Take A Look, It's In A Book Goodbye!
Filed under: TV News
PBS' third longest-running children's series, Reading Rainbow, has come to a close!!!
Awww!
Reading Rainbow, hosted by LeVar Burton, won over two-dozen Emmys during it's 26-year-run on the network, which has been credited to "[encouraging] kids to pick up a book and to read."
So why cancel the show?????
According to John Grant, head of content at WNED Buffalo, no one (PBS, WNED, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) was willing to fork over the $$$$$$ to renew Rainbow's broadcast rights!
How disappointing!
Yet another tragic loss due to the economic climate!
Reading Rainbow, you will be sorely missed.
Posted: August 29, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Wow, I didn't even know it was still on.
I loved this show….LaVar is the man. Just take a look…it's in a book!
What was #1 and 2 longest series?
I didnt even know that was still on the air. I think you may be the only one to miss it. Grow the fuck up Perez
damn this was still one? thats sad though, it was a cute show though, it's so selfish and stupid that no one wants to pay for this to stay on. kids need a show like this, their generation is already in the crapper.
no one wants to pay to encourage kids to read? Says something about the state of things… Something sad
wow——my kid loved this show—-she 20 now at at college now—never felt bad putting her in front of TV for this great show—-
And yet Tiger Woods makes 111 million dollars a year, and Kobe Bryant makes almost 34 million dollars a year and Harrison Ford made 65 million dollars this year for his work on Indiana Jones. As a country we have enough money to pay Sports players, and actors all for our entertainment but we don't have enough to pay for an important pivotal educational show that benefits our children, to pay a man who has devoted part of his life to encouraging and educating our children. Disgusting.
AW! my childhood :/
I am 25 years 0ld…and I remember watching this sh0w in elementary sch00l and I actually had s0 many writing awards when I was y0ung thanks t0 this sh0w…That sucks that they will cancel it…..
I can't stand Lave Burton. Never liked Reading Rainbow either.
If there was ever a more self-absorbed person…well, aside from Lavar Burton, there isn't one.
AWWW I DIDNT KNO IT WAS STILL ON BUT IT WILL BE MISSED
lol i loved that show
I used to love that show!
So sad. I'm a kindergarten teacher and I always let my kids watch this show on rainy days when we can't have recess!
I love LeVar!
This was my favorite show growing up. I used to go to the library looking for the books from the show. Now, as preschool teacher, when I go to the library and see the Reading Rainbow mark on a book, I know I'm getting one with a great message to it. It's a shame that some other network can't pick it up.
I used to watch that all the time when I was little.
Mario, Stop ripping off Michael K!
Big loss. No, dork1230, Perez will n-o-t be the only one to miss it!
Who cares! They stopped typing this show 3 or 4 years ago. They have been reruns anyway. If you want to see it buy or rent the box set. You could probably find them on the internet somewhere. What is the big deal!
Such a shame. I remember watching this show growing up and have now watched it with my own children.
i had no idea this still was going on. huh
No way!
This show was a classic, up there with Mr. Rogers!
I loved this show as a kid, it made me love reading as a kid. I was hoping that when I have children that they could watch it, guess I'll have to find it on DVD for them…..
It's a sad day when educational shows like this are canceled, yet Disney and Nick are publishing new, pointless ones like Hannah Montana and iCarly
I loved that show!
It's funny… people will pay for crap like Hannah Montana,
but when it comes to a show that encourages kids to read,
everyone turns their heads.
I remember watching that show, and getting the books they were talking about. like the ones on the picture, i've read majority of them because of that show. that really got me to read when I was a little girl. I hated it, I just wanted to play outside. lol
whattt i didnt even know this show was still on!i used to watch it back in the day when i was little
This was one of my childhood favourites but I had no idea it was still being filmed. It was a great program.
Re: Hypocrite99 – I LOVE Michael K and dont worry..Pervez could never be as witty and charming as him…but he really does need to quit ripping him off..FAT HACK!!
"Take a look, it's in a book, the reading rainbooow. The reading rainboooooow."
>__
He can and should be extremely proud of this show and its long run.
All good things must come to an end.
What's next for LeVar?
I used to watch this after school
Butterfly in the sky,
I can fly twice as high,
just take a look,
it's in a book,
the reading rainbow.
I, can, go, anywhere!
just take a look,
it's in a book,
the reading rainbowww.
FYI - My name is Shaune Lancit, and my parents were the creators of Reading Rainbow. I want to say how amazing it is that this was posted on here and that Perez and everyone else found it important enough to post. My parents took great pride in this show and put their blood sweat and tears into it over the years. They left the show about 8 years ago after it went public. I am so grateful to have parents that left such an imprint on the world through their work. Thanks for all your support y'all, and thanks Perez
I swear black people age so well….all that extra melanin does a body good….
i can't believe a publisher wouldn't get involved?! or newberry or caldecott..hell…oprah! tis a shame….
