After nearly two decades, the classic kids’ show Reading Rainbow is back — with a new host and a new digital format, but with the same mission of encouraging children to “take a look, it’s in a book.”
The new host is library evangelist Mychal Threets, who became a social media star while working as a librarian in Solano County, Calif. (His tattoos include PBS cartoon aardvark Arthur Read’s library card.)
Very cool to see this coming back - quite surprising given funding cuts to PBS.
Remember to support your local PBS and NPR stations in these troubled times.
This is run by Kidzuko, a Sony Pictures Television Kids venture. Here’s the launch press release. Personally, I’m not particularly trusting of them, just being an arm of a large company. I tried watching an episode and the tone seems pretty different. I know LeVar Burton had this Kickstarter which I guess turned into this Skybrary app after legal issues. It’s unfortunate that something so nostalgic is just another IP that can be resurrected. But, it could be far worse
Believe its akin to how Sesame Street was on HBO - its still produced by WNED parent company Buffalo Toronto Public Media and it’ll just be on Sonys YouTube channel (I suppose to get kids to maybe watch other things on their channel?)
I’d be curious to see if it still gets played on PBS stations since its still produced by a PBS stations (BTPM)
