Last updated on April 3rd, 2026
Today’s cartoon review entry is a look at “Weather Hunters,” a PBS Kids animated series that debuted in 2025.
“Weather Hunters” is made in part by the production company of “Today” show weatherman Al Roker. Roker’s no stranger to animation, having done voice work on shows such as “The Proud Family.”
Summary
The show features the Hunter family, who all possess some interest in nature or weather. Each episode sees the Hunters explore topics such as: why birds migrate; the different seasons; what causes snow; the nature of thunder and lightning; etc.
Assisting with the Hunter’s efforts is the family car, a van dubbed the “Vansformer.” The van is capable of turning into a high-tech mobile weather station, and can also fly (a pair of wings fold out from the van, while its wheels fold underneath/allow the van to hover “Back to the Future” style). This lets the Hunters travel to different parts of the world, such as the mountains or the desert.
Cast
The main cast includes:
- Al Hunter. The Hunter family patriarch, who works as a TV meteorologist; he also enjoys making “Dad jokes.” Al is voiced by Al Roker. His broadcasts sign off with the Hunters’ collective catchphrase (heard in the show’s theme song): “whatever the weather, we’re in it together.”
- Dot Hunter. The Hunter family matriarch. Dot is voiced by Holly Robinson Peete.
- Lily Hunter. The main star of the series. Lily, an 8-year-old girl, is the one most interested in following her father’s footsteps, and serves as an amateur meteorologist. Thanks to her late great-grandfather’s technology, Lily’s glasses, dubbed “Flexspecs,” come equipped with various enhancements, such as the ability to magnify small objects or verbally identify things. Lily is voiced by Tandi Fomukong.
- Corky Hunter. Lily’s older sister, Corky’s an amateur documentarian. She’s often seen filming the family’s adventures with her smartphone. Corky is voiced by Kapri Ladd.
- Benny Hunter. Lily’s younger brother. Benny has an interest in art, and is often seen drawing or painting. Benny is voiced by Lorenzo Ross.
- Cumulus. The family dog, named after the type of cloud. It’s unclear who voices Cumulus’ barking; Wikipedia claims (without any source) it’s legendary voice actor Frank Welker (Fred of “Scooby-Doo”), but Cumulus doesn’t have any voice actor listed on IMDB or the show’s closing credits.
- Wallace Hunter. The kids’ deceased great-grandfather (and Al’s grandfather). Wallace was the creator of the Vansformer and Lily’s glasses; he also served as a weatherman for the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. Wallace’s voice is heard as the computer systems for the Vansformer and Lily’s glasses. Wallace is voiced by LeVar Burton (of “Reading Rainbow” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fame).
- Ms. Joyce. The Hunters’ elderly neighbor; she’s a fan of Al’s weather broadcasts. Ms. Joyce is voiced by Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Highlights
- The series is a rare children’s TV show where the parents express affection to each other (i.e. a kiss on the cheek) and the kids aren’t shown gagging. Just the opposite—Corky, who’s filming Al and Dot, asks if they can do a retake of a kiss.
- It’s also a rare children’s show that mention great-grandparents to any degree, versus just grandparents. Al and Dot even explain to Benny why they call Wallace “Grandpa” and not “Great-Grandpa” (though for simplicity’s sake, he’s otherwise almost always called “Great-Grandpa”).
- Great-Grandpa Wallace as a tech genius feels like a nod toward LeVar Burton’s role in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as ship engineer Geordi La Forge. Similarly, Wallace creating an enhanced pair of glasses for Lily feels like a nod toward the VISOR Geordi wears (before the latter films/spin-offs give Geordi ocular implants).
- A Christmas episode sees the Hunters fly the Vansformer to Nigeria, to spend the holiday with friends there. The episode doesn’t shy away from the topic of death; their friend’s daughter mentions this being the first holiday since her mother passed away, driving part of the plot. It is, of course, still a PBS kids’ show—no mention of passports, or the Vansformer facing any encounters with Nigeria’s air force.
- The mention of the Tuskegee Airmen, and a mention of Wallace being (in-story) one of the first Black TV meteorologists. In real life, it looks like the first one (from what I can find) is Julie Bacon-Bercey, who became a Buffalo, New York TV station’s meteorologist in 1972.
- A Groundhog Day episode shows Benny’s birthday is on March 15. The plot: Benny thinks “six more weeks of winter” means snow for his birthday (six weeks after February 2), and wants a snow-themed birthday party. Lily spends the next month and a half examining weather changes every day (the sun rising earlier each day, temperature readings, etc.) to see if this is true.
- From what I can tell, “Weather Hunters” (along with “Phoebe and Jay,” a PBS Kids series that debuted in February 2026) is one of the final new PBS Kids shows to get some funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, before its shutdown.
Opening credits
Here’s the opening credits for “Weather Hunters.”
Conclusion
“Weather Hunters” is a pleasant show that explains basic weather concepts to young kids in a friendly way. It’s also nice to see a children’s show starring Black characters interested in science (meteorology).
Image: The cast of “Weather Hunters.” (PBS Kids)
