Reading Rainbow in trouble

[Jennifer12]

I just read an article on Yahoo about Reading Rainbow balancing on a precipice. The show has been in danger of disappearing. The article said that last year they only made 4 new episodes. Apparently since there is nothing to license (characters, etc...) and the show appeals to a very small demographic, it is difficult to find funding.

I can't really claim to have been influenced as a child by Reading Rainbow. The show did not start to air until I was probably 11 or 12 and I was already a voracious reader by that time. I will say that it was a tremendous help to me when I spent time working as a preschool teacher. I watched to find age-appropriate material to use in my classroom.

It is so sad that shows like Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street with their tremendous social and educational value are valued so little in the commercial world of television. It's more important to sell viewers drugs and Hummers and other things we don't need than inspire children to think. Isn't there something wrong with that mentality?

Okay, now I"ve gotten that off my chest....


Jennifer

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

They're still MAKING new episodes? Do they still have LeVar Burton on them, because if they don't, it's better off if they don't make any new ones...

 

[Phillip]

Yes, LeVar is still with the program.

 

[Beakie]

Whoa, Reading Rainbow. I forgot that show even existed.


Butterfly in the skyyy
I can fly twice as hiiigh
Take a look
It's in a book
A Reading Rainboooow!


no idea how I remember that song, I haven't seen the show in years, I used to watch it a lot though... but I also was a big reader probably before I really started watching it.. my mom claims I started reading when I was 2, and all I really watched back then was Sesame Street..

 

[sarah_yzma]

I think it's horrible that some of the greatest children programming constantly suffer...(Animaniacs, BITBBH, Weird Al Show (FINE programming, if you ask me) and now RR)

just because it's not a purple dinosaur *shivers* or something with a great marketing ploy, parents and others tend to put it in the back of their minds.....I remember in grade school...we dropped everything to watch RR every day...I grew up with that show, and still watch it, if I am lucky enough to catch it

Sarah

a horrible loss to children's programming...it was one of the few shows that didn't insult children's intelligence

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

I've always been a fan of "Reading Rainbow." We used to watch it in school all the time. Lavar Burton is the best! I'm another one of those folks who'e been reading since before preschool, so it didn't really influence me to read but I really enjoyed the show anyway. I haven't seen it much lately, but I hope they don't take it off the air!
Erin

 

[Crazy Harry]

I didn't even know this show was still on the air.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Neither did I, and that is likely a cause that it's dwindling on the scale of popularity and support.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

i always thought it was kind of funny because you have a show that is trying to teach children to read a lot, but it's a tv show where kids watch it..a little humor in there....

seriously, i stumble on reading rainbow from time to time and i watch it and i think it's a great program to encourage children to read more. i also think levar burton is a great host for that show and does his best each time to teach children to read more often. i don't read books that often but when i do it's kind of like you're in another world when you pick up a book and read. you can imagine what's happening in your mind when you're reading a book. pretty cool stuff.

reading raibow, sesame street, and mr. rogers neighborhood are the 3 most watched shows i viewed when i was a kid and i think it would be a horrible thing if reading rainbow would go off the air.

ryan

 

[Ernie101]

I knew it was on,I have a baby sister...Her favorite shows are Sesame street,Barney and Teletubbies lol....So Yeah I know all about these shows.