Jeopardy Fans Have Chosen Their New Host With A Viral Petition

In the days after the tragic passing of longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek on November 8th, 2020 after a long battle against pancreatic cancer, one question remained on the minds of loyal fans: Who could possibly be able to fill the shoes of the beloved television personality? Considering Trebek's decades-long stint as the face of one of the most iconic game shows to ever grace the TV screens of viewers, it seems that very few, if any, could feasibly contend with the legacy the 80-year-old left behind. But the denizens of the internet have since gotten together to make their choice known, and in the true vein of the 21st century, they did so through an online petition to make their voices heard. So, who did the petitioners select as the ideal replacement for Trebek? And will the petition and others like it have any bearing on determining who will take over the role of the game show's host? As media outlets like Entertainment Tonight reported in mid-November 2020, a campaign on Change.org addressed to Sony Pictures Entertainment petitioned that beloved former Reading Rainbow host and Star Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton be named the game show's next host. The petition outlined the highlights of Burton's storied career, appealing to Sony to hire the actor and television personality based on his built-in following and on his seemingly universal popularity. As of the time of this writing, nearly 100,000 people have signed the petition, with an aim of collecting 150,000 signatures in total. But while netizens continue to turn out in droves to argue for Burton, what does Burton think of it himself? Burton tweeted his gratitude for being named, however unofficially, as a contender for the role. But while Burton was forthright with his gratitude toward his followers, he took the time to remind them that first and foremost, their thoughts should be with those who were directly affected by the loss of Trebek as a friend and family member. While the petition might ultimately have some clout when it comes to who will assume the vacancy Trebek left after his death, there's a chance that someone else might get the job — and the fact that Trebek himself never named Burton as a possible successor might, in the end, serve as a possible detriment to scoring the role. As Entertainment Tonight noted in their own coverage of the Burton petition, Trebek himself proposed two possible contenders for the role in 2018 during an appearance on the TV show OBJECTified: Los Angeles Kings announcer Alex Faust, and Laura Coates, a legal analyst for CNN. As of the time of this writing, the producers of Jeopardy! have not announced a replacement for Trebek — and considering that the last episode featuring Trebek taped before his death is scheduled to air on Christmas Day of 2020, it looks like there's a chance we won't hear who it will be for the foreseeable future. Keep watching to see Jeopardy Fans Have Chosen Their New Host With A Viral Petition. #Jeopardy