Al Roker, who once dreamed of animating for Walt Disney, is finally bringing his passions for weather and cartoons together. The beloved weatherman has a new children’s series, “Weather Hunters,” premiering Monday on PBS Kids.
This animated series, co-created by Al Roker, uses weather phenomena to teach young viewers about science and critical thinking.
- Al Roker’s childhood love for animation inspired his new PBS Kids series, “Weather Hunters.”
- The show follows the Hunter family as they investigate various weather events.
- “Weather Hunters” aims to make science accessible and exciting for children ages 5-8.
- The series emphasizes critical thinking skills and understanding scientific concepts.
What is Al Roker’s new children’s show about? “Weather Hunters” follows 8-year-old Lily Hunter, her siblings Benny and Corky, and their parents, Dot and Al, as they explore weather. Roker voices the father, Al Hunter, a local weatherman known for his dad jokes.
The series draws inspiration from Roker’s own childhood and his three children, Courtney, Leila, and Nick, who the Hunter children are based on. “This really is one of those instances where everything that you love in your life comes together,” Roker shared. “The show reflects what my childhood was.”
Roker has been developing the show for years, ever since his children were the same ages as the characters in the series. He humorously remarked, “Good things come to those who wait.”
Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids, called it a “passion project” for Roker. “We love to have a creator who is so excited about getting kids interested in the world,” she said.
For PBS Kids, a show centered on weather exploration felt like a natural fit. “Weather plays such a big part of kids’ lives,” DeWitt explained. “What should I wear today? What if it rains and I can’t do the thing I was planning to do? Where does that thunder come from?” These everyday questions open up many possibilities to engage families with science.
The animated series “Weather Hunters” features the Hunter family exploring various weather phenomena.
(Weather Hunters Inc.)
The first 10 episodes will be available digitally on PBS Kids starting Monday. Each episode features Lily and her family investigating a different weather topic, such as fog, thunderstorms, or how leaves change color. Sara Sweetman, an associate professor at the University of Rhode Island and an educational advisor for the series, noted the relevance of weather to children’s lives. “Weather is such fantastic content because it is very relevant to the kids’ lives,” she said.
Sweetman emphasized the importance of having a clear, singular takeaway message for each episode. “What we really want is [for] kids to watch the show and then run into the kitchen to find their dad or their mom and say, ‘Guess what?’ and be able to state that one idea really clearly.” She was involved in developing each 22-minute episode, aiming to synchronize learning moments with the story’s emotional arc.
Holly Robinson Peete, who voices Dot, has a long-standing friendship with Roker. She previously starred in Hallmark’s “Morning Show Mysteries,” which Roker produced and was based on his novels. For Peete, whose father, Matthew Robinson Jr., was the original Gordon on “Sesame Street,” starring in this series is a “full-circle moment.”
“PBS just meant so much to me,” Peete said. “It’s one thing for your dad to be on TV. It’s nothing for your dad to be on like the best TV children’s TV show ever. I wish my dad could see that I was actually on PBS doing this type of show with Al. He would be very, very proud that I would continue this legacy of children’s entertainment and education.”
Animation allows the series to incorporate imaginative elements, like a flying mobile weather station called the Vansformer, while still providing “reality-based scientific explanations,” according to executive producer and showrunner Dete Meserve. An episode about clouds, for instance, explains that the sun is still present even when obscured.
Meserve believes all children are natural scientists. She highlighted the importance of having a female lead like Lily, noting research that suggests representation matters. “There’s research that shows that if she can see it, she can be it,” Meserve said. Lily’s siblings, Corky (who likes to film and document) and Benny (who enjoys drawing), also engage with science in different ways.
The show also aims to demystify potentially frightening weather events like hurricanes or thunderstorms. “We’re explaining what it is and how it works,” Roker said. “Kids can feel some sense of empowerment. In the show we talk about, how do we, as a family, prepare? How do we protect ourselves? How do we keep ourselves safe?”
Roker hopes children develop critical thinking skills by watching Lily form and test hypotheses throughout the series. “Those are all things that I think the show excels at — helping create those skills for critical thinking that kids can take forward as they get older,” he stated.
Ultimately, Roker wants young viewers to appreciate the beauty of weather. “There’s really this magic that happens around us,” he said. “And it’s based in science.”
