Weather Hunters Showrunners Urge PBS Legacy Amid Funding Cuts

Weather Hunters is being positioned as a case study in preserving PBS’s mission as the network faces federal funding cuts. The PBS KIDS animated STEM series centers on the Hunter family—eight-year-old Lily Hunter, her sister Corky, younger brother Benny, and their parents—as they explore weather and the environment. Holly Robinson Peete voices Dot Hunter, the family’s weather-cast producer, while Dete Meserve serves as showrunner. Al Roker Entertainment helped greenlight the project, with PBS KIDS distributing it as part of its ongoing effort to deliver science-based learning through engaging storytelling.

Meserve joined the project a little more than a year and a half ago as showrunner and executive producer after PBS and Al Roker’s company greenlit the series. She recalled the early signal of a clear mission: to help kids see the wonder of nature and weather, and to encourage curiosity as a form of scientific thinking. “STEM show? Al Roker? PBS? Uh, yes!” she said, noting how she began researching the cast and scripts and was drawn to the idea that young viewers could see themselves as scientists simply by asking questions. Peete’s involvement, she added, came through a long-standing collaboration with Roker and a personal connection to PBS: her father, Matt Robinson, was the original Gordon on Sesame Street, and the PBS logo is “embedded in [her] brain at a very young age.” “The full-circle-ness of all of it, plus the cuteness and adorableness of this show made it a no-brainer,” Peete said of joining Weather Hunters, adding that working on a project adjacent to the TODAY show felt like a dream come true.

The series has a stacked voice cast and centers on Lily (voiced by Tandi Fomukong) and her siblings Corky (Kapri Ladd) and Benny (Lorenzo Ross), with their parents guiding their weather investigations. Peete’s Dot Hunter is described as the family’s weather-cast producer and a steady, curious presence, and the broader cast includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, LeVar Burton, and Yvette Nicole Brown, who performs the Weather Hunters theme song. In conversations about Weather Hunters, both Peete and Meserve emphasized the importance of collaborative, accessible science education and the way the show invites families to learn together.

Recording for Weather Hunters largely happened separately, with actors recording their lines individually rather than in a single session. Peete noted that she didn’t meet most of the cast in person until promotions began, while Meserve described the production as deeply collaborative with educational consultants providing ongoing guidance. The team works with a curriculum team and meteorologists to ensure scientific accuracy—from the premise of a Halloween fog episode to the specifics of altitude and temperature for a hot-air balloon segment. Sarah Sweetman, one of the curriculum consultants, helped figure out the temperature at various heights, and the team consulted a meteorologist to ensure sound and behavior matched real weather phenomena. The process extended to environmental details such as cloud density, fog color, and even the sounds associated with weather, with specialists helping to shape audio as well as visuals for authenticity.

The practical collaboration extended into the way the family is depicted on screen. Meserve spoke about designing a believable, loving, and inquisitive family that invites viewer engagement. Peete noted Dot Hunter’s role as the “calm eye in the Hunter hurricane,” a characterization that emphasizes steadiness and curiosity. Meserve added that a key aim was showing parents and kids interacting in a way that respects both parties, with eye contact, mutual nods, and authentic reactions that reflect how real families learn together. The result, they said, is a family model that values questions, curiosity, and shared wonder, rather than a single authoritative voice.

Both creators spoke about how Weather Hunters connects with PBS’s broader mission. Peete recalled PBS’s historical role in representing diverse voices and making high-quality children’s programming accessible, not only on air but across platforms. She described funding decisions as not only political but personal, citing her family’s long connection to PBS as a source of education and opportunity. “I cannot imagine the world without PBS,” she said, recalling her father’s era on Sesame Street and the network’s impact on generations of viewers. She called funding changes shortsighted and emphasized the importance of PBS as a free resource for families, classrooms, and after-school learning. Meserve echoed that sentiment, framing PBS as a “legacy” for producers who grew up with PBS shows and now strive to pass that legacy to new generations. She pointed to PBS’s model of meeting kids where they are—whether on the PBS app, YouTube, or in the classroom—and the free resources that accompany Weather Hunters, such as clips, activities, and printables designed for teachers and families. The show’s team has already delivered ten episodes and five digital shorts, with Weather Reporter—an accompanying mobile game—allowing aspiring weather presenters to craft their own weather reports.

Looking ahead, the team revealed Weather Hunters is planned as a 40-episode run, with a rollout over the coming months and years. They described a robust content slate, including additional real-world weather demonstrations and expanded digital interactivity. Peete highlighted the fog episode as a standout in the first ten, praising the production’s attention to how fog is portrayed and how weather can function as a narrative voice. The team also showcased a commitment to science education through real-world demonstrations featuring local weather phenomena and child participants from across the country, tying the animated world to tangible learning opportunities.

The interview underscored the show’s dual purpose: to entertain children with a warm, family-centered cast while delivering rigorous, accessible STEM content. Peete and Meserve spoke at length about the education-first approach that has guided Weather Hunters from inception. They described a process that prioritizes accuracy, clarity, and age-appropriate explanations, with consultants validating every step—from script to final animation. The aim, they said, is not only to teach weather facts but to empower children to see themselves as scientists whenever they observe the world around them and ask questions.

In addressing PBS’s role in the current funding landscape, both emphasized the network’s reach and its free, barrier-free access. Peete invoked PBS’s historical importance, noting its role in giving visibility to diverse voices and in teaching generations of children. Meserve described PBS as a “legacy” that should be preserved for the benefit of all families, arguing that the network’s model—free access, classroom-ready materials, and a commitment to curiosity—remains essential. The pair framed Weather Hunters as a practical demonstration of how PBS can continue to spark wonder and learning, regardless of a family’s income or access to streaming services. They stressed that Weather Hunters, its games, and its digital shorts exist to respect and support families as lifelong learners.

As Weather Hunters moves toward a broader rollout, Peete and Meserve said the project remains a living example of PBS’s value. They highlighted the show’s accessibility, its emphasis on curiosity, and its insistence that science belongs to everyone. The producers suggested that a continuing commitment to PBS and to free, engaging educational content will serve both kids and families well in the years ahead. The collaboration reflects a belief that public broadcasting can still lead in entertaining, informative programming while maintaining a universal, accessible platform for learning. Weather Hunters thus stands as a test case for how educational children’s programming can adapt to changing funding realities while preserving the core mission that has helped PBS endure for decades.