BoingBoing linked to video of an appearance by Run DMC on a mid-1980's episode of Reading Rainbow. Well, I'll see your book-rapping Run DMC, Xeni, and raise you one circa 1992 hip-hopping Levar Burton, dressed in an apparent homage to Rerun from What's Happening:
On our PBS stations, at least, Reading Rainbow comes on after Mister Rogers. Which makes it the TV we sometimes need when kid wants to keep her sweet, make-believe high going. It's like the methadone of children's television.
The last time we watched it, it was a 1989 episode called "Barn Dance!", where Levar & Friends went to visit a clogging group in Kentucky. A whitey-whiter bunch could not be found, though, and the dance-along closing credits look less like rainbow sherbet and more like chocolate chip. It's on DVD, but not YouTube. yet.
RIP Jay
RIP Overalls
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4EVA
[RIP Roots ever being considered cool in the US -ed.]
my dad was the medical director of a community mental health center for many years. it served a lot of street people, a lot of profoundly schizophrenic folks. sometimes things would get a little crazy (sic) and wild in the day room, and the staff discovered the most reliable way to restore calm: put on a mr rogers video.
the methadone of children's television, indeed.
sweet! both of those videos have been in heavy rotation here for awhile, but this one, too (especially):
and don't forget mr. rogers breakin'.
[I throw to the master. the first one looks like the Breakdancing Justice League of America. what is UP with those outfits? -ed.]