My Summer Lair Chapter #287: When Was The Last Time You Saw A Reading Rainbow?
Let’s return to the glorious era where we deeply invested in the lives and imagination of children: from Mister Rogers to Sesame Street to Reading Rainbow.
Ah, yeah Reading Rainbow:
Host LeVar Burton was tasked with La Forge-ing the “Next Generation” of kids to be active readers.
Launched in 1983, Reading Rainbow used television to inspire children’s love of reading, especially during the summer reading slump when kids are out of school. 155 30-minute episodes were produced over 23 seasons.
Butterfly in the Sky is a documentary that tells the story of the PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow from its iconic host, the people behind the scenes, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television.
(The challenges are thin, though…there wasn’t a lot for Reading Rainbow to overcome so it makes the documentary feel watered down rather than triumphant. That’s not the filmmakers fault, it’s just the way history worked out. Currently, with the rise of book bans we’re marred in a gross anti-intellectual movement. Book bans prove: Everyone Has A Voice But Not Every Voice Is Valuable.)
Like all of us the documentary’s co-director and editor, Bradford Thomason grew up watching the program along with co-director Brett Whitcomb.
As you’ll hear…I asked them if they’re ‘80s nerds. Big Hint: they are!
As filmmakers they were surprised to discover no one had yet to make a documentary about Reading Rainbow.
A special children’s TV show like this doesn’t just affect the small sitting cross legged viewers, it touches the creators and producers and all the staff…you understand you’re fashioning something special. The filmmakers wanted to hear those stories and understand those experiences.
For your listening pleasure is a My Summer Lair conversation with directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb talking about Butterfly in the Sky, the ‘80s and Reading Rainbow.
Behold…the Butterfly in the Sky trailer:
Butterfly in the Sky: The Story of Reading Rainbow is now streaming on Netflix.
Butterfly in the Sky @ W • T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Wedneday March 13, 2024 at 2:00 pm (EST)
Stress free pop culture tastefully harvested for your divine delight. Once a week a carefully curated edition of My Pal Sammy goes directly to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter so we can have some fun…surfing a Reading Rainbow!
