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Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow is an American educational children's television series designed to encourage a love of books and reading. The original series aired on PBS and PBS Kids from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with each episode based on a featured children's book, which is explored through a number of on-location segments or stories. Episodes also feature children recommending books to find at the local library. The public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, ten as Outstanding Children's Series. The Sony Television Kidzuko brand revived the series on YouTube beginning October 4, 2025.
The concept of a reading series for children began with Twila Liggett, PhD, who partnered with Cecily and Larry Lancit of Lancit Media Productions in New York to create the television series. The original team also included Lynne Brenner Ganek, Ellen Schecter, and host LeVar Burton. The show's title was conceived by an intern at WNED. Before its official premiere, the show aired for test audiences in the Nebraska and Buffalo, New York, markets (their PBS member stations, the Nebraska ETV and WNED-TV, respectively, were co-producers of the show). Reading Rainbow was the first PBS children's show to be broadcast in stereo sound. It is the fifth longest-running children's series in PBS history, after Cyberchase, Arthur, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Sesame Street.
Reading Rainbow is hosted by actor and executive producer LeVar Burton, who when the show premiered was then known for his role in Roots. The show was produced first by Lancit Media Entertainment (1983–2001), and later On-Screen Entertainment (2002–2006). Every episode features a different children's picture book, often narrated by a celebrity. The featured story's illustrations were scanned by the camera in a technique known as "iconographic animation" of each page shown in succession, although on certain occasions the shots would be animated.
After the featured story, Burton visits many places relating to the episode's theme, often featuring interviews with guests. A notable example is the season 6 premiere episode, which features the book The Bionic Bunny Show by Marc Brown and his wife Laurene, and includes a behind-the-scenes look at the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Burton was a main cast member.
The last segment of each show, called Book Reviews, begins with Burton's introductory catchphrase, "But you don't have to take my word for it", and features children giving capsule reviews of books they liked. At the end of almost every episode, Burton signs off by telling the audience "I'll see you next time", with a review of the books featured in that episode beginning in season 2.
The series' pilot, which was created and produced in 1981 and aired as the show's 8th episode in 1983, features the book Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and is narrated by Doug Parvin. Producer Larry Lancit's daughters, Shaune and Caitlin, were often featured in the series, notably as the children thanking the sponsors at the beginning and end of the show.
The show's theme song was written by Steve Horelick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir; the former also served as the series' music director and composer for all 155 episodes and received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his work on the series. Over the show's 23-year run, it went through three different versions of the theme song. The original theme (used from 1983 to 1999) was performed by Tina Fabrique and featured one of the first uses of the Buchla synthesizer in a TV theme song. The original opening sequence, which consisted of an animated butterfly transforming the surroundings of young children reading books into animated fantasy lands, was used until January 1, 1999. The introductory animation was produced by Ovation Films, Inc. and designed and animated by Bill Davis. Some episodes (from 1983 through 1999) have the end credits accompanied by the full version of the 1983–1999 theme song (sung by the same singer, Tina Fabrique), with some episodes (with the said song) repeating two or three times.
On January 4, 1999, episodes began using a new live-action opening sequence and featuring CGI in a new space-themed world, with a new arrangement of the original song by Steve Horelick and performed by Johnny Kemp. A third intro was used starting on May 8, 2000, with a rerecorded version and the original lyrics performed by R&B artist Chaka Khan. This opening sequence is mostly the same as the second one, but features footage of Burton in place of some of the animated elements.
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Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow is an American educational children's television series designed to encourage a love of books and reading. The original series aired on PBS and PBS Kids from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with each episode based on a featured children's book, which is explored through a number of on-location segments or stories. Episodes also feature children recommending books to find at the local library. The public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, ten as Outstanding Children's Series. The Sony Television Kidzuko brand revived the series on YouTube beginning October 4, 2025.
The concept of a reading series for children began with Twila Liggett, PhD, who partnered with Cecily and Larry Lancit of Lancit Media Productions in New York to create the television series. The original team also included Lynne Brenner Ganek, Ellen Schecter, and host LeVar Burton. The show's title was conceived by an intern at WNED. Before its official premiere, the show aired for test audiences in the Nebraska and Buffalo, New York, markets (their PBS member stations, the Nebraska ETV and WNED-TV, respectively, were co-producers of the show). Reading Rainbow was the first PBS children's show to be broadcast in stereo sound. It is the fifth longest-running children's series in PBS history, after Cyberchase, Arthur, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Sesame Street.
Reading Rainbow is hosted by actor and executive producer LeVar Burton, who when the show premiered was then known for his role in Roots. The show was produced first by Lancit Media Entertainment (1983–2001), and later On-Screen Entertainment (2002–2006). Every episode features a different children's picture book, often narrated by a celebrity. The featured story's illustrations were scanned by the camera in a technique known as "iconographic animation" of each page shown in succession, although on certain occasions the shots would be animated.
After the featured story, Burton visits many places relating to the episode's theme, often featuring interviews with guests. A notable example is the season 6 premiere episode, which features the book The Bionic Bunny Show by Marc Brown and his wife Laurene, and includes a behind-the-scenes look at the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Burton was a main cast member.
The last segment of each show, called Book Reviews, begins with Burton's introductory catchphrase, "But you don't have to take my word for it", and features children giving capsule reviews of books they liked. At the end of almost every episode, Burton signs off by telling the audience "I'll see you next time", with a review of the books featured in that episode beginning in season 2.
The series' pilot, which was created and produced in 1981 and aired as the show's 8th episode in 1983, features the book Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and is narrated by Doug Parvin. Producer Larry Lancit's daughters, Shaune and Caitlin, were often featured in the series, notably as the children thanking the sponsors at the beginning and end of the show.
The show's theme song was written by Steve Horelick, Dennis Neil Kleinman, and Janet Weir; the former also served as the series' music director and composer for all 155 episodes and received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his work on the series. Over the show's 23-year run, it went through three different versions of the theme song. The original theme (used from 1983 to 1999) was performed by Tina Fabrique and featured one of the first uses of the Buchla synthesizer in a TV theme song. The original opening sequence, which consisted of an animated butterfly transforming the surroundings of young children reading books into animated fantasy lands, was used until January 1, 1999. The introductory animation was produced by Ovation Films, Inc. and designed and animated by Bill Davis. Some episodes (from 1983 through 1999) have the end credits accompanied by the full version of the 1983–1999 theme song (sung by the same singer, Tina Fabrique), with some episodes (with the said song) repeating two or three times.
On January 4, 1999, episodes began using a new live-action opening sequence and featuring CGI in a new space-themed world, with a new arrangement of the original song by Steve Horelick and performed by Johnny Kemp. A third intro was used starting on May 8, 2000, with a rerecorded version and the original lyrics performed by R&B artist Chaka Khan. This opening sequence is mostly the same as the second one, but features footage of Burton in place of some of the animated elements.