LeVar BurtonFilmography

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Actors: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Clancy Brown

Synopsis: Lex Luthor has been elected President of the United States, he's using an earthbound Kryptonite asteroid as grounds for declaring a $1 billion bounty on the heads of Superman and Batman. Now, the two heroes must team up to save both the planet and their own necks. They can't do it on their own Read More

Reach for Me

Crew: Director

Actors: Alfre Woodard, Seymour Cassel

Synopsis: LeVar Burton writes, directs, and stars in this drama set in a hospice, and following two patients who realize how to live and love as they begin the dying process. Alfre Woodard and Seymour Cassel star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide Read More

Rwanda Rising

Actors: Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett, Jr., LeVar Burton

Charmed: Extreme Makeover: World Edition

Crew: Director

Actors: Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, Kerr Smith, Rebecca Balding, Oded Fehr

Synopsis: The Avatars proceed with their plan to create a utopian society by subjecting the entire world, and its population, to a complete makeover. With the help of Leo (Brian Krause), this transformation is imposed upon the Charmed Ones as well. But can it be that the Avatars' vision of the future is not Read More

Miracle's Boys

Crew: Director

Actors: Sean Nelson, Pooch Hall, Julito McCullum

Synopsis: Miracle's Boys tells the tale of African-American brothers who must survive many daily stresses by trusting, relying on, and loving each other. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide Read More

The N Word

Synopsis: The biggest names in show business come together to offer their opinions on one of the most inflammatory words in the English language in filmmaker Todd Williams' revealing and thought-provoking documentary. In its long and complex history, the word "nigger" has gone from a cutting and derogatory Read More

Blizzard

Crew: Composer (Music Score), Director

Actors: Brittany Bristow, Brenda Blethyn, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Pollak, Zoë Warner

Synopsis: A young girl still saddened by the decision of her best friend's family to move away learns an important life lesson about change from her eccentric aunt in this family-friendly holiday tale directed by LeVar Burton and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Pollak, Christopher Plummer, and Zoë Warner. Read More

Star Trek: Nemesis

Actors: Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jude Ciccolella, Jonathan Frakes, Shannon Cochran, Alan Dale

Synopsis: The tenth film in Paramount's highly lucrative sci-fi franchise is also positioned as the last for the entire original Next Generation crew. En route to the honeymoon of William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on her home planet of Betazed, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart Read More

Ali

Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver

Synopsis: Notoriously obsessive director Michael Mann and star Will Smith devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of Columbia Pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great Muhammad Ali, which focuses on the ten-year period of 1964-1974. In that time Read More

Reading Rainbow: My America - A Poetry Atlas of the United States

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series has won many awards for encouraging young children to read for pleasure. Using an effective magazine format, each program includes a featured book, visits to sites related to the show's topic, and interviews, dramatizations, and reviews of other books by youngsters. It Read More

Reading Rainbow: Pet Stories You Don't Have to Walk

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: This series continues to present excellent books and related activities designed to promote literacy in young children. Several stories about pets are told in Reading Rainbow: Pet Stories: You Don't Have to Walk, as LeVar Burton shares hosting duties with his dog, Roy. They go to the U-Wash-Doggie Read More

Reading Rainbow: Badger's Parting Gifts

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Helping children cope with the loss of a loved one is the topic of this episode of the award-winning series Reading Rainbow. In the story, Badger's animal friends are all sad when he's gone, but begin to discuss their memories, and realize that he will always be a part of them. The program brings Read More

Reading Rainbow: Lemonade for Sale

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Each episode of the Reading Rainbow series presents a feature book read by a celebrity or other well-known figure, an off-site segment or two, occasional additional stories, and other entertaining and educational activities related to the topic of the program. This episode is centered around math Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Shaman's Apprentice - A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this provocative story from the heart of the rain forest, Lynn Cherry has adapted the true experiences of Mark J. Plotkin's Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice for young readers. Cherry's book, featured in Reading Rainbow: The Shaman's Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest follows the life of Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Q2

Crew: Director

Actors: Roxann Dawson

Synopsis: John de Lancie returns as the mercurial life force Q, this time with his troublesome son Q2 (played by de Lancie's real-life son, Keegan de Lancie) in tow. Having gone from infant to adolescent in only four years, Q2's personality hasn't quite matured to the level of his physiology, and before Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Homestead

Crew: Director

Actors: Roxann Dawson

Synopsis: Tracing the source of some Talaxian messages, Neelix (Ethan Phillips) locates a colony of his own people on an asteroid -- which happens to be in the thick of a devastating war fomented by greedy miners. Now he is forced to make a momentous choice between his Neelix heritage and his loyalty to Read More

Star Trek: Enterprise [TV Series]

Crew: Director

Synopsis: The fifth weekly TV series in the indefatigable Star Trek franchise, Enterprise took the viewer "back to where it all began" (or so read the promotional copy). Set 100 years in the future -- yet still 150 years before the "original" Star Trek series -- the new show charted the origins of the Read More

Dancing in September

Actors: James Avery, Nicole Ari Parker, Michael Cavanaugh, Marcia Cross, Jenifer Lewis, Vicellous Shannon, Jay Underwood, Isaiah Washington, Malinda Williams

Synopsis: Reggie Rock Bythewood makes his directorial debut with this sharp comedy-drama about love, compromise, and TV. The film opens with the parallel childhoods of Tomasina "Tommy" Crawford (Nicole Ari Parker) and George Washington (Isaiah Washington). Both were utterly shaped by television -- watching Roots Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Live Fast and Prosper

Crew: Director

Actors: Roxann Dawson

Synopsis: Intergalactic con artists Dela (Kaitlin Hopkins) and Mobar (Greg Daniel) hit upon a scheme to cheat various unfortunates out of crucial supplies. Using a seemingly endless array of disguise materials, the two crooks pose as Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and other members of the Voyager crew. In order to Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Nightingale

Crew: Director

Actors: Roxann Dawson

Synopsis: Eager to assume his first command, Ensign Kim (Garrett Wang) jumps at the chance to take charge of a Kraylor medical ship. In addition to the customary duties as skipper, Kim is also (apparently) responsible for the future of an entire alien race. Unfortunately, the euphoria of power is too much Read More

Smart House

Crew: Director

Actors: Ryan Merriman, Katey Sagal, Kevin Kilner, Jessica Steen

Synopsis: Ryan Merriman, Katey Sagal and Kevin Kilner star in this comedy from Disney about a single father and his two children who win an unusual prize in a sweepstakes -- a state-of-the-art computer controlled house in which everything can be easily controlled with the touch of a keypad. Directed by LaVar Burton Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Emperor's New Cloak

Crew: Director

Star Trek: Insurrection

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn

Synopsis: Star Trek: Insurrection manages to recall the original 1960s series' spirit of liberalism, while transcending it for sheer boldness, embracing issues that are on the political cutting edge in the 1990s and beyond. The fact that the first 30 minutes are presented as a mystery only makes the Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Timeless

Crew: Director

Actors: Rick Berman, Roxann Dawson, Brannon Braga, Joe Menosky

Reading Rainbow: Math Cure

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: To her frustration, a young girl finds that math is everywhere in Reading Rainbow: Math Cure, another in the series of programs encouraging children to read for fun. The humorous story is written by Jon Scieszka and read by Michelle Trachtenberg. Can math really influence everything in modern Read More

Reading Rainbow: My Life with the Wave

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: An ordinary child might bring home a stray kitten or dog, but what happens when a little boy brings a small wave back to his house? The comical results are shown in Reading Rainbow: My Life With the Wave, another in the series that shows students in the primary grades how much fun reading can be. Read More

