game show footsteps began in November 2020, not too long after Trebek passed away.

The initial petition cited Levar Burton's 21 seasons as host of the educational Reading Rainbow series, his longtime role as Geordi on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and his performance of Kunta Kinte on Roots as some of the reasons that he deserved the job. The push for Burton to become host only heated up from there.

LeVar Burton himself reacted to the fan campaign shortly after, posting on Twitter how much he appreciated the "love and support" even if "nothing comes of it," along with a link to the petition. As the calls for Burton increased in recent weeks as other guest hosts came and went (with Anderson Cooper currently at the podium, with an adorable picture of his son observing to boot), even The Late Show host Stephen Colbert chimed in with a Star Trek-themed suggestion.

As for when LeVar Burton will debut as Jeopardy guest host, no dates for his week have been announced at this point, but there can be no doubt that short of Burton somehow doing a terrible job despite all of his other TV experience, there will be calls for him to take the top job on a permanent basis. That would be bad news for Aaron Rodgers, but wonderful for Burton fans!

Like the other guest hosts, a donation will be made to a charity of LeVar Burton's choice equal to the cumulative winnings of the competitors during his week, so no matter what happens, something great will come of his long-awaited run as host.

Soon after Alex Trebek’s death, Jeopardy fans and viewers were throwing out multiple names as possible replacements for the late host. Since then, the game show has been hosted by everyone from Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings to producer Mike Richards to NFL star and current guest host Aaron Rodgers. But one early candidate fans are still floating around is actor LeVar Burton, and Burton’s Jeopardy bid gained some traction as late-night host Stephen Colbert weighed in.

While LeVar Burton hasn’t said much about hosting Jeopardy, fans such as Stephen Colbert have been vocal. If you’re a fan of Colbert, you know The Late Show host is a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan. So, Colbert backing up the campaign for Burton to become the new host isn’t off-brand. The late-night host recently took to Twitter to make his suggestion for the Star Trek: TNG star. Check out Colbert’s Trekkie wishes below:

Stephen Colbert suggested some very Star Trek changes, but in the end, he just pitched a reboot. Colbert’s suggestions weren’t too bad as they could pull in more viewers, especially Trekkies. It would be a nice nod to LeVar Burton’s best-known role. That said, incorporating some Reading Rainbow elements wouldn’t be too bad either. That's just the 1990s kids in me.

The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert wasn’t the only one who backed LeVar Burton’s Jeopardy bid. Film and television legend Dick Van Dyke threw his support behind the Star Trek: TNG star by calling out the game show’s distributor Sony Entertainment on Twitter. Check out Van Dyke’s tweet of the fans’ petition below:

Having both Stephen Colbert and Dick Van Dyke in his corner means LeVar Burton gained more traction in the race for Jeopardy’s next host. That would put him in competition with other fan favorites such as Ken Jennings and Mike Richards. Their support was refreshing given the mixed reception guest hosts have received since new episodes started airing.

As previously mentioned, this wasn’t the first time LeVar Burton’s name has been pushed to replace Alex Trebek. Back in November 2020, fans created an online petition to get the Reading Rainbow host to headline Jeopardy. The fan petition led to many placing Burton high on the list of possible replacements behind Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and past guest host Ken Jennings. Despite all the support for the actor-host, most Jeopardy! fans seemed to be throwing their support behind Jennings.

While LeVar Burton has been appreciative of the fans’ support, he hadn’t shown any interest in hosting Jeopardy until recently. The actor took to his Twitter to post the much-shared fan petition:

With that, it appears LeVar Burton has officially thrown his hat in the ring to be Jeopardy’s new host. Only time will tell if the actor will get his chance to host the game show. Until Burton gets his chance, you can check out guest host Aaron Rodgers on Jeopardy until April 16.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's cast was iconic, so it's hard to imagine the bridge crew of the series could've looked any different than it did. With that said, the series just missed out on bagging a huge celebrity apparently, as Wesley Snipes recently confirmed he nearly landed the role of Geordi La Forge.

