After a nearly 20-year absence, Reading Rainbow will return with a new series on the YouTube channel KidZuko in October, according to TheWrap. Hosted by Mychal Threets (Mychal the Librarian on TikTok), the show will continue the premise of the original PBS series, which was hosted by LeVar Burton from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Check out the official trailer here.
The show's official Instagram account released a first look at the series this week, noting: "Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow."
A range of celebrities have already been announced for the rebooted show, both as readers and on-camera cameos. Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa of Dancing with the Stars will be guests, as will Bellen Woodard, 14-year-old author of More Than Peach. Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) is seen in the trailer reading to cats, TheWrap noted. Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam DeVine, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen also appear in the trailer as book narrators.
"Threets has long been an advocate of local libraries and children's education, spreading his love for literature on various social media platforms," TheWrap wrote. "The influencer and former librarian has gained traction in recent years as a positive influence both on--and offline. On his arm, followers can see a tattoo of a library card owned by the famed cartoon character Arthur Read." He has also served as PBS' resident librarian for more than a year.
Reading Rainbow will launch with a four-episode short-form run every Saturday from October 4 to October 25. Episodes will also be embedded on ReadingRainbow.org.