LeVar Burton Among 'Jeopardy!' Guest Hosts Given Shorter Stints

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LeVar Burton only hosted Jeopardy! for a week, while most of the other guest hosts had a two-week stint behind the famous podium.

The former Star Trek: The Next Generation star hosted the beloved quiz show from July 26 to 30 and was arguably one of the most anticipated guests on the roster to fill in for the late Alex Trebek.

Some fans have been outraged this week after it was reported that Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards is likely to get the permanent hosting job.

The reports led to Burton fans continuing to call for him to get the host role, with some complaining that his stint on the show had only been for one week.

The other guest hosts included journalist Katie Couric, daytime show host Dr. Mehmet Oz, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 60 Minutes journalist Bill Whitaker, show champ Buzzy Cohen, actor and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik and CNN's Anderson Cooper.

They all hosted for two weeks, yet Burton and the other hosts from July onwards—George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, David Faber and Joe Buck—all only hosted for one week.

"Levar Burton was given 1 week, instead of the 2 weeks every other guest host had. And, his week was during the Olympics, so preempted in a lot of places. This choice is disappointing but not surprising," one fan tweeted in protest to news of Richards' potential appointment.

Levar Burton was given 1 week, instead of the 2 weeks every other guest host had. And, his week was during the Olympics, so preempted in a lot of places. This choice is disappointing but not surprising.

— Bipolar Bitch in Texas ??‍♀️ ?? (@A_Bipolar_Queen) August 4, 2021

While another added: "Why did @levarburton only host 1 week of @Jeopardy ??"

Another person tweeted: "We got 2 weeks of Dr. Oz on JEOPARDY! but only 1 week apiece of Robin Roberts & LeVar Burton? This isn't fair."

"LeVar Burton deserved more than 1 week and you know it. Make him the new host!" said another.

Newsweek has asked Jeopardy! to clarify why the guest host stints were shorter since early July, and also reached out to Burton for comment.

Following his guest stint on the show, Burton described the experience as like his "wedding day."

He told EW hosting was "overwhelming on so many levels. The actual view from behind the host's lectern is surprisingly arresting, in that it's not a point of view that the audience has ever seen.

"Standing there, it was clear that this was a space that I felt really familiar with, but I was blown away by the point of view that I was able to enjoy. It was really out of body."

He added: "The experience itself was alternately exhilarating and frightening and fulfilling and frustrating."

LeVar Burton
Actor LeVar Burton arrives at the Make-Up Artists And Hair Stylists Guild Awards at Paramount Studios on February 20, 2016, in Hollywood, California. Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images

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