How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

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Rate LeVar Burton on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.

1
4
5%
2
6
7%
3
16
19%
4
14
16%
5
12
14%
6
16
19%
7
10
12%
8
4
5%
9
1
1%
10
3
3%
 
Total votes: 86

goongas
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by goongas »

TenPoundHammer wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:30 am
econgator wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:50 pm
Seeing as to how Buzzy has the highest average score by far (89% of respondents rated him 8, 9, or 10), you aren't the only one, but pretty damn close to it.
Okay, what did everyone else see in him? I found him extremely shrill and robotic.
I enjoyed Buzzy's enthusiasm. He seemed like he was enjoying himself, unlike some of the other hosts.
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Mario500
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by Mario500 »

eureka wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:16 pm He’s been the worst so far. Anyone who has been saying he’s done a great job aren’t being honest.
(does not agree with this message)
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by alietr »

Posting as a picture since tables don't line up on here. From our polls so far:

Host Ratings.JPG
Host Ratings.JPG (40.93 KiB) Viewed 2375 times
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by yclept »

I wonder if the pressure of really wanting the job hurt LeVar. Savannah Guthrie went into her two weeks knowing she didn’t really want the full-time gig and was excellent. Sometimes, going in with that kind of mindset can be very helpful.

Seriously, of all the guest hosts, I probably wouldn’t want to see LeVar or Oz get the gig. I can at least live with most of the others. My favorites (in no real order) are Ken, Buzzy, Savannah, and Aaron. Mayim and Robin are probably just a tick below.

In the end, I would still love for it to go to Ken or Buzzy. Former contestants who understand the game and probably would welcome taking the gig. I still wish Buzzy was given a non-TOC week, where the tension isn’t quite as high. Would have been nice to see him interact with a regular type of game.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by squarekara »

alietr wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:10 am Posting as a picture since tables don't line up on here. From our polls so far:

Host Ratings.JPG
This is nifty. I'm guessing the 1's for Oz are more in protest of his appearance rather than a true evaluation of his performance. I'm not a fan, but jeez!

Since this thread is actually intended for LeVar, could we also post the chart (and additional Buzzy buzz, etc.) in the general "Interim Host" thread?
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by Robert K S »

alietr wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:10 am Posting
Is there any reason for the order of the polls? It's not chronological, alphabetical, or by average...
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by Robert K S »

alietr wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:10 am Posting
Is there any reason for the order of the polls? It's not chronological, alphabetical, or by average...
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by Bamaman »

I gave him a 2. I was going to give a 4 for his enthusiasm but then I read the article about him. His arrogance in thinking he somehow deserved the job really turned me off.

I didn’t enjoy anything about him. The long pauses and his screaming “Yes” were distracting. I also thought his voice was horrible to listen to. He is the only one I have seen so far that might drive me away from watching the show.

I think he was just ill prepared and while the producers could be partly to blame for that, in the end it is on him to be ready. I didn’t see any great improvement from Monday to Friday. No, he didn’t have a second week so he didn’t get a night to sleep on it and think about it. But Robin Roberts also was a one week wonder and I thought she was fantastic. If she got the job I would be quite happy.

Could he get better? Maybe. But the Jeopardy franchise is too valuable to hand the keys to someone who was so incompetent in his audition. I don’t know how many of the others are being considered as they all currently have full time jobs.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by cthulhu »

alietr wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:10 am Posting as a picture since tables don't line up on here. From our polls so far:


Host Ratings.JPG
Where’s Aaron Rodgers?
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Woof
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by Woof »

There’s an error in Dr Oz’s table entry: there were 3, not 33, votes for 1 for him
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by alietr »

See the Interim Host thread for the updated table I created.

viewtopic.php?p=359600#p359600
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by twelvefootboy »

jpr281 wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:00 pm So far for me...

Cohen, Couric, Rodgers, Bialik, Guthrie, Cooper, Guthrie, Roberts, Gupta, Richards, Jennings, Oz, Whitaker, Burton
This is almost my list in retrospection. I would promote Roberts from 8th to 3rd and bump Rodgers from 3rd to 8th.
Only the bottom 7 (from Rodgers down) would make me wish Alex was still hosting. It's not cool to bash AT here, but he should have let the show morph a long time ago.

Regarding LeVar, I generously gave him a 6, but there is a 9.5 inside him. But, he belongs at the back of this list.
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by NYCScribbler »

I really wanted Burton to be better, but he was... not. Wrong style, wrong enthusiasm level. If they ever reboot the Carmen Sandiego quiz show(s), though, his style would fit better.
"Who said anything about a horse?!"

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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by QuizGeek75 »

As much as I have respect for him, I'm slightly disappointed. If he had been considered as guest host last spring, he would've replaced Oz for that fortnight and improve a bit for the final week. Besides, I reckon SONY will either go with Mayim if they want a female host or they go with Ken because of how he did in the ratings.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by QuizGeek75 »

TenPoundHammer wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:43 pm
eureka wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:16 pm Realistically, it’s probably down to Buzzy, Ken and LeVar. I was actually surprised that I liked Buzzy. Someone I know says “ He has a Where’s Waldo look to him, that’s too distracting.” Ken is the only one who I would seriously consider not watching Jeopardy anymore.
Am I the only one who doesn't get the love for Buzzy at all? I absolutely hated him as a host.
He was way too stuck up, which lead to his downfall in the All Star Games, so no, you're not the only one who thinks that.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by TenPoundHammer »

goongas wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:32 am I enjoyed Buzzy's enthusiasm. He seemed like he was enjoying himself, unlike some of the other hosts.

YMMV. I thought he had an extremely obnoxious voice and looked like he was being held hostage.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by alietr »

They should have had David Faber go before LeVar and show him how it's done. What a contrast between the two.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by DBear »

alietr wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:38 am They should have had David Faber go before LeVar and show him how it's done. What a contrast between the two.
And the contrast is bringing up more & more questions. Did LeVar really try to wing it without any prep? There's no way these results could arise from chance alone given the same prep time. :?
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by acthomas »

This is a tough room!

I don't know if anyone else here watched his Masterclass, but for me it explained his performance style pretty well: the man is a storyteller, and without a lot of guidance or direction, chose to deliver the clues in a way that he found interesting as a storyteller. That is probably not what the PTBs had in mind, nor would I, and why journos tend to have the desired style down: The story is whatever makes the clue both interesting and helps tease out what the judges are looking for (<blah blah blah> THIS ACTOR <blah blah blah>, without being all wink-wink about it).

What I loved about him is what I thought I would: his personality and warmth, which aren't quickly teachable or easy to fake. I ended up rooting for every contestant to do well -- and his enthusiastic "YES!" played into that for me. And maybe that's not what Jeopardy needs in a host either.

I said this on Twitter and I still mean it: LeVar could be a great game show host in any situation that is not outwardly *combative*, where his strengths as an actor and his empathy would enhance the experience. Something like the British Mastermind, where each contestant takes on questions in their strength, and aren't taking any answers away from each other, would suit him far better than Jeopardy. If I ever win enough on the show to start up my own game show production company, I know who I'd call.
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Re: How Did LeVar Burton Do as Host?

Post by acthomas »

NYCScribbler wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 7:09 pm I really wanted Burton to be better, but he was... not. Wrong style, wrong enthusiasm level. If they ever reboot the Carmen Sandiego quiz show(s), though, his style would fit better.
Now all I can think of is him making the Lynne Thigpen gesture with the magnifying glass and announcing your brand new "Carmen Watch".

I'm down for it.
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