The classic PBS children’s show Reading Rainbow is officially back, with the series securing a 24-episode pickup.
Sony Pictures Television and Buffalo Toronto Public Media announced the pickup Monday.
Mychal Threets, known as Mychal the Librarian on social media, will return as host, with Sesame Street and Ms. Rachel veteran Kristen McGregor joining the show as executive producer and showrunner.
The show was revived last year with four digital episodes (20 years after the original incarnation hosted by LeVar Burton signed off the air) as a series for the Sony-owned YouTube channel KudZuko, garnering some 4.8 million views.
While KidZuko will continue to get exclusive shortened episodes of the show, SPT is taking it to market, seeking to sell the 24-episode season to a TV network or streaming service. The company says talks are already underway.
The four-episode revival featured guest appearances from Rylee Arnold (Dancing with the Stars), Ezra Sosa (Dancing with the Stars), Bellen Woodard (author for the children’s book “More Than Peach”), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), with Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam DeVine, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen among the celebrities narrating books featured in the show.
The new season will feature many more celebrities and books, SPT says.
In addition to McGregor, the series is executive produced by Michael Davies (Jeopardy!) for Sony’s Embassy Row, Tom Calderone and Nancy Hammond for Buffalo Toronto Public Media.
The revival also marks something of a win for public media, after funding for the Corporate for Public Broadcasting was cut by the Trump administration last year. The Buffalo, New York-based public media station will benefit from having Reading Rainbow revived, providing a new revenue source once a buyer is found.
“When I saw the response to the relaunch of Reading Rainbow and the enthusiasm for Mychal as host, it was clear there is a passionate audience that truly values educational children’s programming,” said Michael Davies, executive producer and president of Embassy Row. “This series offers more than entertainment—it empowers viewers through reading, which feels especially critical at a time when literacy rates are in historic decline. I’m incredibly excited to welcome Kristen and her expertise as we continue to evolve the show and discover what new magic Reading Rainbow can bring.”
“We’ve been working for several years to bring Reading Rainbow back, and Michael Davies and Embassy Row have been the ideal partners to help make that vision a reality,” added Tom Calderone, CEO and president of Buffalo Toronto Public Media. “Seeing the impact these first four episodes have already had confirms that the timing is right — and that evolving the series for today’s audiences is both necessary and meaningful.”
