Al Roker is taking his talents from forecasting your morning showers to forecasting kids’ imaginations with his brand-new animated series, Weather Hunters, which premiered September 8 on PBS Kids, the LA Times reports.
The “Today” show legend grew up glued to Saturday morning cartoons, sketching characters from Preston Blair’s animation book, and dreaming about a future with Walt Disney. While life had other plans—landing him in front of millions as America’s favorite weatherman—Roker never let go of that childhood spark. Now, he’s blending his two passions: weather and animation.
“This really is one of those instances where everything that you love in your life comes together,” Roker says. “The show reflects what my childhood was. My parents were very supportive of their children and what their dreams were.”
Weather Hunters follows Lily Hunter, an 8-year-old scientist-in-the-making voiced by Tandi Fomukong, and her siblings Benny (Lorenzo Ross) and Corky (Kapri Ladd) as they dive into the science of everyday weather with help from their parents, Dot (Holly Robinson Peete) and Al (voiced by Roker himself). The kids are inspired by Roker’s own children—Courtney, Leila, and Nick—and yes, his cartoon alter ego still tells dad jokes.
For PBS Kids, the series was a no-brainer. “Weather plays such a big part of kids’ lives,” says Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids. “It just immediately opened up so many ideas and possibilities for us about ways we could really connect with families and get them more excited about the scientific topic.”
Across the first 10 episodes, the Hunter family tackles everything from clouds to thunderstorms to the mystery of why leaves change color. Executive producer Dete Meserve says the magic is in how the series balances “reality-based scientific explanations” with fun, imaginative adventures like the Vansformer—a flying weather station that takes the family straight into the action.
It’s also intentional that Lily, a young Black girl, is leading the charge in science. “There’s research that shows that if she can see it, she can be it,” Meserve says.
For Holly Robinson Peete, stepping into the role of Dot is personal. Her father, Matthew Robinson Jr., played the original Gordon on Sesame Street. “PBS just meant so much to me,” Peete says. “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.”
Educational advisor Sara Sweetman adds that the goal is for kids to walk away empowered. “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.”
Roker wants the series to demystify weather and even make storms less scary. “We’re explaining what it is and how it works,” he says. “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?”
More than anything, he hopes young viewers see the wonder in the skies above. “There’s really this magic that happens around us,” Roker says. “And it’s based in science.”
Cover photo: Al Roker Debuts New Animated Weather Series on PBS Kids/ Photo credit: Weather Hunters Inc.