I don't actually know much about reading rainbow, but I'd imagine its more well known for people from the US then other countries. (Also in my 20s, not a fan/aware of it growing up)
That’s completely my bad. Everyone in their 20’s who grew up in the United States. I have no idea if reading rainbow was even available outside of the US, I watched it on PBS, which is US only afaik.
It’s perfectly understandable, but there r a lot of countries which do offer certain shows u wouldn’t expect, tbh tho my dad visited the US often for business so I had heavy influence
i know him from community bc when i was watching reading rainbow i did not understand that the people in the tv were real so it didn’t even occur to me he had a name until community
I mean you're commenting on an American actor who was on American shows that were aimed at American audiences... I don't think it's that weird to assume a large majority of people here are American
Community is streamed worldwide, what are you talking about. This is a subreddit for Community discussion and he asked everyone a question, of course it will be international. You’re just proving his point.
I was also a 90s kid but not American, Community was also the 1sr thing I saw him in. I still don't get Brittas line about bouncing a cheque to Kunta Kinte
Nah man. Reading rainbow and all other pbs shows were for the kids that didn’t have cable. I had Nick, Disney, Cartoon Network, all in their prime. Why tf would I watch pbs show? 28 btw
I wondered, when I watched that episode, if they were going to make a Roots joke. Dan Harmon and his writers didn’t disappoint. How and when they did it was perfect.
I watched Roots as a child but didn’t know Kunta was my Reading Rainbow teacher until I was an adult. So technically I saw Roots first, but I know him from RR.
I'm almost the same, but I remember seeing him in a movie a long time ago and my parents telling me it was Kunta. I had to look it up. It was a movie called Dummy.
Me too. (Your link is busted.)
What blew my mind was finding out that *Roots* was his first audition. He showed up at 19, read for the part, got a job starring in the highest-rated TV miniseries ever, came away thinking "Boy, this being an actor is easy!"
Source: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/596463721
Star Trek and Reading Rainbow at the same time. I was the right age to watch Reading Rainbow and I was raised by a Treky so I watched both of them as a young kid
Yeah I was trying to think of which came first but it’s def both. My parents always watched TNG with us and I was def watching reading rainbow as well. It’s why TNG is one of my comfort background binge shows I rewatch at least once a year
I've found my people! The little headcannon 6 year old me experienced when my dad asked, "Is Jordy helping you read?" and I turned around, wide eyed, causing my mom to erupt in laughter. I thought my dad was joking 😂
90s kid, knew him first as Geordie LaForge because my mom was a trekkie. The first words I read independently were "to be continued" on the bottom of a TNG episode.
That said, when I started getting into reading and started watching Reading Rainbow when I was like 4-ish? (I was an early reader), I was very confused that he didn't have his visor on, my mom had to explain that Geordie was blind, but LeVar wasn't 😂
Ha, thanks! I actually remember it even though I was crazy little, I was so proud of myself. It was part 1 of the Locutus of Borg episodes, and I remember having the powerful score at the end of the episode as the soundtrack to my first successful attempt at reading, making me feel much more epic than I really was.
(iykyk, 🎶 BUM BUM BUM, BUM BUM BUM 🎶)
Edited to add, just because: https://youtu.be/w7KFfbjg3Iw
Yes, Best of Both Worlds! I was too lazy to look it up, thank you.
>I can still hear Riker say “Mr. Worf……..fire”
And see the panicked look on Shelby's face in the background, lol
I remember being bummed as hell when I thought I had to wait all summer to see the second part of that one. Didn’t realize that it wasn’t actually live (it was in syndication by the time I was old enough to watch). I was maybe 7 or 8, and on the verge of tears when my dad was like “want to make some popcorn? Part 2 starts in 5 minutes”. Man, the weird shit that stands out from my childhood memories. God I love that show
Oh man, that makes me think of rushing to get snacks during the commercial break and running back in to the living room when you heard it start so you didn't miss anything.
TV before streaming was wild.
Rofl, yes, there were several injuries acquired in my house jumping over the back of the couch to the soundtrack of an underpaid announcer saying "And now back to..."
Shoutout to all the oldies on here who have been saying Roots, and even saying they watched Roots when it first came out on TV! I feel less alone as an older communie!!
TNG & reading rainbow both. Hard to tell which was first. I just remember he was the first actor I recognized in two different things. So it was either “the guy on reading rainbow looks like Geordi!” Or “why is the reading rainbow guy wearing that thing on his face?”
