Steven Beer Speaks with New York Times, CBS News About Premiere of "Reading Rainbow" Reboot

New York, N.Y. (March 4, 2022) - New York Partner and National Chair of Lewis Brisbois' Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice Steven C. Beer recently spoke with The New York Times and CBS News about the upcoming premiere of "Reading Rainbow Live," for which he serves as executive producer. This interactive reboot of the classic PBS kids' show "Reading Rainbow," which originally aired from 1983 to 2009 and won 26 Emmy Awards, will premiere this weekend (March 6) and features a diverse cast of young performers called "Rainbows."

In an article titled, "Take a Look: ‘Reading Rainbow’ Goes Live, With New Friends to Know," from the Times, Mr. Beer described the origins of his idea to bring the show to a new generation of children. "This came to me almost like chicken soup or a warm glass of milk on a cold winter day," he said. He added that the pandemic sparked a call to action, noting "what better moment to take something that was simple and pure and lo-fi and to bring that forth to be the next chapter in the 'Reading Rainbow' story?"

Similarly, in an interview for CBS News' morning show, CBS Mornings, Mr. Beer said, "There's no magic book that tells you how we should act during a pandemic... And it just felt like bringing something as simple and basic like books, and music, and dance, and adventure was just a great escape. So simple, but really so important at this particular time."

Streaming on Looped, a virtual venue platform, the program aims “to be a more active and engaging formulation of the classic series," Mr. Beer told the Times. However, despite the high-tech delivery, he expects the show to focus on the fundamentals. "In a complicated time, I’m excited to keep it simple,” said Mr. Beer. “Let’s read. Let’s sing. Let’s dance. Let’s come together.”

Mr. Beer concentrates his practice on film, television, and music matters. He represents industry-leading film, television, and music companies and has acted as counsel to numerous award-winning writers, directors, producers, and multi-platinum musical artists. He is a frequent speaker on emerging legal trends in the entertainment industry, including blockchain, NFTs, and content distribution in a post-pandemic marketplace. Mr. Beer is the author of Your Child’s Career in Music and Entertainment: The Prudent Parent’s Guide (Allworth Press, 2015).

Read the Times article here (subscription may be required). Watch the CBS News' segment here.

Learn more about "Reading Rainbow Live" and purchase tickets to the March 6 premiere here. View a teaser of the premiere here. You can learn more about the show's original music in this blog post from Consequence Sound.