Reading Rainbow: Worksong

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Young viewers gain a broader understanding of the working world in this Reading Rainbow episode. The featured book, Worksong, written by Gary Paulsen and read by David Canary, honors working people like nurses, farmers, soldiers, and office workers. The program examines a range of jobs, as host Read More

Tiger Woods: Son, Hero & Champion

Crew: Director

Actors: Khalil Kain, Keith David, Freda Foh Shen

Synopsis: The extraordinary private and professional life of the 1990's greatest young golfer Tiger Woods provides the subject for this biographical feature. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: When Aunt Lena Did the Rhumba

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Aunt Lena is confined to her bed after falling down doing the rhumba, her niece decides to do something to cheer her up. The feature book, When Aunt Lena Did the Rhumba, written by Eileen Kurtis-Kleinman and read by Lucie Arnaz, tells how she puts on a version of a Broadway musical for her Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Resurrection

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Kira is shocked beyond words when her slain lover Bareil (Philip Anglim) suddenly appears on DS9. It soon develops that this is actually the alternate-universe version of Bareil, and that he has shown up seeking asylum. Nonetheless, Kira finds herself falling love with the duplicate Bareil until Read More

Reading Rainbow: On the Day You Were Born

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The excitement surrounding the birth of a child is the focus of Reading Rainbow: On the Day You Were Born, as viewers can follow the progress of a pregnant couple two weeks before the delivery date. As the anticipation builds, the Estes family makes preparations to welcome a baby into their world Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Carousel

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this program, the featured book by Liz Rosenberg concerns two siblings coping with the loss of their mother. As they reminisce, her legacy is revealed. Host LeVar Burton explores the topic of legacies with a group of youngsters and meets a woman who plans to teach her art of quilt-making to her Read More

Reading Rainbow: Giving Thanks - A Native America Good Morning Message

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Native Americans have traditionally lived in harmony with the Earth, and have rituals that include a show of gratitude for what the Earth has given them in the way of food, shelter, and other needs. In Reading Rainbow: Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, young viewers will learn Read More

Trekkies

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, science-fiction editor Art Saha coined the term "trekkies" when he saw a few fans of Star Trek's first season wearing pointy ears. Today, the word is found in the Oxford dictionary, and aficionados of the long-run series have seen their subculture achieve stratospheric status. In Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: The Raven

Crew: Director

Actors: Roxann Dawson

Reading Rainbow: Regina's Big Mistake

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Regina sets out to create a picture of a rain forest, she makes mistakes, but keeps trying till success is achieved. The story by Marissa Moss is the principal book in Reading Rainbow: Regina's Big Mistake, and is read by Anna Holbrook. Viewers can observe host LeVar Burton's attempt to Read More

Reading Rainbow: Saturday Sancocho

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When money is scarce, Maria and her mother swap their eggs for the necessary ingredients to make chicken sancocho. Saturday Sancocho, story and pictures by Leyla Torres, is the impetus for host LeVar Burton to venture to an auction to find out about the value placed on goods. There's a good deal Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Behind the Lines

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Still on board the Dominion-controlled DS9 (now renamed Terok Nor), Kira, Jake, Rom, and Odo continue their campaign to turn the Cardassians against the Dominion and vice versa. When Odo rejects Kira's latest strategy, she begins to doubt his loyalty. It turns out that she has good reason to do Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Soldiers of the Empire

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Freshly escaped from a Dominion prison, Klingon General Martok (J.G. Hertzler) is assigned to a rescue mission. Bringing Worf and Dax along, Martok assumes command of the Klingon Bird of Prey Rotarron and sets out to fulfill his orders. But as the mission drags on, Worf comes to the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bread is for Eating

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Bread is central to the diet of many cultures throughout the world, with some groups regarding the breadmaking process as a bonding exercise. The story in this episode, Reading Rainbow: Bread Is for Eating deals with all the steps involved with making bread, beginning with the planting of the Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Engagement

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Worf undergoes an extradition hearing to determine if he should stand trial on his home planet. The Klingon Empire has charged Worf with firing upon a civilian transport and killing 444 passengers. Presiding over the hearing is merciless Klingon Advocate Ch'Pok (Ron Canada), who intends to prove Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Bar Association

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Rebelling against Quark's obstreperous management tactics, his employees walk out on him. The situation is exacerbated when Quark's own brother Rom defies Ferengi tradition and organizes the employees into a union. Magnanimously offering to break up the subsequent strike, Liquidator Brunt (Jeffrey Combs Read More

Reading Rainbow: Fly Away Home

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Daniel Saltzman reads the featured book Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, which deals with homelessness in a sensitive manner. A boy and his father seek shelter in an airport, hoping that no one will suspect their true situation. Despite his circumstances, the boy is optimistic. Host LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Always My Dad

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series has won many awards for its efforts to inspire children to read. It offers famous people reading featured picture books, as well as lively, entertaining trips and performances to enhance the material. In Reading Rainbow: Always My Dad, the subject involves families, and Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Things Past

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Mysteriously rendered unconscious, Sisko, Dax, Oro, and Garak awaken to find themselves on an alternate DS9, seven years in the past. This is daunting enough, but even more perplexing is the physical state in which the four crew members awaken. Though they appear "normal" to one another, to Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Dreadnought

Crew: Director

Synopsis: This Star Trek: Voyager episode is from the popular show's second season. While Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) struggles to convince the computer on an old Cardassian weapon not to blow up the peaceful planet of Rakosa, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assists by warning the people Read More

Star Trek: First Contact

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn

Synopsis: The first "Trek" film to feature the cast of the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series without any of the members of the original series, this action-packed hit was well received at the box office. The Federation comes under attack by its ongoing enemy, the Borg, a cybernetics-enhanced race Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: To the Death

Crew: Director

Synopsis: A rogue band of Jem'Hadar attacks DS9, prompting Sisko to mount a counteroffensive. While pursuing their assailants into the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko and his officers rescue a Jem'Har squadron that has also been attacked by the renegades. Despite the rescuees' avowed loyalty to the Dominion, Sisko Read More

Reading Rainbow: Owen

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the title story, Owen is a mouse who doesn't want to part with his "blankie." Host LeVar Burton recalls his early childhood days, when he also had a favorite blanket, and endured moments of jealousy regarding his sibling. He discusses the challenges in facing transitions for the very young and Read More

Reading Rainbow: Someplace Else

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, the featured story, Someplace Else, tells about Mrs. Tilby, a woman who seeks a more exciting place to live than her own little town. She visits many locales before settling on the solution that is perfect for her needs. Host LeVar Burton discusses Read More

Reading Rainbow: Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: An exploration of music is the focus of this Reading Rainbow episode, as host LeVar Burton visits the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City. The members of the Chamber Orchestra, who are between 8 and 18 years old, offer commentary on what it takes to be a musician in an Read More

Reading Rainbow: Uncle Jed's Barber Shop

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The award-winning Reading Rainbow series points out the virtues of reading for pleasure, while also addressing important social and cultural topics for young children. In Uncle Jed's Barber Shop by Margaree King Mitchell, Uncle Jed has always wanted to have his own barber shop, but there were Read More

Reading Rainbow: Hot-Air Henry

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Henry the Siamese cat hops on board a hot-air balloon, he is in for the time of his life. Henry's flight inspires LeVar Burton to try the experience himself, and he takes off in a colorful balloon too. In Reading Rainbow: Hot-Air Henry, he also goes to National Space Camp to find out what is Read More

Reading Rainbow: Hotel Animal

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The disadvantages of being small are discussed in Reading Rainbow: Hotel Animal, and young viewers are sure to be able to relate to the experiences offered in the program. Math concepts are part of the fun, as workers from the Matchbox car company talk about how cars are scaled down for their Read More

Reading Rainbow: How Much Is a Million?