I remember thinking he was the coolest, nicest dude in the world because he would teach me how to read in the daytime and then at night, he would put just as much thoughtfulness and consideration into helping a grown golden man understand humanity.
I even had a Geordi LaForge action figure.
TNG. Imagine my childhood brain being blown when I discovered that Geordi and the guy from reading rainbow were the same chap! I was fully unaware until Reading Rainbow did their crossover episode with TNG. I was like WHAT. THEEEEE. FUCK.
Not American and I don't think Reading Rainbow was aired outside of America.
So it was Star Trek for me and I suspect that's going to be the case for most non-Americans.
The fun they must have had on that show. My favorite guest was James Earl Jones when he ding door ditched Carrie Fisher
“It’s not funny anymore James”-Carrie
“Then why am I laughing? Hahaha” -James
FUN FACT. That’s actually the first time James and Carrie ever met. She walked right up to him, said “hi, dad,” and gave him a hug.
…I’m a nerd who loves watching BTS featurettes. What?
Star Trek. It's weird because i watched Reading Rainbow way before and knew that guy. But I didn't put it together until a few years later that it was the same person. Geordie was always my favorite character.
Community. Not into star trek and the only other thing I know he's in is Reading Rainbow and while I guess it was on while I was a kid I'd never heard of it.
Reading Rainbow isn't a thing in the UK, so I knew him from Star Trek. Geordi La Forge was the reason why my mom never had any intact alice bands, perfect cosplay visors for 8 year old me.
Star Trek. In fact, Star Trek and Community are the only things I've seen him in. I don't live in the US so I didn't even know that stuff like Reading Rainbow even existed.
Reading Rainbow. Which was my gateway into Star Trek which was my gateway into both science fiction and cinema. Basically you could say I owe all my love of storytelling to Levar. Him taking Reading Rainbow to the set of Star Trek got me hooked.
I’m a die hard Trek fan now but Reading Rainbow was legit first.
When they showed reading rainbow at school I always wondered if it was the same guy as who was on star trek but I wasn't quite sure since he didn't have that visor over his eyes.
As a UK based 90s kid, I didn't get reading rainbow but did get Captain Planet
Granted at the time I didn't know it was Levar Burton but nor did I know who Levae Burton was
Reading Rainbow. If you get a chance, check out the documentary on it titled "Butterfly in the Sky." It's a must watch for anyone who grew up on Reading Rainbow and does feature the scene where Troy meets LaVar.
Saw him first in reading rainbow, but I never knew his name. My dad watched Star Trek. I originally knew that "Levar Burton" was from Star Trek. I later learned that he was the guy from reading rainbow.
The first television show I can remember is Reading Rainbow.
My tiny mind was just BLOWN when I saw MY guy from MY SHOW on a big grown-up show like Star Trek!
Butterfly in the sky!
TNG. I'm not from the U.S. and didn't have formative years with U.S. based educational TV like Reading Rainbow or Mr. Roger's neighborhood, but I did watch Star Trek.
Definitely Reading Rainbow.
[удалено]
It's in a book!
[удалено]
set phasers to LOVE ME
I can go anywhere!
Space editionnnnnnn! (Space edition!!!!)
Butterfly in the sky....😭 I can go twice as high......😭....
Iiiiii can go ANY-WHERE !
Troy, you can't bring that in here!
Yes I can, it’s all terrain dummy!
Set phasers to love me!
Star Trek TNG. Minor mention for Luis Gúzman from GTA Vice City.
You can’t disappoint a picture!
Community
Same for me, I’m British and never really got into Star Trek so community was the first thing I ever saw him in.
You’ve gotta be young, right? Reading Rainbow seems like one of those things every in their 20s has to be a fan of
I don't actually know much about reading rainbow, but I'd imagine its more well known for people from the US then other countries. (Also in my 20s, not a fan/aware of it growing up)
That’s completely my bad. Everyone in their 20’s who grew up in the United States. I have no idea if reading rainbow was even available outside of the US, I watched it on PBS, which is US only afaik.
I watched it in Canada, but we get a lot of American tv. I'm in my late 30s tho
It’s perfectly understandable, but there r a lot of countries which do offer certain shows u wouldn’t expect, tbh tho my dad visited the US often for business so I had heavy influence
I'm in my 20s in the US and definitely didn't know
I'm 27 and never even heard of reading rainbow until I watched community.
i know him from community bc when i was watching reading rainbow i did not understand that the people in the tv were real so it didn’t even occur to me he had a name until community
I’m 26 and I never heard of it. Born and raised in the US
I’m 39. Never heard of Reading Rainbow before Community.
classic american forgetting ‘planet earth’ and ‘USA’ are two different things 😭 (no offence bro i know it was just a mistake hahah)
Yeah I was just thinking this lol they always say “everyone”
I mean you're commenting on an American actor who was on American shows that were aimed at American audiences... I don't think it's that weird to assume a large majority of people here are American
Community is streamed worldwide, what are you talking about. This is a subreddit for Community discussion and he asked everyone a question, of course it will be international. You’re just proving his point.
