Umair Gaines
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The series aired on PBS from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, with reruns continuing until 1985. The Electric Company later ran on Noggin, a channel co-founded by CTW and partly owned by Sesame Workshop, from 1999 to 2003. Sesame Workshop also produced a DVD boxed set of The Electric Company in 2006, and a revival of the series that debuted in 2009. Given this information, it can be concluded that The Electric Company was indeed owned by Sesame Workshop.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The Electric Company | An American educational children's television series |
| Creator | Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett |
| Producers | Children's Television Workshop (CTW) now known as Sesame Workshop |
| Aired on | PBS |
| Number of episodes | 780 |
| Number of seasons | 6 |
| First aired | October 25, 1971 |
| Last original episode | April 15, 1977 |
| Reruns | Until October 4, 1985 |
| Reruns on Noggin | 1999 to 2003 |
| Reruns on HBO Kids | January 1, 2016, to November 1, 2020 |
| Reboot | January 19, 2009 |
| Reboot episodes | 2-minute animated shorts |
| Reboot focus | Reading, literacy, and basic math skills |
| Sesame Workshop | Accepts cryptocurrency donations |
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What You'll Learn
Sesame Workshop's involvement with The Electric Company
The Electric Company was a live-action series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett, and was developed by alumni of Sesame Street, including Dave Connell. The show was aimed at elementary school children aged 6–9, with the goal of teaching and supplementing reading skill instruction, including phonics, rhymes, punctuation, and sentence structure.
The Electric Company was CTW's second series, created during the second season of Sesame Street in 1971. The show ran on PBS from 1971 to 1977, with reruns continuing until 1985. The series employed sketch comedy and various other devices to provide an entertaining program, with a more mature sense of humor than Sesame Street.
Sesame Workshop played a significant role in the revival of The Electric Company. In 1999, the show was rebroadcast on Noggin, a channel co-founded by CTW and partly owned by Sesame Workshop and PBS. Noggin created a two-hour compilation special to reintroduce the series to a new generation. However, in 2003, Sesame Workshop sold its half of the network to Viacom, which led to the show being pulled from the program lineup.
In 2006, Sesame Workshop, under license to Shout! Factory, released a DVD box set called "The Best of the Electric Company," which included 20 uncut episodes, outtakes, and introductions. Due to the popularity of the initial release, a second volume was released later that year.
In 2008, Sesame Workshop began shooting for a new revival of the series, which debuted in 2009. This version, produced by Sesame Workshop, featured similar animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos to the original show, but with a focus on teaching vocabulary words through hip-hop and R&B-style music. Sesame Workshop also continued to produce the educational animated shorts "The Adventures of The Electric Company on Prankster Planet," which expanded beyond reading and literacy to include basic math skills.
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Sesame Workshop's creation of Noggin
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American media organisation that produces educational content for children. In 1999, CTW partnered with MTV Networks to create an educational television channel called Noggin. The channel was co-founded by CTW and Viacom's MTV Networks, and it launched on 2 February 1999.
The creation of Noggin was driven by CTW's desire to ensure that their programming reached a wider audience. The channel's early lineup consisted primarily of reruns from CTW's library, including classic episodes of The Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact, Cro, Square One Television, and Ghostwriter.
Noggin aimed to disprove the notion that educational programming could not be entertaining enough to attract pre-teens and young adults. It featured a mix of preschool shows in the morning and dedicated the rest of its schedule to tween and teen programs. By 2001, original content made up 40% of Noggin's schedule, with new shows like Big Kids, On the Team, Sponk!, and The URL with Phred Show.
Sesame Workshop continued to play a significant role in Noggin's programming. They co-produced shows with Nickelodeon, such as Play with Me Sesame, which was based on Sesame Street and ran exclusively on Noggin for seven years. Other original series produced by Sesame Workshop for Noggin included The Upside Down Show, Sponk!, and Out There.
In 2002, Sesame Workshop sold its 50% stake in Noggin to Viacom, which already owned the other half through its ownership of MTV Networks. Despite this, Noggin continued to feature educational series from Sesame Workshop, including prior seasons of Sesame Street, for three more years as part of their programming lineup.
