LeVar Burton Is Receiving One Of The Most Prestigious Awards Ever
LeVar Burton is receiving a highly prestigious award, one of the biggest out there. And it's totally deserving considering his work.
This article is more than 2 years old
LeVar Burton has been helping children discover the magic of books since the Reading Rainbow debuted in 1983. Now, the multi-talented personality is being honored for his efforts in the most fitting way. For 23 years of educational programming brilliance, the Star Trek alum will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s newly expanded Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. The prize will be a great addition to the 12 Daytime Emmys the 65-year-old has won over his career.
Including the Children’s & Family Emmy Award categories at the event is the first expansion in the competition since 1979. The move is part of a previously announced realignment of the Daytime and Primetime Emmys, TV Line reports. Additionally, after holding virtual ceremonies in 2020 and 2021, every event hosted by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will be held in person this year. This means fans get to see LeVar Burton and other honorees accept their awards in the traditional glamorous setting.
From acting to hosting and even directing – Levar Burton can pretty much do it all. While most fans may know him best for his work on Star Trek, some of his recognition comes from his performance in Roots. The rest is attributed to the Reading Rainbow, which he not only starred in but also produced. The popular kids’ series originally aired on PBS from 1983 to 2006, with reruns continuing to air until late 2009.
Each 30-minute episode was designed to encourage a love of reading among children and began with a catchy theme song. The show would feature a different children’s picture book which was often read by someone famous. This segment was followed by a child giving viewers his or her review of the book. In the end, LeVar Burton would sign off with a friendly “I’ll see you next time.” As such, the Reading Rainbow became the perfect heartwarming series for book lovers for over two decades.
When the Reading Rainbow got canceled in 2006, it was not the final chapter. LeVar Burton began a Kickstarter campaign called “Bring Reading Rainbow Back” in an attempt to launch the series as an app. Within 24 hours the campaign reached its goal of $1 million and ended up raising more than $5 million. The interactive application promised to offer schools free access to a library of classic books and video field trips.
Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with Levar Burton’s attempt to keep the Reading Rainbow alive. The actor was sued for alleged contract and trademark violations, NPR reports. The network said he created new episodes and held talks with Netflix without their permission. They even had a problem with him using the “You don’t have to take my word for it” catchphrase. The series is reportedly being rebooted as Reading Rainbow Live, and will be hosted by a group of young adults called “The Rainbows.”
Meanwhile, fans catch watch LeVar Burton receiving his well-deserved Lifetime Achievement prize at the 1st Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. The star-studded event will be held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles on December 11th.