Another blow to the literacy of our children.
.
More proof to my theory of the powers that be trying to breed recruits. No education, easier to pluck off to war with the promise of college and a career.
.
Only the rich will be educated.
I am legitimately depressed. Reading Rainbow was my favorite show as a kid! This is devastating!!!
There is so much emphasis now on giving kids the mechanics to read…that is important too but without making reading fun and inviting kids won't ever pick up a book!
omg that is so fucking sad….
Allwell??
Re: stardust1617 – It's so great that you commented. High five to you and your parents. It was an excellent show that contributed to literacy in a fun way, and its contribution stood the test of time. May there be reruns.
I grew up on this and will have my kids watch the reruns - it wasn't flashy, in your face, like so many shows these days full of violence and such. It was calming, nurturing, creative, and genuine.
No Way this is so not right. Some one Save Reading Rainbow please. It's for the shorties. I can not believe this. Perez use your fleeting Celebrity to Save this show !!!! Some one any one Damn We will take a scientologist. Just some one throw some chedder on Reading Rainbow !!!
Awww sad. I loved this show growing up, though, I didn't know it was still on.
Now you can finally party freely at the Abby! Gay Pride!
I loved this show as a kid! It's sad to hear that kids now days won't get to watch it anymore. Goodbye, along with Shining Time Station and Long Ago and Far Away. =(
Goes to show you don't know too much. The show has been off the air since 2006 and PBS is no longer running the re-runs of the show. It's 2009 and if parent's are serious about their children's education sitting them in front of a television whether it's an educational show or not isn't as good as hands on with a parent.
that show was on for a good lil'!! thats so sad!! p.s r.ip dj am!! happy birthday mj!!
damn, reading rainbow is what i grew up with. that show was effin amazing(:
Butterfly in the sky…i can fly twice as high…take a look its in a book reading rainbow….
i remember watchin this all the time when i was a kid.. good times
i loved reading rainbow
NOOOOO! Bring this back. I'll write you a check PBS, along with alot of other parents. Whatever we have to do to get this icon back on the airwaves.
lol omg I didn't know this show was still even happening at all lol. nice! and sad to see it go =(
Re: SWEETPIECE! – Sweets! Word!
thought you were gonna say he was dead. everybody else is dying. seriously!!!!!
Damn Reading Rainbow used 2 b my show when I was little!
I LOVED READING RAINBOW….BUTTERFLIES IN THE SKY I CAN GO TWICE AS HIGH TAKE A LOOK ITS IN A BOOK THE READING RAINBOWWWWW
they can pay to put on non stimulating childrens television shows that don't teach learning material and kick this long running program off the air and keep horrid other shows on? cmon give me a break
this was still on? wow i remember watching it in element. school.
This is sad. I watched this show sometimes as a kid. It wasn't my favorite as I was an early reader and liked to read myself instead of watching the program. Fond memories though. I think it was good for a lot of kids.
I grew up watching this. So sad.
Butterfly in the sky I can fly twice as high…take a look it's in a book reading rainbow…RIP READING RAINBOW!
Hmmmmmmm never heard of him?
I LOVED this show back in the day…LaVar is the best!!!! Sad to see it go
AWWW!! That really sucks. I used to watch that show all the time. It was so great!! Shows like that should NOT go off the air. They're far too valuable. Now all kids have watch is crap like Hannah Montana and whatever else comes on Disney.
awwww.
i loved that show. knew all the words to the song also
WOW, I had no clue it was still in production but it's terribly sad=( it was cancelled due to this horrific economy…I grew up watching this show and love it!!=)
Perez is not the only one to miss Reading Rainbow. For years I sat and watched this wonderful show with my children, and then I always had to answer my kids' questions and talk about the books. Burton did a super job bringing the books to life and instilling a desire to read. What a shame that in this country there is money for everything but education. Thanks for the article, Perez.
that used to be my favourite show~~!!~!
Re: GalliGirl619 – #2 is Mister Roger's Neighborhood, and if you don't know what #1 is, well, really??
Its justa scam for some rich peeps to make more money. Im sure they will do what everyone else is doing…put it on Dvd and off public croadcasting. Soon Reading Rainbow will be available in Walmart like everything else.
this was the first show , I fell asleep in class watching…i was in 1st grade 1986. I am sad though, because now my kids can't follow in my footsteps..
I used to love that show. How sad!
Re: RebeccaGrace – Preach it!!! Im gonna miss Reading Rainbow.
It was the main reason i began reading before i started kindergarten.