LeVar Burton’s ‘Reading Rainbow’ Documentary In The Works

LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton’s ‘Reading Rainbow’ Documentary In The Works

A ‘Reading Rainbow’ documentary will be coming to a screen near you.

‘Reading Rainbow’ was a children’s educational program that aired on PBS from 1983 until 2006. The show was hosted by well-known actor LeVar Burton. Over its 20+ year running span, ‘Reading Rainbow’ received many accolades including 26 Emmys and the George Foster Peabody Award.

According to reports, a documentary called ‘Butterfly In The Sky’ from studio XTR is in production and will be released to celebrate ‘Reading Rainbow.’ XTR says the film aims to

“honor the show’s legacy and teach younger generations about this milestone in television history in our current era of distance learning.”

In addition to that, the project will also feature archival footage and interviews with LeVar Burton and other key people, such as major broadcasters, educators, and filmmakers, that had a hand in making the series a hit.

The project will be directed by the filmmaking team Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb.

Brett Whitcomb released a statement on the movie and said,

“Reading Rainbow was my window into the big city and into diverse cultures. With segments like those in ‘Hill of Fire,’ ‘Liang and the Magic Paintbrush,’ and countless other episodes, ‘Reading Rainbow’ was arguably the first time I encountered ‘documentary-style’ television as a young person, planting a seed that would inspire me for the rest of my life and lead me to where I am in my career to this day.”

Bradford Thomason added,

“As a Mexican-American growing up in Houston, I was always surrounded by diversity. More than any show on television, ‘Reading Rainbow’ reflected the cultures that surrounded me. When the book fair came to my school, I went straight for the Reading Rainbow titles. I didn’t know it at the time, but the show’s mission statement was manifesting itself in me. I devour books to this day and I know Reading Rainbow had a hand in that.”

What are your thoughts on this upcoming film? Tell us below. 

(VIA)