Reading Rainbow

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Reading Rainbow
File:Reading rainbow2ndlogo.jpg
The Reading Rainbow logo used between 2000 and 2006.
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes155
Production
Running time30 minutes per episode
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseJune 6,1983 –
November 10 2006

Reading Rainbow was an American children's television series aired by PBS from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006, that encouraged reading among children. Each episode centered on a theme from a book or other children's literature which is explored through a number of segments or stories. The show also provided book recommendations for kids to look for when they go to the library.

Reading Rainbow has won a Peabody Award and twenty-six Emmy Awards, ten of which were in the "Outstanding Children's Series" category.[1]

Show details

Reading Rainbow was hosted by actor and executive producer LeVar Burton, who is also known for his roles in Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was originally co-created and produced by Lancit Media Entertainment from 1982-2000, and was produced by On-Screen Entertainment from 2000-2006 for executive producers WNED and Great Plains National.

A regular feature was a children's book narrated by a noted celebrity. Some of the celebrities who have read on the show include Philip Bosco (Barbara Bash's Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus) and Michael Ansara (Paul Goble's The Gift of the Sacred Dog, Sheila MacGill Callahan's And Still the Turtle Watched). Another segment of the show featured Burton in different places talking to different people about their work and other contributions, focusing on the theme of each episode. The final segment of each show, called Book Reviews, began with Burton's introductory phrase, "But you don't have to take my word for it," and features children giving capsule reviews of books they recommend. Burton ended every show with, "I'll see you next time."

The series' pilot, which aired as the show's eighth episode in 1983, featured the book Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport. It was created and produced in 1981 by Twila Liggett (GPN), Tony Buttino (WNED), and from Lancit Media Productions, Larry Lancit, Cecily Truett Lancit and Lynne Brenner Ganek. Burton was the host. Lancit Media produced the majority of the series' episodes until the past few years.

Its theme song was written by Steve Horelick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir; Horelick also served as the series' music director and composer. The theme was sung by Tina Fabrique. The original opening, which depicted a cartoon butterfly transforming the surroundings of young children reading books into cartoon fantasylands, was used until 1999. Later episodes used a new opening with the same theme song performed by R&B legend Chaka Khan.

The daughter of producer Larry Lancit, Shaune Lancit, was often featured in the series, most notably as the child thanking the sponsors at the end of the show.

Last Years

In later years the series tackled issues that other children's programs have historically avoided, such as poverty in U.S. inner cities, the September 11 attacks, childbirth and its impact on the family, and prison, all from a child's point of view.[citation needed] Original production was to have ended in 2005, with the show continuing to air in reruns, but host LeVar Burton said on February 7, 2006 that five new episodes of the show would be shot in 2006 despite the continuing financial troubles of PBS. [2]

On March 7, 2006, Baltimore, Maryland-based Educate Inc. were announced as a co-producer for Reading Rainbow, replacing GPN as producer after the University of Nebraska Regents (the owners of GPN and NETbnmn) recently sold its long-time production interest to WNED, with WNED and Educate Inc. signing a co-production agreement. WNED's CEO confirmed that the agreement would allow the securing of needed funding to continue production of Reading Rainbow.[3][4]

However, in a presentation at Pennsylvania State University on January 29, 2007, Burton again announced that he had recently shot his last episode of Reading Rainbow and was retiring, citing differences with the new owners.[5]

File:Readingrainbow logo.png
The Reading Rainbow logo used between 1983 and 1999.

Educate Inc. recently announced a new corporate configuration spinning Reading Rainbow into a new products division. The future of the series is speculative.

Animation producers

Feature Book filming

The photographing of the Feature Book segments were by:

  • Centron Films (1983-1987; renamed in 1986 to "Centron Productions Inc.")
  • Loren Dolezal (1988-1998; renamed in 1995 to "Dolezal Animation") Take Ten Animation teamed up with Dolezal from 1995-1998)
  • On Screen Entertainment (1999- 2007)

Guest readers and contributors

Guest readers and contributors

Funding

Corporate funding for Reading Rainbow is/was provided by the following:

To date, the only permanent sponsors for Reading Rainbow have been the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Viewers Like You, which have both funded the show for its entire run. There have been many others, however; From 1986 and until 2002, The National Science Foundation funded the show, and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations funded the show from 1993 until 2002. Only The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations have resumed funding during the 2006-07 season.

Notes

  1. ^ About Reading Rainbow
  2. ^ Burton Talks Drama, Diversity, Respect & 'Reading Rainbow'
  3. ^ Western New York Public Broadcasting Association and Educate, Inc. Announce New Reading Rainbow Partnership
  4. ^ Educate ventures into television with children's show
  5. ^ Owens, Alyssa (2007-01-30). "'Reading Rainbow' star encourages imagination". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ During the years Kellogg's was sponsor, Reading Rainbow would get promoted on the boxes of Kellogg's cereals, generally at the start of each season.

External links


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