The actor shared the story of the audition with Collider and his feelings when he lost the role to LeVar Burton. Snipes also talked about why he ultimately isn't too hurt that he missed out on the role:

Wesley Snipes auditioned for Star Trek: The Next Generation in the '80s, and the series premiered in 1987 and ran all the way to 1994. In the span of that time, Snipes did lots of movies, some among his most notable like Major League, King of New York, New Jack City, and White Men Can't Jump. That's a hell of a run for iconic roles, so it's hard even to fathom who would've gotten those roles had Snipes been locked down on the set of TNG and unable to take them.

And yet, it's a reality the world almost lived in as Wesley Snipes confirmed the selection for Geordi La Forge came down to the wire. Snipes also gave LeVar Burton some love and credited the actor for all he brought to the Star Trek character.

Wesley Snipes has not taken a role in Star Trek since then but, with so much happening with the franchise in television and movies, it's not too late. It would be great to see him have some role in an upcoming movie or show, maybe in a role bigger than Lt. Commander? Snipes would make an awesome captain of his own ship, or maybe there's some alien race that resembles vampires? They have full-blown planets based on prohibition-era mob movies, so I can't help but think it's not that big of a stretch.

All the Star Trek anyone could want is currently available to binge on Paramount+. Would you like to see Wesley Snipes join the world of Star Trek? Sound off on our poll as to whether you'd rather see it on television or film, and read up on which former The Next Generation actor hasn't had an interest in returning to the franchise.

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Many of us grew up reading Dr. Seuss books, whether it’d be the iconic Green Eggs and Ham or Go Dog Go or even the classic, The Cat In the Hat. Recently though, Dr. Seuss Enterprises made a decision to no longer publish six books since they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” Reading Rainbow’s own LeVar Burton, who was also part of many childhoods, has spoken out about the publication’s decision.

While speaking to Anderson Cooper on Full Circle for Read Across America Day, LeVar Burton opened up about what he thought about the decision. The longtime Reading Rainbow host defended the business’ choice, praising them for being responsible of the brand. Burton said:

LeVar Burton went on to say that the sooner we make peace and come to terms with the fact that this is part of the fabric of America, only then are we prepared to do anything about it, to make lasting system change. Burton then said that parents can ensure their children have access to diverse books and the world needs to be reflected in the literature kids absorb, as kids don’t naturally look at one another as particularly different. Burton said it’s the adults in the room that need anti-racist training.

In a statement, Dr. Seuss Enterprises said it made the decision after consulting educators and reviewing the catalog, which is part of their commitment and their broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports families of all communities. A study that was published in 2019 examined 50 books by Dr. Seuss and found 43 out of 45 characters of color have “characteristics aligning with the definition of Orientalism,” or the stereotypical offensive portrayal of Asia.

LeVar Burton is known as the host of Reading Rainbow for the educational series’ 21-season run from 1983-2006. He is also known as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek: Picard is officially in production for Season 2, which means it's officially open season for actor/director Jonathan Frakes. The Riker actor has a history of spilling the beans on the most intimate secrets for Star Trek television, and it's looking like he may be doing that yet again with a very oddly timed photo with two notable actors from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Jonathan Frakes recently took to Twitter to upload a photo, which shows him with two former co-stars Star Trek fans definitely know. Check it out below, and continue reading for why we think this means LeVar Burton and John de Lancie are headed to Star Trek: Picard in Season 2:

It's been reported that Jonathan Frakes is expected to direct at least one episode within Star Trek: Picard Season 2. Given that, and the fact that LeVar Burton and John de Lancie are two guys who both starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation, it doesn't seem like a stretch to speculate the three are reuniting on the series. This is especially true considering Patrick Stewart has signaled a large goal of the series is to bring back as many actors from TNG as possible, though only in ways that feel organic.

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 left some pretty open territory for Season 2 when it comes to its direction, so it's not a stretch to believe Geordi La Forge or the mysterious Q could pop up anywhere. Geordi was, of course, a trusted crewmate and friend of Picard during their time together on the Enterprise, while the all-powerful Q had a far more complicated relationship with Jean-Luc. The two had some real reality-bending battles and, if John de Lancie is headed to Season 2, I'm expecting another one to be on the way.

