Millions of children grew up watching reading the rainbowand in the new documentary butterfly in the sky, available now on Netflix, we can relive those childhood memories. The show is a loving story of the creation and evolution of the show, from its beginnings to the casting of LeVar Burton, and reveals some juicy details about the making of certain episodes and the involvement of some of the celebrities who guest starred on the show. program. . While fans of the original series will likely love the insight and retrospective moments, the documentary could also attract new fans of the show, now that many of the show’s stories and selected full episodes are available on Youtube.
BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Initial shot: LeVar Burton, the actor and longtime host of reading the rainbowsits quietly in an armchair in a library and reads a children’s book amazing graceby Mary Hoffman.”This is amazing grace. This was one of my favorite episodes of reading the rainbow,” he says.
The essence: The words “butterfly in the sky” may not mean much to some people, but for those of us who grew up when the PBS series reading the rainbow was at its peak, represent four words that manage to transport us to childhood as the opening lyrics of the main theme of the program. The show, which ran for 26 years, was hosted by LeVar Burton and featured many famous guests, visits to exotic locations, and reviews of children’s books. Working together, those things were combined with one main purpose: to instill a love of reading in both children and adults.
butterfly in the sky It incorporates interviews with Burton and many of the team members who made the show, as well as several “Book Review Kids” to tell the story of the show’s origin. It’s easy to forget that LeVar Burton was on the most watched television show of all time up to that point in the United States. Estateso when he was chosen as the host of reading the rainbowhe was already a major star, one the producers didn’t think they’d ever get.
At the time that reading the rainbow was developing, many educators were concerned that television would draw children away from books, so with Burton on board, the mission was to use the medium to get children excited about reading. This documentary delves into every aspect of the show’s creation, speaking with creators Cecily Truett Lancit, Larry Lancit, Twila Liggett and Tony Buttino about their early collaboration, the origins of its unforgettable theme song, written by Steve Horelick and sung by Tina . Fabrique and the inclusion in the show of celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg (who co-produced this documentary), James Earl Jones and Run DMC to narrate stories and perform on the show.
And while we remember the show for its promotion of books and reading, the documentary points out how quietly subversive and progressive the show’s vision was in the way it handled issues like inclusion and persity, as well as the way it addressed issues difficulties such as homelessness. and September 11. (In one memorable story, Liggett recalls that a Southern state pulled an episode featuring the birth of a baby from its programming because the program included the baby emerging from her mother, believing the content to be inappropriate.) Ultimately, the show went off the air. after 26 years when it lost funding, something that clearly still hurts many of the people involved in its making.
What shows will it remind you of? Typically, the only place we can see documentaries about the making of a TV show is as DVD extras or TV specials that air when a series ends for good. But butterfly in the sky It also reminded me of Behind the music, and it made me wonder why someone hasn’t made a TV series that delves into the origins and making of beloved TV shows.
Our opinion: butterfly in the sky does the trick of not only being entertaining and nostalgic in its own right, but also making us immediately want to go back and revisit it. reading the rainbow. While the show gets a straightforward documentary treatment, there is a lot of unlikely material that makes us appreciate the original show even more. There’s a particularly creepy story about the time the crew filmed in a cave full of 60 million bats (and millions of worms) for one episode, and another story about getting the perfect (slightly dangerous) shot in Hawaii when the Mount Kilauea erupted.
While the documentary is an entertaining overview of the show and Burton’s career as a host, it’s clear that this show was, first and foremost, a labor of love and a passion project for everyone involved. That they were able to do it for 26 years seems like a miracle, but towards the end of its run, when funds finally ran out, it’s obvious that it wasn’t anyone on the team’s decision to pull the plug, and they probably still would. They would make it if they could. While it was truly a show of its time, it was also ahead of its time and this documentary pays tribute to what it meant to its young viewers and its lasting legacy.
Parting Shot: Many of the original show’s crew interviewees sing the theme song, and then a clip from an old episode of the show plays, with Burton saying goodbye and telling viewers, “See you next time.”
Performance worth seeing: It’s an obvious choice to say LeVar Burton, but I found his personal story and career path to be one of the most interesting parts of this special, because we forget how popular he was at different points in his career and how much he had to juggle to remain the host of reading the rainbow while working on other projects.
Memorable dialogue: “reading the rainbow It wasn’t about learning to read, it was about loving reading,” Ed Wiseman, one of the program’s directors, explained from the beginning.
Our call: STREAM IT! It would have been enough to watch a few clips from a beloved old show and learn how it was made, but there was clearly an emotional resonance and catharsis for some of the show’s creators who appear here to talk about their love of making. reading the rainbowand appears in the final edition.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show. Chain reaction.
