When librarian Mychal Threets first received an email last year inviting him to host a revived ‘Reading Rainbow,’ he couldn’t help but feel it was too good to be true—a prank, perhaps.
“I honestly thought they were messing with me,” shared Threets, widely recognized as ‘Mychal the Librarian’ on social media. “I figured, ‘Okay, I’ll humor them.’”
But it was no joke.
Indeed, the beloved and critically acclaimed show made its grand return today after nearly twenty years off the air. With Threets at the helm, the series is a collaboration between Embassy Row and Buffalo Toronto Public Media, the original creators. This time, however, it’s finding a new home on KidZuko, a children’s YouTube channel from Sony Pictures Television, rather than its traditional PBS broadcast.
Viewers can also look forward to an exciting lineup of celebrity guests, such as John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Gabrielle Union, joining Threets on screen.
“I’m a huge admirer of LeVar Burton, Mr. Rogers, Steve Irwin, Bob Ross—basically, all the truly wholesome figures out there,” Threets expressed, referring to some of PBS’s most iconic personalities, including the original ‘Reading Rainbow’ host. “Just being considered for this role completely overwhelmed me.”
Michael Davies, an executive producer for ‘Jeopardy!’ and the mastermind behind bringing ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ to the U.S., started conceptualizing the ‘Reading Rainbow’ revival back in 2020. Initially, he approached all the expected broadcasters and streaming giants, but found little enthusiasm for the project.
Yet, his conviction in the show’s timeless appeal remained unshaken.
Mychal Threets aims to preserve the heartwarming spirit and educational essence of the original show in his new iteration. Expect familiar faces! The revived show will welcome celebrity guests, including Ebon Moss-Bachrach from the hit FX series “The Bear.”
However, a trailer launched this week on YouTube and social media platforms quickly went viral, racking up over two million views on Instagram alone. “Everything changed after that,” Davies noted. “Now, the calls are coming to us.”
This new series stands apart from a previous 2022 attempt by Buffalo Toronto Public Media, which was a singular live event featuring multiple singing and dancing co-hosts. Threets’s version, however, faithfully incorporates most of the original show’s cherished elements, updated with contemporary flair. Fans will be delighted by a rerecorded version of the iconic theme song, alongside a fresh trivia segment introduced by the producers.
But with Mychal Threets as the central figure, the fundamental mission to champion reading remains unwavering.
“My lifelong goal has always been to uplift librarians and young readers,” Threets stated. “I want to reassure every child that they are inherently readers, capable, and truly worthy of the stories waiting for them.”
The reboot arrives at a particularly sensitive political juncture, marked by reduced government funding for public television. Nancy Hammond, an executive vice president at Buffalo Toronto Public Media and a producer of the reboot, emphasized that the show is designed to reaffirm public media’s dedication to delivering high-quality, educational content, ensuring it remains freely accessible to young learners everywhere.
The original ‘Reading Rainbow,’ which aired from 1983 to 2006 with LeVar Burton as its host, was partly funded by the Department of Education. Its primary objective was to combat the common issue of summer learning loss in children.
During its initial run, the show amassed over 250 accolades, including an impressive 26 Emmy Awards and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. At its peak, ‘Reading Rainbow’ captivated more than two million weekly viewers, establishing itself as the most-watched program in elementary school classrooms nationwide, according to PBS.
LeVar Burton, celebrated for his iconic roles as Kunta Kinte in ‘Roots’ and Geordi La Forge in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ became synonymous with ‘Reading Rainbow.’ His legacy as a champion of children’s literacy is so strong that even Mychal Threets humorously acknowledged it on Instagram, quipping, ‘If you’re upset because I’m not LeVar Burton … GET BEHIND ME!’
A testament to his impact, President Biden personally requested Mr. Burton sing the opening lines of the ‘Reading Rainbow’ theme song during the 2023 National Endowment for the Humanities medal ceremony.
The torch of childhood literacy now passes to Mychal Threets. His journey into children’s literature began in 2013, when he first joined a library in Northern California.
During the 2020 pandemic, Threets found an unexpected online following, sharing short TikTok videos featuring library anecdotes and book readings. His account quickly became a sensation, attracting over 847,000 followers and with more than a dozen videos surpassing one million views each.
Last March, after battling significant mental health challenges, he resigned from his position, intending to end his life the following day. However, it was the sheer joy he witnessed in children at the library that ultimately compelled him to keep going.
Just months later, the ‘Reading Rainbow’ offer arrived. According to Mr. Davies, there was no formal audition; Threets’s natural charisma and online presence made him an obvious and perfect choice for a show envisioned for a social media-native production.
“It didn’t completely save me, but it gave me a reason to stay for another day,” Threets reflected.