The reboot aims to bring back the book magic of the beloved ‘Star Trek’ star’s time on the PBS series.
Just as the original LeVar Burton-hosted Reading Rainbow provided generations with an avenue to the imaginative worlds within children’s books, the new reboot continues the legacy to give kids access to essential educational content.
Over the weekend, KidZuko (operated by Sony Studios) and the official Reading Rainbow YouTube channel premiered the first episode of the reboot for the internet generation. Now hosted by the internet’s librarian, Mychal Threets, who gained social media popularity through content geared toward enshrining libraries as important community-building spaces, the revival couldn’t have come at a more crucial time.
The first episode includes appearances by Ebon Moss-Bacharach (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Jamie Chung (Batman: Caped Crusader) where the actors read to kids and sometimes even cats at a rescue! Seeing comic book actors lean into the premise of the new show could totally inspire kids to seek out more of their works in pop culture by finding a love for comic books. LeVar Burton’s presence as a teacher in homes across America inspired a generation of readers but also introduced many of us to his important works in various genres, including Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Many Trek fans will remember Reading Rainbow‘s strong history with the series, thanks to Burton’s tenure as its host and as TNG‘s Geordi LaForge. Reading Rainbow even played up that connection at times, including even airing an episode that took its audience behind the scenes of The Next Generation (you can watch it here, and it’s so wild to see Burton on the bridge without Geordi’s visor).