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series has won many awards, including honors from parents and educators' associations as well as multiple Emmys. In addition to encouraging young children to read, it makes them more aware of important cultural and social issues in the world. Reading Rainbow: How Much Is a Read More

Star Trek: Voyager: Ex Post Facto

Crew: Director

Reading Rainbow: The Wonderful Towers of Watts

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In addition to promoting reading for children, the Reading Rainbow series frequently addresses contemporary sociological and cultural issues in a manner that young viewers can understand. The featured book in this episode, The Wonderful Towers of Watts, written by Patricia Zelver and read by Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Indiscretion

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Six years after the disappearance of a Cardassian war ship, parts of the vessel are found floating in space. Hoping to ascertain the whereabouts of the Bajoran prisoners who were being transported by the ship, Kira reluctantly joins forces with Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), who, it turns out, has an Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Sign Painter's Dream

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Crabby Clarence normally is not a generous person, but the apple lady and the ghost of George Washington convince him otherwise in this episode of Reading Rainbow: The Sign Painter's Dream. His story was written by Roger Roth and is read by Jamie Farr. LeVar Burton visits a sign company to Read More

Reading Rainbow: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured book of this episode is written by Marjorie Priceman, and read by Helen Mirren. When a pie maker cannot buy the ingredients needed to make an apple pie at the market, she takes an international journey to find them all. Chef Curtis Aikens shows LeVar Burton some basic cooking skills Read More

Reading Rainbow: Archibald Frisby

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: In this highly acclaimed series hosted by LeVar Burton, youngsters are encouraged to participate in the fun of reading. Each episode features a picture book, usually read by a celebrity, with activities and field trips related to the subject. In addition to the main story, other books are Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Furry News - How to Make a Newspaper

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this program, young viewers will learn about newspapers and how they are produced. Reading Rainbow: Furry News: How to Make a Newspaper is another in the popular series that encourages kids to read for pleasure. The featured book is full of facts about the steps involved in the making of a Read More

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Sword of Kahless

Crew: Director

Synopsis: John Colicos guest stars as Kor, a legendary Klingon warrior. With a worshipful Worf and a reluctant Dax in tow, Kor begins a search for the Sword of Kahless, an Excalibur-like ancient artifact which may have the power to unite the Klingon Empire. In the course of the quest, Worf becomes possessed Read More

Reading Rainbow: Martha Speaks

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: This episode of the award-winning Reading Rainbow series might start a discussion among students regarding what their pets might say if only they could talk. LeVar Burton's dog Duke hosts the show and takes a field trip around his neighborhood. The featured book, Martha Speaks, concerns a dog who Read More

Reading Rainbow: Alejandro's Gift

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: The purpose of the Reading Rainbow series is to make reading fun for youngsters. Each episode features a picture book, a field trip related to the story, and activities to help kids appreciate the worlds that can be opened through books. In Reading Rainbow: Alejandro's Gift, viewers will learn Read More

Star Trek Generations

Actors: Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner

Synopsis: The seventh Star Trek feature passed the torch to a new crew. Decades after the original "Trek," the skipper of the fourth USS Enterprise is Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who investigates a massacre at a science outpost. The only survivor is Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowall), who Read More

Reading Rainbow: Summer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: For many people, summer is a favorite time of year, bringing long, warm days and time off from school or work. The featured book in this episode of Reading Rainbow is Summer, written by Ron Hirschi and read by Ossie Davis. The program offers a look at how the seasons differ according to the region Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Pegasus

Crew: Director

Synopsis: Terry O'Quinn guest-stars as Riker's former commander Pressman. Now an admiral, Pressman orders the Enterprise to embark upon a risky, an unexplained mission. Learning the true nature of the mission, Riker is sworn to silence by Pressman, whereupon another "duty vs. loyalty" crisis looms Read More

Parallel Lives

Synopsis: Directed by Linda Yellen, this made-for-cable movie originally aired on the Showtime network and featured a star-studded cast including Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and James Belushi. The plot centers around several fraternity and sorority graduates who have decided to regroup at their alma mater. Read More

Reading Rainbow: Applemando's Dreams

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: Michael Learned reads the featured story of Appelemando's Dreams by Patricia Polacco, as the series continues to bring books alive for young children. Host LeVar Burton discusses art and painting, and the creative process. He interviews an artist whose medium is chalk, and talks with a group of Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Lotus Seed

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In addition to presenting the positive aspects of reading for young people, the Reading Rainbow series also explores thought-provoking issues related to different cultures. This episode's featured book is Lotus Seed, written by Sherry Garland and read by Rona Figueroa. In the story, a young girl Read More

Reading Rainbow: Hail to Mail

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The mystery of how mail gets from one point to another is the focus of Reading Rainbow: Hail to Mail, as viewers get a good look at the U.S. postal system. The featured story is read by Al Roker, and concerns the journey of a certified letter from sender to recipient. The award-winning series of Read More

Reading Rainbow: Borreguita and the Coyote

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this popular series of programs aimed at preschool through fourth grade children, the many pleasures of reading are emphasized. Reading Rainbow: Borreguita and the Coyote is the story of how a lamb outsmarts a coyote, and host LeVar Burton gives the show a Mexican-American flavor. He explores Read More

Reading Rainbow: My Shadow

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: This episode in the Reading Rainbow series explores the world of shadows. The featured book, My Shadow, inspires the crew to look at how shadows can affect work and play. A guest on the show, Andrea Davis, explains how people in the arts, especially photographers like her, are very aware of the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Ruth Law Thrills a Nation

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Ruth Law is unable to find anyone in America to teach her how to fly, she goes to France for training in Ruth Law Thrills a Nation, written and illustrated by Don Brown and read by Linda Lavin. She becomes the first African-American woman to be licensed for flight, and learns stunt flying as Read More

Reading Rainbow: Stellaluna

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Anne Jackson reads Stellaluno by Jannell Cannon, a tale about a baby bat adopted by birds. Host LeVar Burton explores the world of bats and other nocturnal animals in this episode of Reading Rainbow. He discusses with a guest scientist the habits of creatures who come out only at night. Other Read More

Reading Rainbow: Nosey Mrs. Rat

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Viewers will learn that sometimes it pays to be extra curious in Reading Rainbow: Nosey Mrs. Rat, as host LeVar Burton introduces Dr. Jane Goodall, expert in the habits and environments of chimpanzees. Dr. Goodall discusses her early inquisitive nature and how it led to her successful career. The Read More

Reading Rainbow: Once There Was a Tree

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: There is a scientific emphasis in this episode of Reading Rainbow, as host LeVar Burton discusses the importance of trees in the environment. Reading Rainbow: Once There Was a Tree looks at the way in which trees grow and their role in ecosystems. Viewers can also see how maple syrup is produced Read More

Reading Rainbow: Following the Drinking Gourd

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series has won many awards in its PBS history, dealing with a variety of topics, including sociological issues. In this episode, Keith David reads Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter, which tells of the constellation that escaping slaves could use as a guide to the Read More

Reading Rainbow: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Chain reactions are discussed in Reading Rainbow: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, as children learn about how one event can cause another, and how this can go on. The child in the featured story, written by Laura Joffe Numeroff, sets off a series of reactions when he hands a cookie to a mouse. Read More

Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland

Actors: LeVar Burton, Jill Clayburgh, Michael Gross, Keith Coulouris, Galyn Gorg

Synopsis: In 1991, Oakland, California was ravaged by brush fires. This made-for-television feature tells some of the harrowing and heroic stories of those that fought and survived the blaze. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

Poetry Hall of Fame, Vol. One

Synopsis: This PBS video is one of a four-part series that presents some of the greatest poets in the annals of literature. Selections from their works are read by Hollywood actors. In this volume, the readings are performed by William Shatner, Vincent Price, Valerie Harper, and LeVar Burton. Among the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Silent Lotus

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: A young girl who is unable to hear or speak, but who has learned to communicate through dance, receives an invitation to perform for the king in Silent Lotus. Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton introduces Terry Lean, a friend who is deaf, and their discussion centers around the manner in which Read More

Reading Rainbow: June 29, 1999

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Sometimes it can be hard to tell a true story from one that is fabricated. A group of youngsters listen as host LeVar Burton reads stories that might or might not be factual in Reading Rainbow: June 29, 1999. The featured book by David Wiesner tells of a young girl who sends vegetable seeds up Read More

Reading Rainbow: Mrs. Katz and Tush

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Reading Rainbow is the highly acclaimed series that promotes the pleasure of reading for primary grade students, and frequently explores cultural and social issues in a sensitive manner. In this episode, the friendship of a young African-American boy and his elderly Jewish neighbor is told in Mrs. Read More

Reading Rainbow: Salamander Room

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the thought-provoking Reading Rainbow series, young children learn about the fun of reading and get a sense of the knowledge encountered through books. The Salamander Room was written by Anne Mazer and is read by Lynne Thigpen. It's the story of a child who wants to keep a salamander for a pet Read More

Reading Rainbow: Is This a House for Hermit Crab?

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Two guest stars appear on Reading Rainbow: Is This a House for Hermit Crab?: Eartha Kitt, who reads the featured book, and Robin Leach, who narrates for a segment about animal habitats. As host LeVar Burton discusses animal shelters, he shows viewers how to construct a bird house. There is a Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Second Chances

Crew: Director

Synopsis: LeVar Burton doubled as co-star and director of this episode, which originally aired on May 29, 1993. Returning to the site of a transport accident which occured eight years earlier, Riker comes face to face with an exact double of himself. Living alone for those many years, the "early" Riker Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 07

Actors: Colm Meaney, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner

Reading Rainbow: And Still the Turtle Watched

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: An introduction to the world of books is presented for young children in this series that features one principal story per episode. Host LeVar Burton offers celebrities reading the featured book, and field trips to explore related material. And Still the Turtle Watched by Sheila MacGill-Callahan Read More

Reading Rainbow: Amazing Grace

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: Overcoming limitations, whether real or perceived, is the topic of Reading Rainbow: Amazing Grace, as Tyne Daly reads the story of a young girl who manages to land the title role in a school play despite an assumption that she cannot due to her race and gender. Several guests appear on the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Seashore Surprises

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The variety of sea life is the subject of the featured book in Reading Rainbow: Seashore Surprises. Viewers can travel to the beach with LeVar Burton as he accompanies two naturalists who check the organisms -- both plant and animal -- living at the sea's edge. Burton uses the informative book by Read More

Reading Rainbow: Sophie and Lou

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: For a shy mouse, dancing can be a bit out of character, but when Sophie sees dancers in a window, she is determined to learn. After consulting some how-to books, she gets the confidence to try the steps. While dancing, she meets Lou and they become a team. This featured book in the Reading Rainbow Read More

Reading Rainbow: Sam the Sea Cow

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: True-life stories can be more dramatic than fictional ones, and Sam the Sea Cow by Francine Jacobs features a real life-and-death situation for its hero. In Reading Rainbow: Sam the Sea Cow, Jason Robards narrates the tale of Sam, a manatee who becomes wedged in a sewer drain. The Miami Seaquarium Read More

Reading Rainbow: Tar Beach

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The need to escape from the everyday world is one of the topics in this episode of Reading Rainbow. Ruby Dee reads Tar Beach, the featured story by Faith Ringgold in which a young girl fantasizes that she can fly high above Harlem. Host LeVar Burton talks to two individuals who indulge in their Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Encouraging young children to read has been the focus of the Reading Rainbow series. The many positive aspects of literacy are emphasized, with the programs offering celebrity readers for the featured books and host LeVar Burton taking viewers on frequent field trips to sites related to the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Rechenka's Eggs

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The inspiration for Rechenka's Eggs came from author Patricia Polacco's Russian grandparents and her observations of Canada geese. The story is read by Viveca Lindfors and concerns Babuska, an elderly Russian woman who decorates eggs, and a goose, Rechenka, who has been injured and is under Read More

Reading Rainbow: Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: This episode of Reading Rainbow tells the story of Little Gopher, who dreamed of being a painter from the time he was a small boy. When he grew older, he wanted most to be able to capture the colors of the sunset. Reading Rainbow: Legend of the Indian Paintbrush tells the heartwarming legend of Read More

Reading Rainbow: Piggy in the Puddle

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The appeal of mud and clay for young children is unmistakable, and in Reading Rainbow: Piggy in the Puddle, viewers will learn how the claymation process works. The featured story by Charlotte Pomerantz is told with this process, as artists Becky and Cody demonstrate how they produce the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Berlioz the Bear

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Music, and how it has the power to unite people, is the topic for Reading Rainbow: Berlioz the Bear, and James Avery reads the book about a musical bear. Problems arise for Berlioz when his bandwagon gets stuck on the way to a performance. Host LeVar Burton meets street musicians and Dr. Walter Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bicycle Man

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: This popular program has won many awards, including International Literacy Association and NAACP Image honors. Its purpose has been to provide a positive and entertaining approach to reading, aimed at children from preschool ages through fourth grade. In Reading Rainbow: Bicycle Man, the featured Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Wall

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In The Wall by Eve Bunting, a young boy visits the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, to honor his grandfather. The creator of the memorial, Maya Lin, appears as a special guest in this episode of Reading Rainbow and talks about the way the design evolved and how it has affected her life. Viewers Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 06

Actors: Colm Meaney, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner

Reading Rainbow: Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Several different perspectives on adoption are presented in this Reading Rainbow episode. The featured book is Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies, written by Ann Turner and read by Andrew Lei, who is adopted. One family talks about the adoption of their baby, while a young girl and her mother Read More

Reading Rainbow: Adventures of Taxi Dog

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: In Reading Rainbow: Adventures of Taxi Dog, Vincent Gardenia reads the story of a stray dog, Maxi, and his friend Jim. LeVar Burton takes on the role of a cabbie, teaching viewers how to grab a taxi, and what a meter does. A real-life story involves Lisa, who must depend on her dog Cosmo to help Read More

Reading Rainbow: Come a Tide

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Severe weather is the topic discussed in Reading Rainbow: Come a Tide, as host LeVar Burton demonstrates how to make a rain gauge and offers a segment on the effects of Hurricane Hugo, the gigantic storm that hit South Carolina many years ago. Come a Tide by George Ella Lyon deals with a small Read More

Reading Rainbow: Dive to the Coral Reef

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series has won many awards as it promotes the advantages of reading in programs that combine a lively mix of information and entertainment. The shows are centered around a principal story, and from there, branch off to related activities and field trips that are fun and Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 05

