Seth MacFarlane Contributing to 'Reading Rainbow' Revival

Seth MacFarlane made his name with raunchy humor from shows like Family Guy and movies like Ted and A Million Ways To Die In the West. But he's using his success to funnel resources into educational programming, first as an executive producer (and crucial investor) on Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, and now as an investor in LeVar Burton's revival of Reading Rainbow.

MacFarlane has promised to match up to $1 million in pledges made on the Kickstarter page for Reading Rainbow, which seeks to offer a free, online version of the program to underfunded schools across the country. MacFarlane's offer is ongoing, and will conclude at 3 p.m. EDT on July 2, the closing date for the online fundraiser.

Of course, MacFarlane's contribution will not decide the success or failure of the project, as Burton has already reached his Kickstarter goal of raising $1 million -- and he achieved it within hours of the project's launch back in May. But make no mistake, MacFarlane's donation could make a big difference in just how far and how wide the project will potentially spread, as MacFarlane has considerable clout in the television industry. For his part, Burton has gone on record saying he was left virtually speechless by the "extraordinary generosity" of MacFarlane, a friend with whom he's collaborated (mostly notably on "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven," the 7th season Family Guy episode that reunites the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation).

As of press time, over $4 million has been pledged by more than 83,000 contributors. With MacFarlane on his side, Burton could end up raising close to $6 million before it's all said and done, which isn't bad for a little show whose mission is nothing more than the circulation of literacy and love for books. You can donate to the campaign here.

Via: MSN News

Credit: MTVU.com