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Sesame Workshop's ownership of Noggin
Sesame Workshop, originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization and television company that has produced several educational children's programs, including Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, and Sagwa.
In 1999, CTW partnered with MTV Networks to create an educational channel called Noggin, with the aim of ensuring that their programming reached a wider audience. The channel was co-owned and operated by Nickelodeon (50%), CTW (37.5%), and The Jim Henson Company (12.5%). CTW's share in Noggin increased to 50% in 2001 when Jim Henson sold its stake in the channel.
CTW, later renamed Sesame Workshop, produced a variety of original series for Noggin, including The Upside Down Show, Sponk!, and Out There. The channel's early lineup also included older shows from CTW's library, such as reruns of The Electric Company.
In 2002, Sesame Workshop sold its 50% share in Noggin to Viacom, the owner of MTV Networks, for \$180 million. The sale was partially due to Sesame Workshop's need to pay off debt and cut its losses. Despite selling their ownership stake, Sesame Workshop continued to produce original programming for Noggin until at least 2009.
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Sesame Workshop's sale of Noggin to Viacom
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), created the educational children's television series, The Electric Company. The show ran from 1971 to 1977 and continued in reruns until 1985.
In 1999, CTW partnered with MTV Networks to create an educational channel called Noggin. The channel was launched on February 2, 1999, as the lead offering in Viacom's MTV Networks digital tier. The channel's early lineup consisted mostly of older shows from CTW's library.
In 2002, Sesame Workshop sold its 50% share of Noggin to Viacom. The sale was partially due to Sesame Workshop's need to pay off debt. The proceeds from the sale were used to offset the debt and fund new international productions. Despite the sale, Sesame Workshop remained involved with Noggin's programming. They entered into a multi-year production deal with Viacom, and continued to produce new shows for the channel. The last collaboration between Noggin and Sesame Workshop was The Upside Down Show, which premiered in 2006.
The sale of Sesame Workshop's stake in Noggin to Viacom may have foreshadowed an end to Noggin's days as an ad-free network. However, Viacom assured that Sesame Street would not appear on any channel that was not consistent with its current mission.
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Sesame Workshop's acceptance of cryptocurrency donations
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help children worldwide grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. The organization is well-known for its flagship television show, Sesame Street, which has brought learning and joy to the lives of children across the globe. Sesame Workshop has expanded beyond television, offering research-backed resources, classroom curricula, and large-scale social impact projects.
In line with its innovative spirit, Sesame Workshop has embraced the world of cryptocurrency and is now accepting crypto donations through The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange. Crypto donations offer a tax-efficient way to support Sesame Workshop, with contributions being tax-deductible for those paying taxes in the US. Additionally, donors can benefit from reduced capital gains taxes.
The acceptance of cryptocurrency donations opens up new avenues for fundraising, tapping into a global community of over 300 million crypto users. This community has the potential to make a significant impact through crypto philanthropy, and Sesame Workshop is excited about the future of crypto and blockchain space in nonprofit fundraising.
By embracing cryptocurrency, Sesame Workshop continues its legacy of utilizing diverse tools and platforms to reach and educate children worldwide. The organization understands the importance of adapting to modern digital workflows and leveraging the power of technology to achieve its mission. Sesame Workshop's acceptance of cryptocurrency donations showcases its commitment to staying agile and innovative in the ever-evolving landscape of fundraising and philanthropy.
Sesame Workshop's decision to accept cryptocurrency donations is a testament to its forward-thinking approach and willingness to explore new opportunities. By doing so, they not only increase their accessibility to donors but also provide a convenient and efficient way for supporters to contribute to their mission. This move underscores the organization's adaptability and recognition of the growing influence of cryptocurrency in the world of philanthropy.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Sesame Workshop owns the Electric Company.
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is a company that produces educational content for children.
The Electric Company is an American educational television series aimed at elementary school children.
The Electric Company is owned by Sesame Workshop and is one of its productions.
Some other productions of Sesame Workshop include DragonTales, 3-2-1 Contact, Pinky Dinky Doo, The Upside Down Show, Sponk!, and Out There.