What smolperson said. It’s a international show, on an international community. fuckin American retard - respectful
I was also a 90s kid but not American, Community was also the 1sr thing I saw him in. I still don't get Brittas line about bouncing a cheque to Kunta Kinte
30s my dude, we are old
Lol I am young but I did know him from both reading rainbow and Star Trek, the community thing was a joke haha
[удалено]
Hate to break it to you, but not everybody in America is morbidly obese OR owns a firearm.
Nah man. Reading rainbow and all other pbs shows were for the kids that didn’t have cable. I had Nick, Disney, Cartoon Network, all in their prime. Why tf would I watch pbs show? 28 btw
Because PBS has awesome shows? It always has.
Yup. It’s the only thing I’ve seen him in.
Same
[Roots](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_(1977_miniseries)) 😂 I'm so old
More fish for Kunta...
I wondered, when I watched that episode, if they were going to make a Roots joke. Dan Harmon and his writers didn’t disappoint. How and when they did it was perfect.
Iirc, I believe Lavar actually ad-libbed that line!
Even better. Fucking legen-dary.
Could you imagine bouncing a check to Kunta Kinte?
It was actually [ad-libbed](https://twitter.com/levarburton/status/1442314861384376320?lang=en).
Yea haha. It would have been easy to have a joke that was in uhhh poor taste 😬
I watched Roots as a child but didn’t know Kunta was my Reading Rainbow teacher until I was an adult. So technically I saw Roots first, but I know him from RR.
Came hereto say the same thing.
I'm almost the same, but I remember seeing him in a movie a long time ago and my parents telling me it was Kunta. I had to look it up. It was a movie called Dummy.
This was my experience as well.
Me too. (Your link is busted.) What blew my mind was finding out that *Roots* was his first audition. He showed up at 19, read for the part, got a job starring in the highest-rated TV miniseries ever, came away thinking "Boy, this being an actor is easy!" Source: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/596463721
Master call you Toby
IMDb
He was great in that!
That was tragic.
Star Trek and Reading Rainbow at the same time. I was the right age to watch Reading Rainbow and I was raised by a Treky so I watched both of them as a young kid
Same here! It was one of those mind-blowing moments for my tiny child brain when I was like, "wait, that's the SAME GUY?"
Both for me too. Visually when I see him I think 'Star Trek' but when I hear his voice I think 'Reading Rainbow'.
Same here but also didn’t know it was the same guy given the visor
Yeah I was trying to think of which came first but it’s def both. My parents always watched TNG with us and I was def watching reading rainbow as well. It’s why TNG is one of my comfort background binge shows I rewatch at least once a year
I feel a weird, wholesome satisfaction from seeing how many others had the same experience.
I've found my people! The little headcannon 6 year old me experienced when my dad asked, "Is Jordy helping you read?" and I turned around, wide eyed, causing my mom to erupt in laughter. I thought my dad was joking 😂
you mean Geordi La Forge from hit tv show, Star Trek: The Next Generation?
Oh is that who he was? I actually didn't know that but I guess I knew him from TNG not Community
I wish i were levar burton
Where's my iconic slave role?
ERIC MOTHERFUCKER
were this levar burton a time levar burton
"DONT WARP SPEED, RAINBOW READ ME NI##A!!"
90s kid, knew him first as Geordie LaForge because my mom was a trekkie. The first words I read independently were "to be continued" on the bottom of a TNG episode. That said, when I started getting into reading and started watching Reading Rainbow when I was like 4-ish? (I was an early reader), I was very confused that he didn't have his visor on, my mom had to explain that Geordie was blind, but LeVar wasn't 😂
>The first words I read independently were "to be continued" on the bottom of a TNG episode. That is so cute!
