Al Roker On Turning His Lifelong Love Of Weather Into A Kids’ Show

Weather affects us all: Where we go, what we wear, how we gather, and sometimes even how we feel. Who could understand this better than Al Roker, who has spent decades guiding families through snow days, heat waves, and everything in between as "America's weatherman"? Now, he’s translating that knowledge for a new demographic through his animated PBS Kids show Weather Hunters.

Weather Hunters introduces children aged 5 to 8 to earth science by following Lily Hunter, an inquisitive young “weather detective,” and her family (Roker voices Lily’s TV meteorologist dad) as they investigate storms, seasons, climate mysteries, and more. It’s a show rooted in STEM, yes… but also in something more fundamental: the idea that asking questions and staying curious are life skills worth nurturing. And, well, the message seems to be landing since the series has already racked up more than 41 million video streams.

Just ahead of the series’ holiday special, Roker spoke with Scary Mommy about the winding road to bringing Weather Hunters to the screen, and why curiosity and movement might just be the real secrets to a long, happy life.

Scary Mommy: Weather Hunters feels like such a natural extension of your career, but also a big creative leap. What was the moment when you realized this was how you wanted to talk to kids about the weather?

Al Roker: Going all the way back to when I did local news and weather and would go to speak at schools, elementary school teachers and middle school teachers would all tell me, "Weather is what kids care about.” It's one of the topics that they all seem to love, but when I started looking around, I realized there was really no television show that talked to kids about weather.

And growing up, I've always loved animation. In fact, my dream job would've been to be an animator for Walt Disney. So, when I started thinking about how I could reach kids, I thought, Well, every kid loves weather. They love cartoons. Why wouldn't somebody combine the two? Then I thought, Well, why not me? But it's been a long road. My kids, Nick is 23, Leila is 27, and Courtney's 38. Nick and Leila were actually the ages of Benny and Lily when I first started developing this — they were 5 and 8. And Corky's 11; now Courtney's 38.

But as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait, because I ended up being able to team up with PBS Kids.

Scary Mommy: The series doesn’t shy away from climate education, but it’s rooted in curiosity, not fear. Do you think curiosity is a skill kids are losing, or one they’re still really tapped into?

AR: I think they are. I think kids are, by their very nature, and I think humans are, by our very nature, curious. We're in a place now where that curiosity could be squelched by social media, by the devices, by all this stuff. So the show's aimed at kids 5 to 8 years old, and the idea of the show is to nurture, to foster, to build, to grow that curiosity. Al Hunter, who is the dad, voiced by me, just happens to be an incredibly good-looking, bald Black man. I don't know who he'd be—

SM: Hmm, wherever could that have come from?

AR: Unbelievable. But in the show, he doesn't tell Lily what to think or how to come to these conclusions. He just kind of points her in that direction and allows Lily, her brother, Benny, and her sister, Corky, to form a hypothesis and test it. And listen, that's a life skill that I think we all have, that we develop ... you're not going to get things right, right off the bat. Making mistakes and learning and doing all that is part of growing up and life. So the show, yes, it's about weather, but it's also about skills that kids need if they're going to be inquisitive, curious, free-thinking adults.

SM: You’ve said your granddaughter, Sky, inspired this project. How has becoming a grandparent changed the way you think about education and media?

AR: Unlike when we were kids watching TV, we couldn't take the TV with us. Now kids can take their iPad or their phone or whatever and watch things. It’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle, but if we give them opportunities to use that technology to increase their opportunities to learn, to grow, to be independent thinkers, then it's OK.

But I do think there's a through line between how my parents raised me and I raised my kids and Courtney and Wes will raise Sky. There's sometimes where you park your kid in front of the television because you need a break, and I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that. That's, I think, where PBS Kids comes in, that I think parents instinctively know that this is a safe place for their children.

With Weather Hunters, there's rigorous curriculum vetting and review, but not only that, to make sure it's a safe spot, that the language we're using is not meant to scare, it’s not meant to frighten; it's meant to nurture and to further that mission of kids learning about the world around them. At the end of the day, that's what this show is about. It's about not just learning about weather and the climate and the environment around them, but to appreciate it, to marvel at it, to look at it, and just realize how stinking awesome science and environment and weather and climate are.

SM: The Christmas special takes kids to Nigeria, which feels really unique for holiday kids’ TV. Why was it important to you to show it from that perspective?

AR: I think that the best of television takes us to places that we might not get to go, and what's great about animation: You can build these worlds that allow you to take people there.

I think part of it, too, is that animation helps you tap back into your childhood. When we were developing it, and the “Vansformer” came, I said, "Is anybody going to buy the idea that there's a flying van?" And Leila said to me, "Dad, didn't we use to watch The Magic School Bus?" OK, touche.

The other bonus that we found is that caregivers, parents, grandparents, older siblings are watching this and coming away and going, "Gee, I didn't know that. Oh, wow, I learned something." So I think the appeal of the show is that both kids and the adults or the older folks in their lives are going on a journey together, discovering things at the same time, which is kind of cool.

SM: I love that it lets kids see the holidays outside of the usual snowy Western Christmas lens.

AL: Yeah, and the idea that Al had a college roommate who was from Nigeria, and that there's this wonderful ability to accept other cultures because once you discover them and learn them, they're not foreign anymore. Growing up, I went to school with kids from Israel; I went to school with kids from Poland. Growing up here in New York City, this literally is the melting pot, so it's not unusual to know about and learn about other cultures. It just can be harder in other parts of the country. So to be able to tap into that and introduce that and expose that to other folks is a real thrill.

SM: Speaking of melting pots, I know you're also a big foodie. Is there a specific type of weather that instantly makes you crave a certain food?

AR: We're now in the holiday season, so who doesn't want to walk into a house and smell cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns cooking? That's just one of the things my dad used to do — God rest his soul — when he was still here, he would make cinnamon buns Christmas morning. I've always associated that scent with Christmas, so I do that now for my kids. I love that.

And making a great chili during the cold weather. Then, when you get into the warmer weather, and — now that you bring this up, I've got to ask somebody, a scientist or someone — what is it about grilled food that smells good to begin with, but for some reason at the beach or the pool, grilled food smells, I think, 30% more irresistible? What is it about water and the smell of a grilled burger or a hot dog that makes you want it even more?

SM: I saw this thing once about the amygdala, the part of your brain that associates smells with memories. I wonder if we connect the smell to feelings of summer, and so it makes us crave it more then.

AR: Interesting, yes.

SM: I also find it interesting that you’ve met so many people who’ve lived past 100. What do you think these people get right about life? What’s the secret sauce?

AR: Some of it is probably genetics, but I just talked to Dick Van Dyke for his 100th birthday, and I also think from both a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint, it’s still moving. I think motion and curiosity are two of the great markers of longevity. If you are constantly moving, that's the body's lubrication. Just like if you are still curious. Dick Van Dyke said he's still looking for roles. Last year, he won a daytime Emmy, making him the oldest Emmy winner in history. He still works out, still goes to the gym.

So I think that's the secret, and I also think it's your outlook.

SM: I really appreciate how you always point out easy ways to keep moving, like just walking around the airport.

AR: That's the thing. Listen, there are folks who go to the gym. My wife, Deborah Roberts, is one of those. She goes to the gym, works out there, and that's great. But there are also things you can do in your own home or while you're at work. One of the things I do is calf raises while I'm waiting to go on, while I'm standing at the weather map. I'm not going to be Dwayne the Rock Johnson, but at least I'm moving.

Weather Hunters Christmas in Africa is streaming now.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.