Actors: Colm Meaney, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner

Reading Rainbow: Galimoto

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The many uses of wire are explored in Reading Rainbow: Galimoto, as the series continues in its quest to promote reading among the very young. In Galimoto, which is read by Hattie Winston, a young African boy looks for bits of wire in order to construct a toy truck, a galimoto. Host LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Alistair's Time Machine

Synopsis: The featured book of this program deals with time travel, and LeVar Burton goes to a special park to talk with people from the past, including Thomas Edison and a cave woman who invented eating tools. In Alistair's Time Machine, read by Arnold Stang, Alistair creates a machine that takes him back Read More

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Deadly Waters

Synopsis: "Rain of Terror" and "Dead Seas" are the two episodes included in this video featuring the ecology-minded superhero. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: Kate Shelley & Midnight Express

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: A young girl is the heroine in Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express, a true story about a train in peril, saved from certain disaster by Kate Shelley. Young viewers travel along with host LeVar Burton as he rides the Coast Starlight up the California coast. He checks out the various functions of Read More

Reading Rainbow: Fox on the Job

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Work is the topic of Reading Rainbow: Fox on the Job, as Fox needs to buy a new bike, and gets a job to make enough money. However, it's not as easy as it seems, and he learns a lesson or two. Various occupations are discussed, and LeVar Burton offers footage of people as they go about their Read More

Reading Rainbow: Lady with the Ship on Her Head

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this episode of the popular Reading Rainbow series, Madam Pompenstance becomes an unusual entrant in a headdress contest when she unwittingly picks up a miniature ship on her head. Lady With the Ship on Her Head by Deborah Nourse Lattimore is read by Marilyn Pasekoff. In other segments related Read More

Reading Rainbow: Opt - An Illusionary Tale

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this eye-opening program, host LeVar Burton seems to be caught in a terrible snowstorm while rock climbing. But is he really? There are many ways in which studios create the illusion of action, and Burton explains the special effects tools used to deceive the audience. In the featured book Opt Read More

Reading Rainbow: Raccoons and Ripe Corn

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The author of the featured book Raccoons and Ripe Corn, Jim Arnosky, invites LeVar Burton to his home state of Vermont, where they discuss the inspiration for the story. They take a hike, observing signs of animals such as beavers and raccoons. The book is read by Julia Barr and involves raccoons Read More

Reading Rainbow: Snowy Day - Stories and Poems

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: A number of works related to snow are featured in this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, including Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, written by Robert Frost and read by Richard Courtney, and Winter Morning, written by Ogden Nash and read by Lena Horne. Lacey Chabert also reads Karla Read More

Reading Rainbow: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, written by John Steptoe, two lovely women in Africa go before a king to see which will be chosen for a wife. Will it be the grumpy, ill-tempered one or the pleasant, mild-mannered one? This episode of the Reading Rainbow series features Phylicia Rashad as the guest Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 04

Actors: Colm Meaney, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton

The Bionic Bunny Show

Actors: LeVar Burton

Whispers on the Wind

Synopsis: This performance video features LeVar Burton, Ruby Dee and Cameron Mitchell reading great poems by Tennesee Williams, James Dickey and others. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: Tooth-Gnasher Superflash

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Cars of all kinds are featured in this episode of Reading Rainbow, with special attention given to the feature book Tooth-Gnasher Superflash by Daniel Pinkwater. Not only can the extraordinary car do wheelies, it also transforms into a dinosaur and other animal shapes to the amazement of the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Desert Giant... Saguaro Cactus

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When people think of giant cactuses, it is the image of the saguaro that generally comes to mind. Details about this symbol of desert life are featured in Reading Rainbow: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus, as host LeVar Burton takes a look at the desert ecosystem and the many forms of Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series emphasizes the fun of reading for preschool through fourth grade students. Each episode features exceptional books, field trips, and other activities related to the topics of the selected stories. This episode features The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, written by Read More

Reading Rainbow: Little Nino's Pizzeria

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured story in this episode of Reading Rainbow is Little Nino's Pizzeria, written by Karen Barbour and read by Josh Saviano. Kids who love pizza will find this to be a mouth-watering show, as host LeVar Burton makes pizza for friends who are coming for dinner. The pizzeria in the book is Read More

Reading Rainbow: Ludlow Laughs

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Phyllis Diller reads Ludlow Laughs by Jon Agee in this episode of the highly acclaimed Reading Rainbow series. In the story, Ludlow seldom shows any signs of happiness, but something happens to him that changes his attitude and that of the people around him. Laughter and silliness are the topics Read More

Reading Rainbow: Mummies Made in Egypt

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In addition to promoting literacy, the Reading Rainbow series frequently features books with a scientific focus to help children in the primary grades broaden their interests. The Egyptian method of preserving bodies is the topic of Reading Rainbow: Mummies Made in Egypt, as host LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Humphrey the Lost Whale

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this story of an actual occurrence, Humphrey, a humpback whale, becomes disoriented and winds up stranded in a small body of water. With the help of some human friends, including scientists, he finds his way back to the safety of the sea. Reading Rainbow: Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story Read More

Reading Rainbow: Duncan and Delores

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Cats can be very loving creatures, but they might resist someone who is overly affectionate, as Dolores learns in Duncan and Dolores, read by Jane Curtin. LeVar Burton visits Marine World Africa U.S.A., meeting Bengal tigers and their trainers in Reading Rainbow: Duncan and Delores. One of the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Florence and Eric Take the Cake

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Guest Julia Child reads Florence and Eric Take the Cake by Jocelyn Wild in this episode of the popular series aimed at children from preschool through fourth grade. There is comical confusion when the main characters pick up the wrong box from the bakery for their grandmother. The story inspires LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Knots on a Counting Rope

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In addition to encouraging young children to read, the Reading Rainbow series also introduces important sociological and cultural issues. Bravery in the face of obstacles and fears is the subject of this episode, as host LeVar Burton decides to try a camping trip all by himself. Knots on a Read More

Reading Rainbow: Barn Dance!

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: Guest star Roy Clarke reads Barn Dance by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archinbaugh, as the story unfolds of a child who hears distant music coming from a barn. This highly acclaimed series encourages young children to enter the world of reading in a very entertaining way. Host LeVar Burton goes to a Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bored - Nothing to Do!

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In Reading Rainbow: Bored: Nothing to Do!, two brothers occupy their time by constructing an airplane out of commonly found items in the featured story. Host LeVar Burton learns about all the tasks necessary before a commercial airline flight can take off, and gets to play with a remote control Read More

Reading Rainbow: Jack, the Seal and the Sea

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The conservation of marine ecosystems is the topic of Reading Rainbow: Jack, the Seal, and the Sea, as host LeVar Burton goes out to sea with a group of marine biologists. He inspects samples of sea life brought up by the researchers, including a leopard shark, and learns how scientists check for Read More

Reading Rainbow: Sports Pages

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The theme for this episode of the series is sports, as LeVar Burton discusses the skills and attitudes needed to do well in many sports. He addresses the viewers from a gym and goes through a workout while explaining about the hard work necessary to excel, especially in the Olympic Games. Reading Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 03

Actors: Colm Meaney, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton

Synopsis: The sci-fi series may start its third season in a standard way - the premiere, Evolution,, is a technology-run-amok episode - but the 1989-1990 year supplies some of the show's most acclaimed hours. Sarek brings Spock's father (Mark Lenard) to the new Enterprise, and A Matter of Perspective is a Read More

Reading Rainbow: Sunken Treasure

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The idea of a real buried treasure has Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton very excited when he discovers a special map in this episode about treasures. The featured book of the program is Sunken Treasures, written by Gail Gibbons and read by Robert Morse. Burton discusses methods used to locate the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Stay Away from the Junkyard!

