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“Reading Rainbow” Takes Flight Anew with New Host and Digital Home
The beloved children’s series “Reading Rainbow” is set to make a grand comeback, featuring a fresh host, new literary adventures, and a new digital platform. The news has sparked excitement among generations who grew up with the iconic program.
A trailer released Monday announced the reboot of the classic PBS program, introducing Mychal Threets, widely known as “Mychal the Librarian,” as its new host. Threets hinted at upcoming episodes filled with celebrity appearances, creative art projects, and more, promising to continue the show’s legacy of fostering a love for reading.
Threets, sharing his excitement on social media, expressed profound gratitude for the show’s original run. “I was raised on Reading Rainbow,” he wrote.
“LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere.”
Threets gained widespread recognition as a cheerful and inviting Bay Area librarian, known for sharing heartwarming stories online about his interactions with library patrons and promoting the message that libraries are inclusive spaces for all.
Addressing potential comparisons to the original host, he humorously added, “Oh! If you’re upset because I’m not LeVar Burton… GET BEHIND ME!
I am at the front of that line! … We all want the LeVar Burton Reading Rainbow Storytime read aloud treatment!
[But] I’ll be doing all I can to make him and all the library kids proud.”
The original “Reading Rainbow,” hosted by the iconic LeVar Burton, debuted in 1983 and remained a PBS cornerstone for over two decades. This Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series championed literacy and the joy of reading across 155 episodes, establishing itself as one of the longest-running children’s shows in television history.
Burton once described the show’s impact, stating in 1993 that “It portrays reading in a fun light. It’s a fun activity and presents reading as an adventure.”
The new season’s trailer revealed a lineup of exciting guests, including “Dancing With the Stars” professionals Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa, and “The Bear” actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Viewers can also look forward to books narrated by celebrities such as Jamie Chung, Adam DeVine, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen.
The new “Reading Rainbow” episodes will be available on Kidzuko, Sony Pictures Television’s dedicated channel for children. The reboot is scheduled to premiere this Saturday, with new episodes released weekly through October 25.