Reading Rainbowwill always be remembered and cherished for inspiring generations of children to develop a love for reading. Now, the beloved ‘80s and ‘90s PBS show is being celebrated with the feature documentaryButterfly in the Sky.
The documentary, debuting in select theaters on March 17, will explore the creation and production ofReading Rainbow, which aired from 1983 to 2006 withLeVar Burtonas its host.
Throughout its run, the series featured many celebrity guest stars —Maya Angelou,Angela Bassett,James Earl Jones,Martin Short— and received 26 Daytime Emmy Awards for categories including outstanding children’s series and outstanding performer in a children’s series for Burton’s motivational performance.
LeVar Burton reading the illustrated children’s book ‘Amazing Grace’ in the trailer for ‘Butterfly in the Sky.'.XTR
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“Do you want theReading Rainbowtreatment?” asks Burton. “Here we go.”
“I said, ‘We will get kids reading more, because they will watchReading Rainbow,and they will go get those books,” says one woman. “Nobody believed us.”
“I thought what a great idea,” Burton says of the show’s creation.
LeVar Burton during an episode of ‘Reading Rainbow.’ as seen in the trailer for ‘Butterfly in the Sky.'.XTR
“Reading Rainbowwanted children to know there’s all kinds of stories out there,”Whoopi Goldbergadds. “While it may not be stories fromyourneighborhood, it’s stories from a neighborhood you should know about.”
Skipping to a montage of scenes from the series showing Burton snorkeling and riding a race horse wide-eyed, one formerReading Rainbowcrewmember recalls they would bat around activities for its host to do on-camera “without worrying about how dumb they were” or “how difficult to achieve they were.”
“I did everything they asked — I meaneverything,” Burton admits. “I became very adamant that since they had hired me, then what they got was me.”
“He wasn’t talking down to you. He was talking as, like, let’s have this conversation,” actor Kenny Blank recalls.
LeVar Burton hosting an episode of ‘Reading Rainbow.’ as seen in the trailer for ‘Butterfly in the Sky.'.XTR
AsReading Rainbow’stheme song reemerges then tapers off, a younger Burton from yesteryear smiles onscreen, adding: “But you don’t have to take my word for it.”
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source: people.com