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured book of this Reading Rainbow episode is Stay Away from the Junkyard!, written by Tricia Tusa and read by Michele Mariana. In the story, a young girl finds that, amid all the trash, there are some interesting objects in a junkyard. Viewers meet Michael Ives, who takes what most people Read More

Reading Rainbow: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Dinosaurs and baseball are part of the stimulating mix in this episode of the series Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, as LeVar Burton and his young assistants present another entertaining show. The featured book is read by Edward Asner and features a family that brings back Read More

Reading Rainbow: Robbery at the Diamond Dog Diner

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Diamonds and food are the subjects of Reading Rainbow: Robbery at the Diamond Dog Diner. In the featured story, written by Eileen Christelow, jewel thieves threaten the safety of Lola Dog's prized diamonds. LeVar Burton learns the duties of a cook at a diner, and in another entertaining segment, a Read More

Reading Rainbow: Purple Coat

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Purple Coat, written by Amy Hest and read by Jack Gilford, tells the story of Gabby, who tires of the new blue coat made by her grandfather every fall. For once, she wants a different color. With clothing in mind, host LeVar Burton goes to the Fashion Institute of Technology and the garment Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bionic Bunny Show

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured book of this episode of the highly acclaimed Reading Rainbow series involves Wilbur, who is the star of The Bionic Bunny Show. Reading Rainbow: Bionic Bunny is another entertaining mix of books and activities related to the show's topic. In addition to his Reading Rainbow job, host LeVar Burton Read More

Roots: The Gift

Actors: LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett, Jr., Avery Brooks

Synopsis: Deviating from the storyline of Alex Haley's book, and the classic 1977 miniseries that followed, the plotline of 1988's Roots: The Gift finds African-born slave Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) and his plantation friend Fiddler (Louis Gossett Jr.) helping freed black man Cletus Moyer (Avery Brooks) Read More

Reading Rainbow: Brush

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The many faces of illusion are explored in this episode of the award-winning series, as LeVar Burton hosts another lively program. In the featured story, a boy can no longer keep his beloved dog, and he begins to regard a brush as a substitute pet. The brush becomes animated and takes on the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bugs

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: For young students who are interested in insects, Reading Rainbow: Bugs provides many topics that will keep their attention. The featured book is full of information regarding insects commonly found in backyards, and the field trip is to Cincinnati Zoo's Insect World to see its collections. Host LeVar Burton Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 02

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Diana Muldaur, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton

Synopsis: The second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation brings changes in both cast and appearance. Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar had been killed in the first season episode Skin of Evil, giving Worf (Michael Dorn) a promotion to the new head of security. Meanwhile, Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) has Read More

Reading Rainbow: Life Cycle of the Honeybee

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Working around bees may seem like a daunting task, and host LeVar Burton demonstrates the necessary precautions to take as he explores a hive in Reading Rainbow: Life Cycle of the Honeybee. In the featured book, youngsters learn many facts about this important insect, how commercial beekeepers Read More

Reading Rainbow: Best Friends

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Pets and friends are the lively subjects for this episode of the award-winning series, as host LeVar Burton shares the show with eight golden retriever pups. Young viewers will learn that some dogs can be trained to help handicapped individuals by providing guidance in addition to their faithful Read More

Reading Rainbow: Chickens Aren't the Only Ones

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: What other animals hatch from eggs besides chickens? In Reading Rainbow: Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, young viewers will find there are many, including loggerhead turtles. The multi-award winning series features one picture book per episode, field trips and other activities related to the topic Read More

America's Music, Vol. 13: Gospel 1

Reading Rainbow: Runaway Duck

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Ducks in all shapes and forms are the theme of Reading Rainbow: Runaway Duck, as viewers can see toy ducks, real ducks, and decoys. In the featured story, written by David Lyon, a toy duck named Egbert experiences wild times after being tied to a car's bumper. LeVar Burton gets a lesson on ducks Read More

Reading Rainbow: A Three Hat Day

Synopsis: A lonely man who collects hats fantasizes about meeting the woman of his dreams. One day, when he is so depressed that he wears three hats at once, he finds the perfect person in the hat department of a store. The featured book in this Reading Rainbow episode, A Three Hat Day by Laura Geringer Read More

Reading Rainbow: My Little Island

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the Reading Rainbow series, primary school-aged children experience the benefits of reading, as the programs highlight books covering a wide range of subjects. A popular segment of the show is a field trip to a site related to the topic discussed in the featured book. This episode features My Read More

Reading Rainbow: Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the featured story of this Reading Rainbow episode, Rancher Hicks needs some entertainment, so he goes into town to get away from the boring life at his ranch. Little does he know that back home things are starting to get really interesting for his wife. Getting into the rancher act, host LeVar Read More

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 01

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton

Synopsis: Scrapping the original series' limited "five-year mission" for a more ambitious ongoing one, Star Trek: The Next Generation aims high from its first episode. The Enterprise D is captained by Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), a leader more reserved and thought-driven than the beloved Captain Kirk. Read More

Reading Rainbow: Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The Reading Rainbow series explores the pleasures of reading for youngsters from preschool ages through fourth grade. In this episode, young viewers learn about the importance of lighthouses as they hear the true story of a girl who kept the lights bright, guiding ships as a furious storm Read More

A Special Friendship

Synopsis: In this Civil War drama, a plantation owner and her ex-slave begin working as Union spies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: Rumpelstilskin

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The time period in which Rumpelstiltskin may have lived is explored as host LeVar Burton attends a fair devoted to Renaissance practices. Dramatizations of daily routines, including spinning, are offered, and costumed participants re-create the colorful past, appearing as kings and knights. Read More

Murder, She Wrote: Death Takes a Dive

Synopsis: Jerry Orbach makes a return appearance as Boston P.I. Harry McGraw, who in this episode has given up sleuthing to enter the world of professional boxing. No, Harry hasn't donned the gloves himself, but he is a suspect in the murder of a crooked boxing manager. Enter Jessica (Angela Lansbury), who Read More

The Midnight Hour

Actors: Shari Belafonte, LeVar Burton, Lee Montgomery, Dick Van Patten, Kevin McCarthy

Synopsis: As a high-school prank, several high-school students unwittingly release an ancient witch and her demons in this made-for-TV comedy-thriller. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: Watch the Stars Come Out

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured book in this Reading Rainbow episode is Watch the Stars Come Out by Riki Levinson. In the story, two brave young children travel alone across the sea to join their parents in America. The program shows images of Ellis Island and the tide of immigrants that arrived to start new lives Read More

Reading Rainbow: Animal Cafe

Synopsis: There's quite a mystery in Maxwell's shop as he discovers food missing, yet money has been left in payment. Who's taking all the food during the night? Reading Rainbow: Animal Cafe provides the solution, and host LeVar Burton visits workers who ply their trades during the night shift in New York Read More

Reading Rainbow: Alistair in Outer Space

Synopsis: How to use a library is the focus of this episode, as LeVar Burton visits the Library of Congress, and gives viewers a good look at the various sections within. In a lively animation, viewers will learn how to get a card from the local library. In the featured story, Alistair is captured by aliens Read More

The Supernaturals

Actors: Maxwell Caulfield, Nichelle Nichols, Talia Balsam, Bradford Bancroft, LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The terror in this chiller is more implied and the blood and gore is minimal as it tells of the strange adventure of an African-American female Army Sergeant and her recruits as they head through the forest of Alabama on a survival mission. It all begins when a lieutenant sees the apparition of a Read More

Reading Rainbow: Abiyoyo

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: This series of award-winning programs sets out to engage youngsters in the joys of reading. Aimed at ages from preschool to fourth grade, they feature a picture book, activities related to the story, and a number of books reviewed by kids. LeVar Burton hosts the series, and is also one of the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Germs Make Me Sick!