Should Star Trek: Picard feature the actors in Season 2, this will be the second time in recent memory that John de Lancie has appeared in a new Star Trek series. The actor reprised the role of Q in the animated series Lower Decks, which is set during the same timeframe as the events of The Next Generation. I'm assuming none of that will be relevant should he appear in Star Trek: Picard, though a nod to the Cerritos would be pretty great.

As for Geordi La Forge returning, many Star Trek: Picard fans wished they could've seen him interact with a character in Season 1, Hugh the Borg. Unfortunately, that's not going to be possible given Hugh's death, which I'm sure would be brought up should Picard reconnect with Geordi. I'm sure the engineer will also be interested to learn that Picard is now in a synth body, a surprising twist thrown in at fans at the end of Season 1.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is currently in development, and it's currently unknown when it will arrive on Paramount+. For more on Geordi, Q, and other characters, be sure to check out our list of the best episodes from The Next Generation here.

Space may be the final frontier, but for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it was the beginning of several long and prosperous careers. Of course, I am not counting Sir Patrick Stewart, who had previously found success as a Shakespearean actor on the stage and screen, or LeVar Burton, who had already acquired Emmy-nominated fame as the star of Roots in 1977. Yet, the acclaimed sci-fi TV hit would remain a defining era of their working lives, not only for those aforementioned esteemed performers, but their gifted co-stars as well.

Once again coming from the mind of creator Gene Roddenberry, the Emmy-winning cultural landmark chronicled the continuing adventures of Starfleet, but with a new crew aboard a new starship (also dubbed the Enterprise) and set nearly a century after the exploratory mission led by Captain James T. Kirk. The sequel series was, in fact, so successful (lasting seven seasons, from 1987 to 1994) that it would inspire a civil war among the most loyal of Trekkies regarding which iteration of Star Trek is superior: The Next Generation or William Shatner and TOS company’s run in the late 1960s.

Well, unless you are someone who prefers J.J. Abrams’ cinematic updates, we may never see the end of that debate, which is at least less combative than the fight between Trekkies and Star Wars fans (or Star Wars fans and Star Wars fans, even). Nevertheless, one thing that is for certain is how the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation have all since been cemented as pop culture icons, as the following careers prove. Let’s engage in a deeper dive into their current whereabouts, starting with one whose journey to go where no one has gone before is not yet over.

Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard)

Succeeding in the captain’s chair on Star Trek: The Next Generation skyrocketed the theatre-trained Patrick Stewart into the mainstream, and the hearts of sci-fi fans everywhere. That appreciation would only increase when he was cast as Professor Charles Xavier in the first of seven X-Men films. In addition to working often with fellow Star Trek vet Seth MacFarlane, playing a neo-Nazi in Green Room, and supposedly poking fun at the Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate in an Uber Eats ad opposite Mark Hamill, the 80-year-old, knighted Englishman has also returned to the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard, which has been greenlit for Season 2 on CBS All Access at some point in near-ish the future.

Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker)

Patrick Stewart’s spin-off has already brought back a few other series veterans, such as Jonathan Frakes. The actor/director followed his tenure as William Riker with more TV roles (such as voicing a Gargoyles villain and showing up as Riker many more times), and directing films like Clockstoppers, and even a few of the Star Trek movies that he also appeared in. The 68-year-old still acts (most recently on the Nickelodeon sci-fi series The Astronauts), and is a prolific TV director whose credits include episodes of NCIS, The Orville, and many Trek spin-offs, including TNG and the recently announced upcoming prequel series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Brent Spiner (Lt. Cmdr. Data)

Despite his previous claims that he never wanted to reprise the character, Star Trek: Picard also saw Brent Spiner’s return as the Soong-type android Data - his best known role and the first of many notable sci-fi and fantasy projects. These include Independence Day and its 2016 sequel, Robert Kirkman’s horror series Outcast, and even the animated Star Wars: Rebels series (which you might want to keep quiet about around some TNG fans). The 71-year-old also had a recurring role on Patrick Stewart’s Starz comedy Blunt Talk, has voiced several comic book characters (most recently Riddler on Justice League Action), and played a veteran police detective on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in 2020.

LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge)

This multi-talented Emmy-nominee has playing Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Kunta Kinte on the groundbreaking miniseries Roots, Kwame on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, and hosting Reading Rainbow as his claims to fame. Outside of TV directing and executive producing a Roots remake in 2016, LeVar Burton is best known lately for playing himself to hilarious effect on shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory. And, in addition to fans demanding a Star Trek: Picard cameo, others have been pulling for him to succeed Alex Trebek as the new host of Jeopardy!

Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi)

Fans did not have to demand a Star Trek: Picard appearance from Marina Sirtis, who also reprised Deanna Troi on the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks in 2020. Sirtis payed homage to her Star Trek: The Next Generation days the previous year in a cameo on The Orville, and even earlier by voicing the Enterprise on the fan-made, 1960s-inspired spin-off, Star Trek Continues. The 65-year-old British actress is also starring in the upcoming London-set crime thriller The Benzoians with Vinnie Jones, and is one of the four female Star Trek veterans appearing in the crowdfunded series about New Orleans’ red-light district called Storyville.

Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf)

Unless you count his Ted 2 character’s convention cosplay choice, Michael Dorn still has yet to reprise his Klingon character, Worf, since 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis - not that he really needs to, though. The 68-year-old Texan already has more geektastic credits under his belt than most actors can even dream of with several voice roles, including video games like Mass Effect 2, an uncredited recurring spot as Prometheus on Arrow, and the upcoming Amazon Prime original animated series Invincible, based on a comic book by Robert Kirkman.

Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher)

If you really want to get technical, Michael Dorn last played Worf in a Family Guy video game, which was also the last time Gates McFadden played the Enterprise-D’s chief medical officer, Beverly Crusher. Much of the 71-year-old actress’ work since Star Trek: The Next Generation has been smaller recurring roles and guest appearances on TV shows like NCIS, or the legal dramedy Franklin & Bash. But, she also revisited her legacy as Beverly by acting as narrator (and one of the subjects) of the third installment of the documentary franchise, That Guy.. Who Was in That Thing, which focuses on lesser-known Star Trek stars.

Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher)

Playing Beverly Crusher’s teenage son Wesley was Wil Wheaton, who joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation after rising to fame in Stand By Me, and going on to a steady career that would later consist primarily of voice acting, such as playing Aqualad on Teen Titans and Teen Titans GO! More recently, he played himself in 17 episodes of The Big Bang Theory as Sheldon’s on-and-off nemesis, appeared on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, and currently hosts the Star Trek after-show The Ready Room.

Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O’Brien)

Irish actor Colm Meaney technically played three characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Miles O’Brien was the only one with a name, and would go on to have a more prominent role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was during that time when he also appeared in the 1997 actioner Con Air, and much later landed a starring role on AMC’s Hell on Wheels opposite future Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star, Anson Mount. The Gangs of London actor has a number of film projects currently in post-production, such as Ireland-set horror flick The Little People and the crime thriller Confession, with True Blood and fellow UK-based actor Stephen Moyer.

Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)

With an Oscar nomination for The Color Purple and worldwide success as a comedian already under her belt, Whoopi Goldberg joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the recurring role of clairvoyant bartender Guinan, whom she would reprise thrice more in two movies and the Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff video game. The Academy Award winner is busy these days as a regular co-host of The View, since 2007, and plays yet another all-knowing figure on CBS All Access’ new miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. She's also preparing to star in a third installment of the Sister Act franchise for Disney+.

