8.4/1014 votes#1 - Tight Times
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 6/6/1983
A young girl's father loses his job.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1011 votes
#2 - Miss Nelson Is Back
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 6/7/1983
As part of his birthday celebration, LeVar gets made-up like a movie monster, and then gets involved in Harry Blackstone's magic act. Ruth Buzzi reads Miss Nelson Is Back, all about a group of rowdy students who try to take advantage of their teacher's absence when she's out sick one day, and how she gets revenge on them by pretending to be "the meanest teacher in the world, Viola Swamp."
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#3 - Bea and Mr. Jones
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 6/8/1983
LeVar is already worn out after working on several scenes all day long on the production of the series. He feels he needs to take on another identity, segueing into introducing the featured book, Bea and Mr. Jones. Madeline Kahn reads the book about a kindergarten student and her father who get so bored with their jobs that they decide to experiment by switching places for the day.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 9.0/1015 votes
#4 - Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 6/9/1983
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#5 - Louis the Fish
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 6/10/1983
Louis the Fish
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#6 - Digging Up Dinosaurs
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 6/13/1983
Technically not the first science-related show in its history, LeVar seeks a place where archaeologists retrieve dinosaur bones. At the end of the program, LeVar buries a time capsule, containing (among other things) a can of old Coke and his picture. Linda Gilman reads Digging Up Dinosaurs, a story about how paleontologists unearth dinosaurs skeletons and preserve them in museum exhibits.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#7 - Liang and the Magic Paintbrush
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 6/14/1983
Liang and the Magic Paintbrush
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#8 - Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 6/15/1983
In the featured book, a young boy and his family move from New York City to the Southwest and he has many misconceptions about what his new home is like.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#9 - Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 6/16/1983
Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#10 - The Gift of the Sacred Dog
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 6/17/1983
The first of many programs favoring Native Americans. In this instance, a Midwestern legend suggests how horses arrived to the tribe. Later in this episode is the song "Ancient Places, Sacred Lands" which lists several words originating from various locations of the United States and the tribal meaning of their names.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#11 - Gregory, the Terrible Eater
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 6/20/1983
Today's subject is goats and what they eat.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#12 - Three by the Sea
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 6/21/1983
Three by the Sea
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#13 - Arthur's Eyes
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 6/22/1983
LaVar explores seeing and our other senses, as Bill Cosby tells the story of how the young aardvark, Arthur Read acquired his pair of glasses.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#14 - The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 6/22/1983
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
#15 - Ty's One Man Band
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 6/23/1983
LeVar is ready to find music everywhere, and he does. This show includes the animation Onomatopoeia. Lou Rawls reads the story of Ty's One-Man Band, about a man who teaches a boy how to make music using household items.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Reading Rainbow Season 1
Every episode of Reading Rainbow Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Reading Rainbow Season 1!
Journey to exciting places and build a lasting connection with your favorite books. Each episode centers on a theme from a book, or other children's...
Genre:Kids
Network:PBS
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Tight Times" is the best rated episode of "Reading Rainbow" season 1. It scored 8.4/10 based on 14 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 6/6/1983. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "Miss Nelson Is Back".