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: While germs and viruses cause people to become sick, certain tiny organisms are also beneficial to mankind. Young viewers will get a glimpse through a microscope to see what these micro-organisms look like, and scientists explain to LeVar Burton things to remember about keeping healthy. In Reading Read More

Reading Rainbow: Feelings

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The many emotions experienced by humans are explored in Reading Rainbow: Feelings, as LeVar Burton discusses feelings as depicted in many literary works. Young viewers travel with Burton throughout Central Park as he talks about happiness, sadness, fear, and many other familiar feelings. The Read More

Reading Rainbow: Milk Makers

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, host LeVar Burton travels to dairy farms in California to show viewers the steps involved before milk can appear in the supermarket. Although cows are usually milked by machines, he learns how to milk the old-fashioned way -- by hand. Young viewers Read More

Liberty

Synopsis: The struggle of Frederic Bartholdi to build the Statue of Liberty is presented in this dramatized biography. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

Reading Rainbow: Imogene's Antlers

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the featured book of this episode of Reading Rainbow, Imogene discovers that she is growing antlers, but instead of panicking, she tries to adapt. This series of programs emphasizes the fun aspects of reading, and is aimed at preschoolers and students up through fourth grade. Host LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Space Case

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In Space Case, something lands on Earth, but no one seems to realize what it truly is. The story by Edward Marshall provides an interesting theme for this episode of Reading Rainbow to explore. Scientists are on the lookout for organisms from space and have instruments in place to detect any Read More

Reading Rainbow: Paper Crane

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In the featured book, Paper Crane, a man who owns a restaurant is honored for his generous nature with a gift of a paper crane. Amazingly, the crane comes to life and dances for him. The theme of Reading Rainbow: Paper Crane is Japanese culture, as host LeVar Burton puts on a kimono and offers Read More

Reading Rainbow: Mama Don't Allow

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Learning to play a new instrument can be fun, but it might prove difficult for the people around the novice player! In the featured story in this episode of Reading Rainbow, Miles finds this out when he receives a new saxophone for a gift. Life becomes more exciting when he and his band are asked Read More

Reading Rainbow: Hip Cat

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The magical world of jazz is explored in Reading Rainbow: Hip Cat, as the creative sounds of the featured book's hero enthralls his listeners. Guest star Joshua Redman appears, and discusses jazz with host LeVar Burton. Improvisation is also examined, and young viewers can see how it occurs in Read More

Reading Rainbow: Paul Bunyan

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Paul Bunyan's story is told in Reading Rainbow: Paul Bunyan, as viewers hear the legend of the gigantic lumberjack and his amazing strength. Trees were important to the character, and the program contains information about reforestation and the importance of tree conservation practices. Smokey the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Hill of Fire

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The violence of an erupting volcano can be frightening and fascinating at the same time. In Reading Rainbow: Hill of Fire, viewers will learn how a volcano appeared in the cornfield of a farmer in central Mexico. Facts about volcanos are presented in this story of an actual event that occurred in Read More

And the Children Shall Lead

Synopsis: In honor of Martin Luther King's birthday, PBS' Wonderworks presentation of January 14, 1985 was And the Children Shall Lead. Set in Mississippi in 1964, the 60-minute drama recreates the black voter registration drive of that year. The events are seen through the eyes of a young black girl Read More

Reading Rainbow: Perfect the Pig

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Pigs are the topic of this episode of Reading Rainbow, as LeVar Burton welcomes some familiar friends from Sesame Street. Kermit the Frog has a special talk with Burton regarding his relationship with Miss Piggy, and the featured story involves a pig whose wish to fly is granted. Life seems Read More

Reading Rainbow: Patchwork Quilt

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: A quilt can be more than a bed covering; it can hold a family's memories, as a child discovers when she helps her grandmother piece together a patchwork quilt. Children are shown in a class for quilt-making at the Boston Children's Museum in Reading Rainbow: Patchwork Quilt. The family theme is Read More

Reading Rainbow: A Chair for My Mother

Synopsis: In Reading Rainbow: Chair for My Mother, the characters all chip in to buy a chair after a devastating fire destroys their belongings. The series of programs continues to provide stimulating topics for youngsters as it encourages them to read. Reading Rainbow: Chair for My Mother stresses the Read More

Reading Rainbow: Liang & the Magic Paintbrush

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Liang picks up a magic paintbrush, his subjects become real in this Reading Rainbow episode's story about a child who has a powerful desire to paint. Host LeVar Burton takes a look at Chinese-American life with a visit to Chinatown to examine a cross-section of the culture. Young viewers get Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: It's one thing when a dog or cat gets loose, but what happens when a pet boa constrictor can't be found? The characters in the featured book in Reading Rainbow: The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash get quite upset when Jimmy's snake disappears. Host LeVar Burton comes face to face with a boa Read More

Reading Rainbow: Miss Nelson Is Back

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Miss Nelson has to leave school for a whole week, and her class is up to mischief as a substitute teacher takes over in this episode of the Reading Rainbow series. In addition to the featured book, Miss Nelson Is Back, the program also includes segments featuring Blackstone the Magician and host Read More

Reading Rainbow: Gift of the Sacred Dog

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The importance of the horse in the lives of the Plains Indians is the focus of this program in the Reading Rainbow series. The Gift of the Sacred Dog by Paul Goble tells the story of a young boy who introduces the horse to his people. In the show's field trip segment, host LeVar Burton travels to Read More

The Jesse Owens Story

Synopsis: Dorian Harewood stars as the legendary black athlete in this made-for-TV biography that follows Jesse Owens from his collegiate career, to his pinnacle at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals--much to the dismay of Adolf Hitler and his squad of Aryan super-athletes. ~ Jason Read More

Reading Rainbow: Ox-Cart Man

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: What was life like in the early part of the 19th century? Viewers will find out as they watch Reading Rainbow: Ox-Cart Man, which explores the daily routine of this time period. Host LeVar Burton goes to Massachusetts to explore Old Sturbridge Village, a site where people wear period costumes and Read More

Reading Rainbow: Ty's One Man Band

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In Ty's One Man Band, the featured book in this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, a man tells a little boy that he will create a one-man band out of nothing. He then takes spoons, a comb, and other items and begins to create music. In this episode, viewers visit a park concert with host LeVar Read More

Reading Rainbow: Simon's Book

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Simon is threatened by a horrible monster, he receives help from an unexpected source -- his pens. This episode in the Reading Rainbow series features a visit with the author of Simon's Book, Henrik Drescher, who explains his inspiration for the story to host LeVar Burton. At a printing Read More

Reading Rainbow: Bea and Mr. Jones

Synopsis: Switching roles is an entertaining concept that has been explored in movies. In Reading Rainbow: Bea and Mr. Jones, a five-year-old girl takes on her father's persona and goes to work, while her dad attends kindergarten. Host LeVar Burton checks out the costume collection of the program and plays Read More

Reading Rainbow: Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, young viewers will see that books can be very handy when they need an instructional guide. Host LeVar Burton demonstrates how he uses the featured book Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe on a camping trip for instructions on pitching a tent, tying Read More

