‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Gets Lowest Score Ever on LeVar Burton’s Hosting Debut

Martin Holmes
11 Comments
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All eyes were on Jeopardy! for LeVar Burton‘s hosting debut on Monday, July 26, but it was one of the contestants that ended up stealing the spotlight, and not necessarily for the right reasons.

Fans were highly anticipating Burton’s debut, given his well-publicized love for the long-running quiz show. However, it was contestant Patrick Pearce who everybody was talking about due to his record-breaking low score. The product specialist from Fountain View, California, had a string of wrong answers before plummeting even further during a Daily Double question.

'Jeopardy!': What Did You Think of LeVar Burton's First Night as Guest Host? (POLL)
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'Jeopardy!': What Did You Think of LeVar Burton's First Night as Guest Host? (POLL)

By the end of the episode, Pearce stood at an astounding $-7,400 deficit, beating the previous lowest record ($-6,800) held by Stephanie Hull back in 2015. And viewers were quick to point this fact out on social media, while some provided sympathy for the new record-breaker.

As for Burton, he got off to a steady if apprehensive start in his dream gig as Jeopardy! host. Speaking to The Associated Press on Monday, the Reading Rainbow presenter talked about the pressure of living up to Alex Trebek‘s legacy and how it took him an episode to adjust.

“I made it my business for the next four chances at bat to just be myself, to forget about the procedure, to forget about the process, stop trying, stop focusing on the wrong thing,” he explained. “You’re not going to be smooth as Alex, let go of that. But what you can bring to the table is you. So that became my point of focus. And when it did, I started having fun.”

Check out some of the fan reaction to Burton’s Jeopardy! debut below:

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  1. G

    GoldLeaf

    I think those positive comments were a setup. Burton was stiff and did not relate to contestants at all. Furthermore the review questions provided only positive responses possible. I looked for a “mediocre” response but one wasn’t provided.

    Burton possessed none of the verve of Mayim Bislij or the charm of Aaron Rogers.

    If he is made host, he will ruin the show.

    9 3

  2. B

    BlueBoomerang

    I can't imagine him being the next permanent host

    7 1

  3. O

    OlivePlanet

    Was not impressed with LeVar Burton! They need to find a host with some personality- filling

    Alex’s shoes will be next to impossible

    6 1

  4. C

    CyanGuitar

    No personality at all. And when he looked at the camera it was weird and bug eyed. Did not care for his voice. I’ve watched Jeopardy my whole life almost and won’t continue If they give him Alex’s job. Not a good fit at all.

    5 1

  5. G

    GreenBowtie

    Burton. No. I’m sure he is a very nice person, but he has an irritating voice, he’s too self conscious, and he sounds and looks like an actor. Not real. He may be great for kids. But....not Jeopardy. Honestly, the guest hosts just need to calm down and slow down. One of Alex’s gifts was his ability to make the show about the questions and players.I’m getting discouraged.

    4

  6. G

    GoldLeaf

    I’m wondering if Jeopardy producers have already decided on Le Var Burton and are trying to build up his presence. That would be unfortunate. If that’s the case the show will lose even loyal watchers to his dry and personality-devoid presentation.

    6 2

  7. B

    BlueLocomotive

    They must have had to really search to find these positive Twitter posts. Most of the comments I have seen say that Burton had a really bad first episode, especially compared to other guest host first episodes.

    4

    1. C

      CyanMagnet

      Yeah, he seemed nervous and possibly cranky to me.

      I didn't like him.

      His voice is good though, so maybe he will get etter.

      1

  8. C

    CyanBottle

    Wow, several thumbs up LeVar tweets included at the bottom of this article...which I clicked to from a TV Insider poll about his first night. The ppl responding to that poll and commenting below it are generally thumbs down on LeVar, though some expect better over the course of the week.

    3 1

  9. B

    BlueBandAid

    Jeopardy will fade away if they cater to the current aging audience and go with somebody like annoying self-proclaimed genius Mayam Bialik or trying too hard LeVar Burton.

    If they would bring in somebody like Andy Richter who is both a real genius AND funny, they would add a whole new audience of younger viewers and the show would go on for decades.

    2 1

  10. R

    RedHat

    Second night with Levar Burton was a different person. Even my husband agreed that he was much better.

    2