Reading Rainbow Cancelled

1. Edward
   August 29th, 2009 at 12:03 am

   Isn't it a little far into the Obama administration to be blaming Bush?

   As for the show, I still prefer Captain Kangaroo.

2. Kat2
   August 29th, 2009 at 12:44 am

   It was *cancelled* (i.e. stopped producing new episodes) in 2006. The reason it's going around again now is because PBS is taking the reruns off the air.

3. Josh
   August 29th, 2009 at 12:51 am

   I remember watching these back in the late 80s. I looked it up and they only have 155 episodes. Less than 7 episodes a year must have meant a lot of reruns so I can understand why it is being cancelled. If you watch a single episodes 60 times I sure anyone would be tired of it. Especially when they stopped making episodes in 2006.

4. Bat21
   August 29th, 2009 at 1:29 am

   That NPR article was a big load of BS. Reading Rainbow ceased production in January 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Rainbow#Last_years). The past 2 years, PBS stations have aired reruns. Rainbow's parent station, WNED Buffalo, got greedy and asked too much money for the broadcast rights.

5. SenorMysterioso
   August 29th, 2009 at 1:41 am

   Butterfly in the sky...

   

   Jill, this post isnt really correct

6. LisaL
   August 29th, 2009 at 1:49 am

   I remember waaaay back in the day. In the 4th grade, the 'good' students got to take their lunches back to the classroom to eat and watch Reading Rainbow. We would all sit there and sing along w/ the song. Sigh, good ole days.

7. emmiline
   August 29th, 2009 at 2:16 am

   aww
   i just saw an episode on the other day that i had first seen when i was little-like 4 years old little.

   it was the one with the book about the spider that lived on a head of lettus and almost got washed down the drain.

   i had always kind of hoped it would be around for my little ones to watch...like sesame street.

8. felixthecat
   August 29th, 2009 at 3:31 am

   Oh, boo-hoo! According to reports, viewership for this program has fallen steadily and dramatically over the past several years. As has been pointed out, this is because of the intolerable number of reruns, and not because of the big, bad Bush. He can be rightfully blamed for many things, but not for this. How many times can one watch "Tar Beach"?

9. Skipweasel
   August 29th, 2009 at 4:48 am

   Do re-runs matter for children's programming? After all, it's not as if they stay interested past a couple of years in any one thing anyway.

   I could never understand why the Telletubbies had to be superceded by something else[1] when the target audience has moved on to pastures new and a whole new set of goggling eyes waits eagerly for the Noonoo's every slurp.

   Our two were watching The Clangers, Bagpuss and 1940s Popeye the other day.

   [1] Unless it's parents with more than one child start to climb the walls.

10. Babycakes
    August 29th, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Isn't reading rainbow on DVD? Why not just get the DVD or whatever and watch them?

11. Gauldar
    August 29th, 2009 at 11:26 am

    But you don't have to take Babycake's word for it!

12. pwscott
    August 29th, 2009 at 11:26 am

    Here in Gerogia we get to see the Rainbow around 6am. No wonder it lacks viewers. As far as condeming Bush, I agree. As pointed out this was cancelled in 2006. During the Bush administration.

13. Ant Dude
    August 29th, 2009 at 11:34 am

    

14. BlessedBlogger
    August 29th, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    I don't know, or care, why it won't be airing anymore. I'm just sad that it's gone. It was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

15. JL Picard
    August 29th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    Reading Rainbow ruined Star Trek Enterprise for me. I'm glad it's cancelled.

16. Jack C.
    August 29th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    Edward
    August 29th, 2009 at 12:03 am
    Isn’t it a little far into the Obama administration to be blaming Bush?

    As for the show, I still prefer Captain Kangaroo.
    ----------

    $12 Billion a month for BUSH'S Iraq war... War not Education was Bush's choice... As far as Cpt. K.... you're one too?

17. Jill Harness
    August 29th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    emmiline
    I remember that one!

18. Don Newbury
    August 29th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    I'm 54 years old and I loved this show. There was always something interesting on it along with the fact that they prodded kids to read, which is always a good thing. But to blame Bush? That's a stretch and I hated the guy. I think it's time for PBS to get it's act together and stop begging for money ALL OF THE TIME. If they show that doo-wop special again, I'm going to scream. No wonder nobody watches it.

19. danoso
    August 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    Sure thing, Jack C. I guess the continuation of rape rooms and of sending your opponents feet first through industrial plastic shredders would be a small price to pay for kids programming.

20. R00B0y
    August 29th, 2009 at 7:39 pm

    maybe PBS should just run "Death to Smoochy" over and over again.. after all the little kiddie need an education from somewhere

21. ted
    August 29th, 2009 at 8:13 pm

    Wow, maybe they need a new version of Godwin's Law.

    In fact, I think I'll call it Ted's Law. If something bad happened, people eventually start blaming ex-President Bush for it.

22. luigimacaroni
    August 29th, 2009 at 9:13 pm

    So? Who sez kidz need to no how to reed?

23. larob
    August 29th, 2009 at 9:40 pm

    Bush did it. I think he also makes the armpits of my t-shirts turn yellow. Damn his diabolical schemes.

24. Gauldar
    August 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am

    @Ted

    Great idea, I'll start by saying Hitler was as bad as Bush.

25. Frau
    August 30th, 2009 at 11:25 am

    what a shame to see it go. I knew it was struggling a few years back when LeVar Burton had done an interview. It's prospects for returning were not ggod then. And I guess that was about the time it went off the air.
    Just the other morning I saw the episode of where he got a custom made jacket.

26. arcadia
    August 30th, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    I loved this show growing up, and I'm glad to have been able to let my eldest child watch it too. He loves the books they feature, and some of the stories have become family favourites. I'm sad my daughter won't be able to enjoy the show too. I'll have to look for the DVD's the next time I'm in the States.

27. anjii
    September 9th, 2009 at 3:01 am

    I fully agree that reruns aren't an issue. Me and my 4 1/2 year old have been watching the reruns daily for about 6 months now, and were just getting out of the 80s. By the time we looped back to the beginning, he would've either forgotten it, or been excited to see it again. (I know I love rewatching shows I enjoyed... isn't that the purpose of the whole TV on DVD market?) And as far as Reading Rainbow DVDs go, I searched this out in my desperation to keep this alive in our house. The DVDs are one episode each, at $30 a pop, or the whole series on "sale" for $3800 and change... Yikes!!! Check out my blog for my full view on the issue...

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