Reading Rainbow: Three by the Sea

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In Three By the Sea by Edward Marshall, Lolly, Spider, and Sam have eaten too much lunch and can't go swimming just yet. They decide to tell stories using the same characters, with each trying to outdo the others. In this episode of Reading Rainbow, imagination is the theme. Host LeVar Burton Read More

Reading Rainbow: Mystery on the Docks

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: In this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, Raul Julia is the guest narrator of Mystery on the Docks, a story by Thacher Hurd about the dramatic rescue of an opera singer kidnapped by a group of rodent thugs. Host LeVar Burton heads for the waterfront to try to solve a mystery. Tugboats and Read More

Booker

Actors: LeVar Burton, Shelley Duvall, CCH Pounder, Judge Reinhold, Shavar Ross

Reading Rainbow: Tight Times

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The featured book of this Reading Rainbow episode is Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen. In the story, a child whose father has lost his job is told that the family cannot afford the dog that he wants. Host LeVar Burton comes up with many creative ways to have fun when there's no extra cash Read More

Reading Rainbow: Digging up Dinosaurs

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Many of the young viewers in the target audience of the Reading Rainbow series are interested in dinosaurs, and in Reading Rainbow: Digging Up Dinosaurs, they will find a wealth of information about these fascinating creatures. The featured book, Digging up Dinosaurs by Aliki, discusses how Read More

Reading Rainbow: The Tortoise and the Hare

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: When Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton goes up against top competitors in a bike race, he finds out the true meaning of the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. This adaptation by Janet Stevens of the classic story is read by Gilda Radner. Burton tries the Marine Corps obstacle course in Hawaii to Read More

Reading Rainbow: Gila Monsters Meet You At the Airport

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: An urban child fears the worst when his family plans to move out West in Reading Rainbow: Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport. LeVar Burton goes to the Arizona desert, where a biologist provides information about the flora and fauna of the region, especially gila monsters. The children-reviewed Read More

Emergency Room

Actors: Julie Sommars, Paul Stewart

Synopsis: Lensed on videotape, Emergency Room was the first presentation of the syndicated Commworld Prime Time Showcase. Sarah Purcell and LeVar Burton star in this hospital melodrama. Purcell plays the doctor in charge of the E.R., dealing not only with an onrush of patients but also with hospital red Read More

Reading Rainbow: Arthur's Eyes

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: The honors collected by Reading Rainbow include Parent's Choice, National Education Association, and Cine awards, plus numerous Emmys. Designed to draw children into the world of reading, the programs are a blend of books, field trips, and activities related to the featured topic. In Reading Read More

Reading Rainbow [TV Series]

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: First aired in 1983, Reading Rainbow is an award-winning PBS kid's program designed to promote independent reading. Hosted by LeVar Burton, each episode contains an illustrated feature book narrated by a popular entertainer. The magazine-style show also includes book reviews, interviews, and other Read More

Reading Rainbow: Gregory the Terrible Eater

Crew: Executive Producer

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Young viewers get a lesson in what comprises a balanced diet in Reading Rainbow: Gregory the Terrible Eater. The featured story concerns a goat who prefers a strange selection of foods that include fruit, juices, vegetables, and eggs. After parental intervention, he begins to like a more Read More

The Acorn People

Actors: Ted Bessel, LeVar Burton, Cloris Leachman

Synopsis: First telecast March 2, 1981, The Acorn People was adapted by director Joan Tewksbury from the book by Ron Jones. Ted Bessell plays a no-nonsense children's counselor who takes a job at a summer camp for severely handicapped children. The kids jokingly refer to themselves as "the acorn people"--a Read More

Grambling's White Tiger

Synopsis: Produced by Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, Grambling's White Tiger stars Jenner as real-life quarterback Jim Gregory. The film recounts Gregory's efforts to become the first white player on Grambling College's all-black football team. Harry Belafonte made his TV-movie debut as legendary Grambling Read More

The Hunter

Actors: Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harrold, LeVar Burton, Ben Johnson

Synopsis: Steve McQueen's last film concerns a modern day bounty hunter who searches for bail jumpers. Based on real life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson, the film details his exciting life, traveling from one city to another, trying to track down fugitives and continually risking his life in the Read More

Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

Actors: Powers Boothe, Veronica Cartwright, Rosalind Cash, Brad Dourif, Randy Quaid

Synopsis: This two-part TV movie was, of course, sparked by the November 1978 mass suicide of 913 people at the South American religious "colony" of Jonestown. The catalyst for this tragedy was cult-leader Reverend Jim Jones (played by Powers Boothe, who won an Emmy for his performance), head of the Read More

Dummy

Synopsis: Based on a true story, Dummy stars LeVar Burton as Donald Lang, a deaf-mute teenager accused of killing a prostitute. Paul Sorvino co-stars as Lowell Myers, the hearing-impaired public defender who takes Burton's case. The court, deciding that Lang is incompetent to stand trial, orders the boy to Read More

One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story

Synopsis: An outstanding performance by LeVar Burton makes this an above-average sports biography. Based on an adaptation of his autobiography, this is the story of Ron LeFlore, who was raised in the Detroit ghetto and became a major league baseball player for the Detroit Tigers. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Read More

Battered

Actors: Karen Grassle, LeVar Burton, Mike Farrell, Chip Fields, Joan Blondell

Synopsis: Battered concentrates upon three female victims of spousal abuse. Chip Fields is the new wife of struggling young Levar Burton. Joan Blondell is the alcoholic middle-aged spouse of the equally bibilous Howard Duff. And Karen Grassle (who cowrote the screenplay) is married to Ivy leaguer Mike Farrell Read More

Almos' a Man

Actors: LeVar Burton, Henry Fonda, Garry Goodrow, Madge Sinclair, Christopher Brooks, Robert DoQui

Synopsis: Based on the story by Richard Wright, Almos' a Man stars LeVar Burton as a black teenager in the South of the 1930s. Working as a field hand, Burton is frustrated at being considered inferior to the local whites. Perhaps if he purchases a gun, he can prove his manhood. This is the decision he Read More

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Actors: Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, William Atherton, Richard Kiley, Richard Gere

Synopsis: Adapted from Judith Rossner's best-selling novelization of a true story, Richard Brooks's melodrama turns one woman's search for a liberated life into a cautionary tale about promiscuity. After an affair with her college professor, no-longer-good Catholic girl Theresa Dunn (Diane Keaton) follows Read More

Roots

Actors: LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett, Jr., John Amos, Ben Vereen

Synopsis: This award-winning six-part historical epic was one of the first examples of the miniseries format and one of the highest-rated television programs in broadcasting history. Based on the best-selling novel by author Alex Haley, Roots chronicles the progress of Haley's own family across many Read More

Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid

Actors: LeVar Burton, Ossie Davis, Roxie Roker

Synopsis: Twenty-year-old LeVar Burton followed up his spectacular television debut in Roots with the made-for-TV film Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid. As can be gathered by the title, Billy (Burton) is a ghetto youth with little chance for a bright future. He gets his chance to escape his dead-end Read More

Reading Rainbow: Louis the Fish

Actors: LeVar Burton

Synopsis: Wishful thinking becomes reality when Louis the butcher becomes Louis the salmon in Reading Rainbow: Louis the Fish. The story inspires host LeVar Burton to visit some marine ecosystems, taking young viewers to see the creatures at the New England Aquarium in Boston and the Aqua Circus in Cape Read More