I'm planning on checking public libraries and maybe even local elementary schools next, on the off chance they have an old VHS copy of any episodes with the missing intro.
Unfortunately, all of the official releases of the season in question have the Chaka Khan version of the intro. It's almost as if the Johnny Kemp version is an old shame to PBS.
instead of being discouraged by the fact that PBS doesn't have it, we should be motivated to search harder.
It is possible, however, that someone recorded old Reading Rainbow episodes and has a copy of the Kemp intro that way. We know it exists. We just need to know where to look for it.
hello all! I've been following this whole missing Reading Rainbow intro thing for a while, cause I remember it from my childhood, and that CGI dragon scared the living shit out of me.
anyways, I went down to the PBS Studios located in Phoenix today, and actually asked the guy at guest receptions if they would have the missing intro archived or anything. after a few minutes of calling other people, he told me that everything in their archives has an expiration date, and any episodes of Reading Rainbow that would have that intro are expired and no longer archived.
so according to him, even PBS doesn't have a copy of the missing intro, lol
Well that's too bad that things in their archives have an "expiration date". PBS has a history of fantastic stuff that it would be nice to still have. Instead it sounds like it just gets thrown away after a while. Pretty sad.
Well that's too bad that things in their archives have an "expiration date". PBS has a history of fantastic stuff that it would be nice to still have. Instead it sounds like it just gets thrown away after a while. Pretty sad.
More likely returned to their creators, judging by how many old shows have home video releases and/or reruns (including Reading Rainbow).
CDCB2 just uploaded the credits from a 1999 recording with the Johnny Kemp theme playing in the background. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Fr8hCLHHc
Unfortunately the recording starts midway into the episode so the opening is still missing.
We have (some) audio!!!
This is great! Can somebody contact him to see if he has the opening? If he has this, then he may have the rest of the episode that came from.
Unfortunately, CDCB2's recording starts midway into the episode so he doesn't have the opening. I asked him about the uploading the credits, though, thinking it would give us an instrumental of the Johnny Kemp version. Didn't think we'd get the vocals for it as well!