Majel Barrett (Enterprise Computer Voice)

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will likely recognize the face of Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi (mother to Deanna), whom she would play again on DS9, but most will definitely recognize her as the voice of the ship's computer - not just in that series, but in several video games and every small screen and big screen spin-off until her death. That being said, a fan of the original Star Trek series should surely recognize the actress as Nurse Christine Chapel, as well as the wife of the franchise’s original creator, Gene Roddenberry. Barrett would also play the computer in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 update, which, sadly, was released one year after her death from Leukemia at the age of 76.

What do you think? With all of the known recordings of Majel Barrett’s unmistakable voice available in stock, should the franchise try to bring the late Mrs. Roddenberry back to voice Starfleet computers at least once more? Let us know if you think they should make it so in the comments, and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on past and present actors in the Star Trek universe, as well as even more insight into the current whereabouts of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

As the world continues to mourn Alex Trebek, there's also been some speculation on who would take over his mantle as the host of Jeopardy!. Some clear favorites are certainly towards the top in terms of odds they'll be the next host, though there's been a real concerted effort by some to put Levar Burton in the mix to help bring the franchise into a new era.

According to new information from Bet Online, that effort may be paying off. LeVar Burton, who is known for his roles in Reading Rainbow, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Roots, is now the third most likely person in the eyes of oddsmakers to become the next host of Jeopardy!. That puts only two men ahead of him with better odds of getting the job, Jeopardy! GOAT Ken Jennings, and famous ABC news anchor George Stephanopoulos.

This update comes following a viral petition circulating to give LeVar Burton the gig, which as of writing has over 83,000 signatures. Though he has no experience hosting a game show, there seems to be a growing number of people who can get behind the idea of seeing it happen for the first time. Burton took notice of the petition and shared it with fans while expressing his gratitude for the consideration.

While it is true that LeVar Burton is the third-highest person on oddsmakers' list to host Jeopardy!, it should be stated that Burton's odds of becoming host currently aren't rated as entirely likely. Burton's odds of becoming host are currently at +900, which is better than the next man in line Neil deGrasse Tyson who has +1400 odds. With that said, George Stephanopoulos has considerably more favorable odds at +325, and Ken Jennings odds are +100. When compared to those two, it seems like the people determining bets do not think Burton are incredibly high.

Of course, that's not entirely Burton's fault, but because there are so many who think the job is for Ken Jennings to turn down. Jennings is the record holder of some of Jeopardy!'s most prestigious records and, as mentioned earlier, defeated other prominent players James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter to receive the title of Greatest of All Time. Jennings also recently became a consulting producer of the show in 2020, so one would think the transition to host would be rather easy.

Of course, just because it's easy doesn't mean that's what will happen. Oddsmakers are wrong all the time and, for all we know, Jeopardy! could end up giving the job to a relatively obscure newcomer the public is not familiar with. Really, we just don't know what will happen yet, so it's silly to count anyone out just yet, including LeVar Burton.

Jeopardy! will have some time to think about its decision, as Alex Trebek's remaining episodes are set to run until Christmas day 2020. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the franchise in the meantime, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

The death of long-time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek this past Sunday saddened his millions of trivia-loving fans. While Trebek had been very open about his struggle with pancreatic cancer since receiving the diagnosis in 2019, and had joked about having Betty White replace him as host, viewers who'd been watching him on the show for 35 years didn't want to think of the show without him. Now that we know his final episode will air next month, on Christmas Day, fans have been considering their options, and many have decided they want a Star Trek veteran to host the show: LeVar Burton.

Jeopardy! fan Joshua Sanders started a Change.org petition, which he organized to the attention of Sony Pictures Entertainment (the production company behind the quiz show), and executive producers Harry Friedman and Mike Richards, to have LeVar Burton take over as host. Burton, of course, has his own long history in the entertainment industry and is beloved to many for his time playing Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons, along with starring in the four movies which featured the cast.

This might seem like a left-of-field choice to those who only know LeVar Burton as an actor, but as the petition points out, there are millions of people (and several generations) to whom he also endeared himself, especially from the 1980s through 1990s. Beginning in 1983, after his worldwide success as the star of the massive hit TV miniseries Roots, Burton became the host and executive producer of the PBS series Reading Rainbow. The show lasted for 21 seasons, garnering an amazing 200 plus broadcast awards for its long run, which include a Peabody and 26 Emmys (11 for Outstanding Children's Series, and two wins for Burton as host).

