LeVar Burton to join "Jeopardy!" as a guest host after successful fan petition

Fans of Levar Burton can rejoice: the "Roots" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star is joining the roster of interim hosts for "Jeopardy!". The show made the announcement Wednesday, after a long campaign to have the former "Reading Rainbow" host step into the shoes of Alex Trebek, who died last year and whose iconic hosting role has since been filled by a rotating group of celebrities and TV personalities.

Burton, a lifelong children's literacy advocate who hosted the PBS show "Reading Rainbow," expressed his delight over the news on Twitter. Joining him on the list of temporary hosts are "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" anchor George Stephanopoulos, author and former "Jeopardy! Celebrity" champion David Faber and award-winning sportscaster Joe Buck.  "Our goal has been to present a wide variety of guest hosts with different skill sets and backgrounds on our path to finding a permanent host. Our passionate fans are telling us what they like, and we are listening," executive producer Mike Richards — who also served as a guest host — said in a press release shared by the game show.