August 28th, 2009
Reading Rainbow will no longer be provided by PBS to stations for broadcast starting on Aug. 28. No new episodes of the children’s program have been produced for several years and PBS removed the series from its daily lineup last fall to make room for new programs with reading and science/math content. After nearly a after a quarter century on public television, the series will no long be broadcast over the air. Producers of the series are working to continue the show online and DVDs of episodes will be available through Shop PBS.
Editor’s Note: Reading Rainbow has been an influential part of the learning expereince for many children. Please share your story about the show’s impact by leaving a comment below.
Posted in news, special
I guess this was inevitable, but it feels like the end of an era. LeVar and all the great books he brought to the screen will be missed.
Comment by Michael — August 5, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
LeVar has been such a sweet, intelligent, positive role model. I need to get some DVDs — and I don’t even have kids! But when I was a kid, I loved my Reading Rainbow.
Comment by Melissa — August 5, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
Growing up, Reading Rainbow made me feel like reading was cool. I frequently daydreamed about being one of those kids giving the book reviews!
Comment by Sara — August 5, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
Take a look…*sniffles* Its in a book….*sobs*…Reading Rainbow…Iiiiiiiiiii cannnn go anywhe*sniffles*re..Take a look….*sigh*…Its in a book…*uncontrolable crying*..ITS READING RAINBOW!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! OH GOD!!! DON”T TAKE IT AWAY!! LAVAR DON”T LEAVE US!!!!
Comment by Nicole — August 6, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
PBS is making a BIG mistake. Reading Rainbow should be shown everyday on PBS and every school child should see in their classrooms. Getting children to love to read is a very important job and Mr. Burton did it very well. P.S. I love the original version of the theme song!!!!
Comment by Mike — August 11, 2009 @ 7:55 am
I was so sad to hear this news on NPR this morning. Reading Rainbow explores many facinating topics and uses fantastic books as a springboard. It is engaging for a broad range of ages, one of the few children’s shows that appeals to all 3 of my kids and one that I enjoy watching with them.
Many of the new shows are flat animations with so little depth and zero connection with a real human character. I understand the need for teaching phonics on children’s shows (as detailed in the NPR report), but surely there is still a place and a need for Reading Rainbow, where real people share the joy of reading real books.
Comment by Elizabeth — August 28, 2009 @ 9:10 am
LeVar and Reading Rainbow introduced our household to a new generation of books and broadened our horizens beyond the known Caldicotts and Newbery winners. The books are timeless and the approach fresh enough that re-runs should continue until PBS (or someone else) is smart enough to present the next generation of books.
Comment by Barbara Jones — August 29, 2009 @ 11:07 am