Here's what the petition had to say about LeVar Burton's merits as a potential new Jeopardy! host:

The petition was originally looking to get to 25,000 signatures, but they've already blown past that milestone and (at the time of this writing) there were already a little over 26,800 people on board. Even better, many of them echoed the sentiments about what LeVar Burton has meant to them during his career.

So, is Burton being thrust into this role unfairly by those who love Jeopardy! and his many fans? Or, is he also intrigued by this potential opportunity? Let's take a look at his response to the petition on Twitter to find out the answer, shall we?

Awww! You guys! It sounds like LeVar Burton would actually like to be our new Jeopardy! host. Who knows if those behind the game show will take the opinions of all the people who signed the petition into account when scouting someone to replace Alex Trebek, but it does seem like they'd be able to start with a fan-favorite if they convinced Burton to take the job.

While we wait to see if LeVar Burton will, in fact, step in to host Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek's final 35 episodes will air through December 25, so be sure to check your local listings for times.

From the moment Star Trek: Picard was first announced, fans have been hoping to see the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation pop up on the show. Well, prepare to celebrate LeVar Burton is teasing the return of the classic crew, including his own fan-favorite character Geordi La Forge:

Patrick Stewart previously explained why fans would not see Michael Dorn’s Worf or LeVar Burton’s Geordi during Star Trek: Picard’s first season, but thank goodness for Season 2. Although he didn't confirm who fans would see during the new season, LeVar Burton did offer an incredibly hopeful update regarding guest appearances when asked by ET:

Exciting news alert! Those paying close attention to Season 2 already knew that Star Trek: Picard was tapping veterans to make guest appearances. Now, LeVar Burton's recent comments strongly indicate that he will be among those to make a return to the Star Trek franchise. It's hard to imagine how big a role he would play, but I think many are likely hoping Burton gets more than a one-off cameo appearance.

Last year, LeVar Burton spoke optimistically about a reunion between Jean-Luc Picard and his friends from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Burton pointed out that it would make sense for Picard to still be in contact with his friends while saying there was a good story in there if he had not remained so.

LeVar Burton reprising his role as Geordi for Star Trek: Picard’s next season will undoubtedly bring some joy to fans, they wait for the series’ return. The freshman drama signed off last month with an intriguing potential set-up. Needless to say, Geordi playing a role in whatever happens next would be yet another wonderful gain for long-time Trekkies.

Star Trek: Picard’s first season saw the return of several key characters including Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine, Brent Spiner's Data, Marina Sirtis' Deanna Troi, and Jonathan Frakes' Riker. In addition to speculating about new faces, fans of the sci-fi drama will have to stay tuned to see if those who appeared in the first season return in Season 2. Luckily though, the showrunner has weighed in on Seven of Nine' potential return with a somewhat positive update.

Time will tell if Michael Dorn, who was originally confirmed not to be appearing in Season 1, joins LeVar Burton in appearing next season. That would be a cause for even further celebration. On the bright side, it appears fans can indeed expect to see Whoopi Goldberg reprise her role as Guinan, as Patrick Stewart gave her a formal invitation during his most recent appearance on The View.

Of all the questions that fans may have waiting for Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, the return of LeVar Burton’s Geordi La Forge seems to be answered. Hopefully, more will join him and some promotional footage of Geordi reuniting with Picard will eventually start making the rounds.

Until then, the first season of Star Trek: Picard is currently streaming on CBS All Access and, while you look forward to Season 2 and LeVar Burton, you can take in this spring’s premieres.

Information has been slowly leaking out about the latest in a long line of Star Trek shows, Picard, but there is one tidbit that fans would love to get details on that has remained hidden from us: whether or not any other cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation will also show up.