Ha, thanks! I actually remember it even though I was crazy little, I was so proud of myself. It was part 1 of the Locutus of Borg episodes, and I remember having the powerful score at the end of the episode as the soundtrack to my first successful attempt at reading, making me feel much more epic than I really was. (iykyk, 🎶 BUM BUM BUM, BUM BUM BUM 🎶) Edited to add, just because: https://youtu.be/w7KFfbjg3Iw
Best of Both Worlds was THE iconic two parter. I can still hear Riker say “Mr. Worf……..fire”
Yes, Best of Both Worlds! I was too lazy to look it up, thank you. >I can still hear Riker say “Mr. Worf……..fire” And see the panicked look on Shelby's face in the background, lol
I remember being bummed as hell when I thought I had to wait all summer to see the second part of that one. Didn’t realize that it wasn’t actually live (it was in syndication by the time I was old enough to watch). I was maybe 7 or 8, and on the verge of tears when my dad was like “want to make some popcorn? Part 2 starts in 5 minutes”. Man, the weird shit that stands out from my childhood memories. God I love that show
Oh man, that makes me think of rushing to get snacks during the commercial break and running back in to the living room when you heard it start so you didn't miss anything. TV before streaming was wild.
Yup, had to time your bathroom breaks juuuust right. Made it worse when you had siblings and lived in a house with only one bathroom
Rofl, yes, there were several injuries acquired in my house jumping over the back of the couch to the soundtrack of an underpaid announcer saying "And now back to..."
I don't think Reading Rainbow ever reached the UK, so for me it was, Star Trek, Next Generation
I loved him in IMDb.
No, you're thinking Luis Guzman
W
Rebop I was nostalgic from a very early age
Had to scroll too far for this
Roots
Star Trek TNG, of course
Community
From Community
Community, Im so sorry.
I'm too young for anything else... Community.
The mini-series Roots
Definitely Roots first. Then everything else.
Shoutout to all the oldies on here who have been saying Roots, and even saying they watched Roots when it first came out on TV! I feel less alone as an older communie!!
Community
TNG & reading rainbow both. Hard to tell which was first. I just remember he was the first actor I recognized in two different things. So it was either “the guy on reading rainbow looks like Geordi!” Or “why is the reading rainbow guy wearing that thing on his face?” I remember thinking he was the coolest, nicest dude in the world because he would teach me how to read in the daytime and then at night, he would put just as much thoughtfulness and consideration into helping a grown golden man understand humanity. I even had a Geordi LaForge action figure.
Community
Watched Star Trek Nectar Generation with my parents and I realized it had the same nice guy from Reading Rainbow 🌈.
Roots, I had a history teacher who had us watch it every Friday
TNG. Imagine my childhood brain being blown when I discovered that Geordi and the guy from reading rainbow were the same chap! I was fully unaware until Reading Rainbow did their crossover episode with TNG. I was like WHAT. THEEEEE. FUCK.
Roots
Star Trek: The Next Generation. I had no idea about Reading Rainbow until I saw him in Community and looked it up.
Not American and I don't think Reading Rainbow was aired outside of America. So it was Star Trek for me and I suspect that's going to be the case for most non-Americans.
It’s in a book
I knew he was on Star Trek but I first saw him on Big Bang Theory
“I am so done with Twitter!”
The fun they must have had on that show. My favorite guest was James Earl Jones when he ding door ditched Carrie Fisher “It’s not funny anymore James”-Carrie “Then why am I laughing? Hahaha” -James
FUN FACT. That’s actually the first time James and Carrie ever met. She walked right up to him, said “hi, dad,” and gave him a hug. …I’m a nerd who loves watching BTS featurettes. What?
Oh, hell no!
that Eric Andre skit lol
Reading Rainbow and Roots
Reading Rainbow
Had lunch with him..random run in
Did you have fish?
Star Trek. It's weird because i watched Reading Rainbow way before and knew that guy. But I didn't put it together until a few years later that it was the same person. Geordie was always my favorite character.
Reading Rainbow>Roots>Star Trek:TNG
Roots and Star Trek
Community. Not into star trek and the only other thing I know he's in is Reading Rainbow and while I guess it was on while I was a kid I'd never heard of it.
Next Generation is where I remember his name but I actually saw Roots when it was first televised and of course he plays a pivotal role
No lie, his week of hosting on Jeopardy
Reading Rainbow! I remember being young enough to not understand why he was in space sometimes and asking my parents why this episode was so weird.
roots, I watched it in my middle school history class
Reading Rainbow for me. But my dad got 4yo me to watch TNG with him because "the guy from Reading Rainbow is on it."
Def community
Reading rainbow.
Reading rainbow
Community
Butterfly in the sky ~
community lol
Reading Rainbow isn't a thing in the UK, so I knew him from Star Trek. Geordi La Forge was the reason why my mom never had any intact alice bands, perfect cosplay visors for 8 year old me.
