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The forecast for PBS<\/a> Kids\u2019 <\/a><\/span>Weather Hunters<\/span><\/i><\/a> calls for family-friendly adventure. With a star-studded voice cast, this new animated series premiering September 8 features an inquisitive eight-year-old named Lily Hunter (Tandi Fomukong<\/a>), mom Dot (Holly Robinson Peete<\/a>), sister Corky (Kapri Ladd), and brother Benny (Lorenzo Ross). Rounding out the Hunter crew is Lily\u2019s weatherman father Al, played by creator and EP Al Roker<\/a>. Not much of a stretch for the <\/span>Today <\/span><\/i>show host.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Each episode presents meteorological and scientific concepts in a fun and easily digestible way. The STEM-centric program follows the Hunters as they uncover weather mysteries and learn how climate can impact individuals and communities on a global scale. Other characters viewers will meet include <\/span>Al Hunter\u2019s grandfather, Wallace Reed Hunter (LeVar Burton)<\/a> and neighbor Ms. Joyce (Sheryl Lee Ralph<\/a>).<\/span> Here Roker goes into the making of the passion project and why it will resonate with people of all ages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How did <\/b>Weather Hunters <\/i><\/b>come together?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Al Roker:<\/b> I\u2019ve been working on this for literally over a decade. In fact, the kids in the show Corky, Lily and Benny kind of mirror my children\u2026I came to this in a circuitous route in a way I came to weather in a circuitous route. I didn\u2019t plan on being a TV weatherman. I don\u2019t call myself a meteorologist because I don\u2019t have that degree. My first love, and still my first love, is animation. My dream job would have been to be an animator for Walt Disney in the heyday of <\/span>The Little Mermaid<\/span><\/i><\/a> and films like that. I\u2019ve always loved that, but I\u2019ve come to love weather, and I love my family. So, I was able to combine the three things I love into one show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When I was in local news doing local television weather, every time I\u2019d go to a school, teachers would tell me the number one topic kids are interested in is weather. They are fascinated by it. Animation is a natural form of storytelling. So, I created a show that represents the three loves of my life: my family, weather and animation. It took a while, but as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait. PBS and PBS Kids was the perfect place for this because PBS Kids is one of those places where parents know their kids are in a safe space. <\/span><\/p>\n Not only is there animation involved and storytelling, but there is a curriculum to make sure kids are getting the correct information they need to go ahead and be better human beings. There is also, in a sense, a safety aspect of it, of giving kids a safe space. To be able to work with PBS and do a show about weather. To also make sure it\u2019s accurate, that it presents weather in a way that helps kids understand the world around them, it could not be a bigger fulfillment of a dream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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