Now, former cast member LeVar Burton is saying it seems all but guaranteed. When he was asked recently if fans can look forward to a reunion between Jean-Luc Picard and any of his old friends when he returns to the small screen, Burton replied:

OK, so this is in no way a confirmation that LeVar Burton will get the chance to reprise his role as chief engineer Geordi La Forge, but he did appear to be pretty confident that it makes sense for Picard to keep in touch with the old gang. Even though Picard won't be in Starfleet anymore by the time his show begins, he and his old crew went through a lot together, and someone as stalwart as him would hardly just lose touch with people he survived life and death situations with on multiple occasions.

Unless, of course, something happened, and the mysterious reason why Picard left his long-time career behind also led him to distance himself from his friends as he hid out at the family winery with his dog. As LeVar Burton said when he spoke to CNN, that would still make for some good storytelling, and it could also still lead to some TNG guest appearances.

Shortly after it was announced that CBS All Access was interested in expanding the Star Trek universe beyond Discovery, TNG castmates Burton, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner reunited for a nice dinner. Of course, these two things together sparked hopes that an actual filmed reunion would occur.

While Wil Weaton confirmed that he would say yes if asked to come back for the show, so far the closest we've gotten to a confirmation from anyone that some old favorites might show up is a Twitter tease from Jonathan Frakes. He posted a photo of a trombone, the instrument his character, Riker, was fond of playing, and captioned it "My next project...," so he might be doing something other than just directing a few episodes.

For his part, LeVar Burton is clearly excited by the prospect of getting to dust Geordi La Forge off again, but he does caution fans against hoping for an episode that will feature all or most of the main TNG cast, at least right off the bat.

Star Trek: Picard is set to hit CBS All Access by the end of the year, so we'll likely know before long if LeVar Burton or anyone else from The Next Generation will show up. You can stay tuned to CinemaBlend and we'll keep you up to date on all the details as they become available!

NCIS: New Orleans is reaching into the Star Trek franchise for a guest star in an upcoming episode. LeVar Burton, best known as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, has landed a role that will take him to the Big Easy in 2019. Here's what we know about the Star Trek vet's character so far.

LeVar Burton is on board to play Rufus Nero. Rufus is a Naval intelligence agent who works with Pride's team after a deadly virus is stolen. Cooperation between Rufus and the agents is imperative, given that this is a rare virus that could do a lot of damage if not recovered as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Rufus will have an uphill battle to win over the characters that viewers have come to know and love.

As it happens, Rufus "absolutely infuriates" Wade when they first meet in LeVar Burton's episode, according to TVLine. Loretta Wade is a longtime and key part of the NCIS team on New Orleans, so we can bet that loyalties will be with her when it comes to feelings regarding the newcomer. Still, any hatchets will likely need to be buried in the face of a potential crisis with the virus unaccounted for.

At this point, LeVar Burton is only listed as a guest star for NCIS: New Orleans, so viewers shouldn't count on seeing him return to the show with absolute certainty. After all, a guest shot on any of the NCIS series can pretty easily end in death and/or imprisonment. Still, it would be somewhat surprising to see NCIS: NOLA bring in such a recognizable face as LeVar Burton (who is also known and loved for Reading Rainbow) just to kill him off.

If Rufus lives to tell the tale of his hunt for the virus with Pride and Co., perhaps the door will be open for LeVar Burton to reprise his role. Star Trek: The Next Generation fans would undoubtedly be happy to see him back on the small screen on a regular, and he would be able to perform without any kind of tech covering his eyes. We'll have to wait and see.

The episode featuring LeVar Burton will air in early February, but no official airdate has revealed at this point. The bad news for fans of the show is that they're nearly out of new episodes for 2018. The midseason finale of NCIS: New Orleans Season 5 will air on December 11, 2018 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. That episode will see Pride kidnapped and forced to tackle a series of tasks if he wants to save the lives of people he loves.

Be sure to tune in! It's entirely possible that the midseason finale will end on a cliffhanger, as the Season 4 finale proved that NCIS: NOLA knows how to create a cliffhanger. If you need some viewing options once NCIS: NOLA and other fall shows get into their winter hiatuses, check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.