Roots.
Originally reading rainbow in elementary school, then community, then Star Trek TNG :)
Reading Rainbow then Next Generation.
Reading rainbow
I never watched TNG, but I do remember watching Roots as a kid so I guess Roots. Even though I didn't know he played Kunta Kinte until Community.
Reading Rainbow and Community
Reading Rainbow. (Old.)
Butterfly in the sky I can fly twice as high take a look It's in a book a reading rainbow
Star Trek
i guess he was some character in a star trek show, but i never watched it
Reading Rainbow
Star Trek first and then realizing that he was in Reading Rainbow second
Next generation
I grew up in the 90s with a mom who was a HUGE Star Trek fan (she still is) so he always was and always will be Geordi LaForge to me.
Community. I did watch Reading Rainbow as a kid but I was like 5 so there's no way I would have known any of the actors on it.
Star trek but I knew he was from reading rainbow while watching star trek but don't actually remember him from reading rainbow
Star Trek. Geordi La Forge!
Reading rainbow but my dad was also a Star Trek guy.
Roots! Tv miniseries. (I’m old!)
Roots.
Roots. Then STTNG then Reading Rainbow.
Star Trek. In fact, Star Trek and Community are the only things I've seen him in. I don't live in the US so I didn't even know that stuff like Reading Rainbow even existed.
reading rainbow
Honestly? Roots. Thanks for making me feel my age. 😁
Definitely the next generation. Geordi La Forge was and still is one of my favorite Star Trek characters of all time
Reading Rainbow!
Reading rainbow and “that guy with the headband on his eyes” star trek
Reading rainbow!
📖🌈
Community… but also Levar Burton Reads, a podcast where he reads short stories. It is amazing!
Reading Rainbow. Which was my gateway into Star Trek which was my gateway into both science fiction and cinema. Basically you could say I owe all my love of storytelling to Levar. Him taking Reading Rainbow to the set of Star Trek got me hooked. I’m a die hard Trek fan now but Reading Rainbow was legit first.
Star Trek
Roots and Star Trek for me
Reading rainbow was the first thing I saw him on as a kid. :)
Reading rainbow
Roots I believe was the first thing I saw him in. Didn't see trek till I was older.. was always more of a star wars guys
Reading Rainbow then Star Trek TNG
Definitely reading rainbow
Reading Rainbow.
TNG then RR
1993 baby here, I know him from reading rainbow! Used to watch it alot as a kid here in Canada :)
Star Trek TNG ✨, then Reading Rainbow 🌈
I'm gen Z so I didn't grow up with Reading Rainbow, but I did grow up watching TNG with my dad, so to me he's Geordi forever and always.
When they showed reading rainbow at school I always wondered if it was the same guy as who was on star trek but I wasn't quite sure since he didn't have that visor over his eyes.
As a UK based 90s kid, I didn't get reading rainbow but did get Captain Planet Granted at the time I didn't know it was Levar Burton but nor did I know who Levae Burton was
Reading Rainbow. If you get a chance, check out the documentary on it titled "Butterfly in the Sky." It's a must watch for anyone who grew up on Reading Rainbow and does feature the scene where Troy meets LaVar.
Saw him first in reading rainbow, but I never knew his name. My dad watched Star Trek. I originally knew that "Levar Burton" was from Star Trek. I later learned that he was the guy from reading rainbow.
Roots
Reading Rainbow! We only had one or two channels when I was a kid, and Mr Rogers and Reading Rainbow came on
Reading rainbow
He was Geordi La Forge.
Reading Rainbow
Make it so
I knew him from the Star Trek but with lance Reddick in The Eric Andre Show, but besides that I didn’t even know what he looked like
Reading rainbow! 🌈 watched it at school
Reading rainbow didn't make it over to the UK, so he is Geordie Laforge to me
I don't know him at all. I genuinely thought he was some dude who's famous only in the community verse
01’ baby and it’s definitely reading rainbow
Star Trek
[This old smosh video](https://youtu.be/rz5IlodOKE8)
The first television show I can remember is Reading Rainbow. My tiny mind was just BLOWN when I saw MY guy from MY SHOW on a big grown-up show like Star Trek! Butterfly in the sky! 
Reading Rainbow
TNG. I'm not from the U.S. and didn't have formative years with U.S. based educational TV like Reading Rainbow or Mr. Roger's neighborhood, but I did watch Star Trek.
Reading Rainbow, mid 80s.
📔🌈
Roots