'Reading Rainbow' is getting a reboot but without LeVar Burton

'Reading Rainbow' is getting a reboot but without LeVar Burton

Transcript¹

Reading Rainbow is about to get a reboot tailored to a generation of kids who rarely get their entertainment from broadcast TV. Streaming live this Sunday on the platform Looped, Reading Rainbow Live is described as an interactive² "event" full of music, dancing and games.

One glaring omission³: LeVar Burton who helped make the brand famous.

"Butterflies in the sky..." was the musical cue for young fans that another episode of the original Reading Rainbow was about to start. Beginning in 1983, the PBS series was on the air for more than 20 years, winning multiple Emmys and a Peabody Award.

This time around, Reading Rainbow Live will be hosted by a handful of 20 somethings, dubbed⁴ The Rainbows. Creative director Amy Guglielmo says young viewers will be able to interact with the cast. "We have an opportunity through Looped to have kids pop in from home, sort of like a souped up Zoom⁵ party," she says.

Sunday's event is produced by Buffalo⁶ Toronto Public Media, the umbrella for WNED, the same PBS station behind the original. Executive Vice⁷ President Nancy Hammond says this reboot will not be broadcast. "Kids generally don't sit down in front of a television to watch TV at an appointed time," says Hammond, "Kids are watching content on mobile devices. They're streaming it on their tablets."

Meeting kids where they are is something LeVar Burton understood a decade ago. After the TV show was canceled, Burton signed a licensing⁸ agreement with WNED to develop digital products for the Reading Rainbow brand. Through his company RRKidz, he launched the Reading Rainbow app. Then he began a Kickstarter campaign under the banner "Bring Reading Rainbow Back." Within 24 hours the campaign reached its goal of $1 million. At the time, it was the most backed Kickstarter campaign ever. It ended up raising more than $5 million.

In the Kickstarter campaign's FAQ, Burton wrote that the extra money raised would bring Reading Rainbow to more kids: "And no matter how much the Kickstarter raises, ALL of the money will be spent on the same two goals: making Reading Rainbow accessible EVERYWHERE (on as many platforms and devices as possible), and to EVERY CHILD (by providing free subscriptions⁹ to US/Canadian classrooms that can't afford it)."

But the folks at WNED did not share Burton's excitement. They sued him, alleging¹⁰ contract and trademark¹¹ violations¹². They said he created new Reading Rainbow episodes and talked to Netflix without their permission. They even took issue with the fact that he was still using the catch phrase, "But, you don't have to take my word for it."

After a couple of years of bitter legal battles, the parties settled. Burton changed the name of his company to LeVar Burton Kids.

It's not clear how all of the Kickstarter money has been used. Burton started Skybrary, a digital library of books and videos which today is operated by the nonprofit Reading Is Fundamental. And he's got a podcast called LeVar Burton Reads. Burton declined to be interviewed.

Meantime, WNED is set to bring Reading Rainbow Live to a new generation with a new cast, a new theme song and a new platform.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

3 omission   

n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长

参考例句：

• The omission of the girls was unfair.把女孩排除在外是不公平的。
• The omission of this chapter from the third edition was a gross oversight.第三版漏印这一章是个大疏忽。

4 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

6 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

9 subscriptions   

n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助

参考例句：

• Subscriptions to these magazines can be paid in at the post office. 这些杂志的订阅费可以在邮局缴纳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Payment of subscriptions should be made to the club secretary. 会费应交给俱乐部秘书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

11 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。