After 15 long years off the air, beloved children’s program Reading Rainbow is set to return in early 2022.

The updated show, called Reading Rainbow Live(Opens in a new window), aims to engage young viewers via live entertainment and a virtual platform where they can interact directly with the show. Expect 25-minute episodes featuring original music, dance parties, field trips, cultural explorations, investigations of the natural world, and, of course, the book of the day.

But, unlike LeVar Burton’s original, this live version will be hosted by a “diverse cast” of performers known as “The Rainbows.”

“Utilizing all that modern technology has to offer and designed for a new generation of children, Reading Rainbow Live will do what the original program could not—invite viewers into the screen to interact with each other and the program’s hosts,” according to(Opens in a new window) broadcaster Buffalo Toronto Public Media (WNED PBS). The interactions with the audience are being provided by Looped(Opens in a new window), which is a virtual venue proider specializing in livestreams and virtual meet & greets.

“Without playgrounds, play groups, or early childhood programs, many parents struggled to keep their kids engaged in learning activities,” executive producer Steven Beer said in a statement. “Reading Rainbow Live was developed as a ‘life-saver’ response to this challenge.”

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For now, there’s no word on whether Burton will return in some capacity (he’s reportedly(Opens in a new window) working on a Trivial Pursuit game show right now), how many episodes there will be, or even where folks can access the program. One thing’s for sure, though: The reboot’s creators “really want kids and viewers to see themselves in this show,” creative director Amy Guglielmo told CBS News(Opens in a new window). Hence the diverse cast of young performer hosts, with whom the team hopes all children will identify. Producers are still searching(Opens in a new window) for one more person to round out the group; a cast will be announced in the coming weeks.

Burton in 2012 resurrected the classic brand, and three years later—with the help of a very successful Kickstarter campaign—launched “Skybrary,” a web-based digital library(Opens in a new window) of children’s books and video field trips.

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