Wiktor Wise
The Electric Company was an American educational children's television series that aired on PBS from 1971 to 1985. The show focused on literacy and reading skills for children aged 6 to 9, using a mix of live-action sketches, animation, and puppets. With 780 episodes over six seasons, The Electric Company left a lasting impact on children's television and its viewers, with reruns continuing to air until 2003. While the original series ended in 1977, PBS revived the show in 2009 with a new cast and a hip-hop influence, aiming to stand out in the crowded landscape of children's programming.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original run | October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977 |
| Total number of episodes | 780 |
| Total number of seasons | 6 |
| Original network | PBS |
| Creator(s) | Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett |
| Number of Emmy awards won | 2 |
| Notable cast members | Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, Skip Hinnant, Bill Cosby |
| Revival | 2009 |
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What You'll Learn
The Electric Company's original run ended in 1977
The Electric Company was a staple of Gen X childhoods. The show's original run ended on April 15, 1977, after six seasons and a staggering 780 episodes. The show continued to re-air on PBS until late 1985, leaving a lasting impact on children's television.
The Electric Company was created by the then-relatively unknown actor Paul Dooley and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop). The show was aimed at viewers aged 6 to 9 and was meant to supplement what they were already learning in school. It employed sketch comedy, animation, and the occasional puppet to create an entertaining program that helped children develop their grammar and reading skills.
The show featured a diverse cast of characters, including Keith, Jessica, Lisa, and Hector, who had superhuman powers with words. They used their powers for good and worked to keep their neighbourhood safe from troublemakers. The Electric Company also featured a cast of comical misfits known as the Pranksters, who caused chaos but were "villains without being villainous".
The show was also known for its celebrity cameos, including Mel Brooks, who would pop up from time to time as the Blond-Haired Cartoon Man. The Electric Company helped launch the careers of actors like Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno, who appeared in the show's first cast.
The final episode of The Electric Company featured a short musical and dance number with the final cast members. The lyrics of the song summed up the closure of the series: "We're glad you came to call. We really had a ball. The show is done; we hate to run; we're sorry, but that's all."
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Reruns continued on PBS until 1985
Reruns of "The Electric Company" continued to air on PBS until 1985, eight years after its original run ended in 1977. The show, which was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop), had a total of six seasons and 780 episodes. It was created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett.
The Electric Company was a beloved staple of Gen X childhoods, providing a fun and educational program that helped children develop their grammar and reading skills. The show was unique in its use of sketch comedy, live-action sketches, animation, and occasional puppets to entertain and engage its young audience. It also featured a veritable cavalcade of stars, including Mel Brooks, Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, and Judy Graubart.
The show's impact extended beyond its entertainment value. It was even used as a teaching tool in classrooms across the country and helped launch the careers of several actors, including Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno. The Electric Company left a lasting impression on children's television and its audience, with reruns continuing to air on PBS until 1985, ensuring that its legacy lived on for years to come.
The Electric Company's focus on literacy and reading made it a companion piece to "Sesame Street." While "Sesame Street" was aimed at preschoolers, "The Electric Company" targeted children ages 6 to 9, supplementing what they were learning in school. The show employed various techniques to teach children to read, focusing on the sounds of letters and letter combinations.
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The show was aimed at children aged 6 to 9
The Electric Company was an American educational children's television series that aired on PBS. The show, which first aired in 1971, was aimed at children aged 6 to 9. It was created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett and produced by the Children's Television Workshop, later known as Sesame Workshop. The show's unique format combined sketch comedy, animation, and the occasional puppet to entertain and engage young viewers while helping them develop their grammar and reading skills.
The Electric Company was designed as a companion piece to Sesame Street, targeting an older audience of elementary school children who had outgrown the preschool-oriented content of its counterpart. The show's sketches often featured celebrity cameos, including Mel Brooks as the Blond-Haired Cartoon Man, and focused on teaching children about letter sounds and combinations to improve their reading abilities. Each episode emphasised vocabulary from five "conceptual domains": animals, the body, weather, ecosystems, and the solar system.
The show's impact extended beyond its initial run, with reruns airing on PBS until 1985 and later on Noggin from 1995 to 2003. The Electric Company left a lasting impression on children's television and was even revived in 2009 with a new version that incorporated hip-hop influences and a stronger focus on dance. The original series also spawned comic books, a board game, and video games that extended the brand beyond the screen.
The Electric Company holds a special place in the hearts of many Gen Xers, who fondly remember its unique blend of entertainment and education. The show's impact was recognised with two Emmy awards, and it also helped launch the careers of actors like Morgan Freeman, who appeared in its first cast. The Electric Company's legacy underscores the power of using innovative formats to engage and educate young audiences.
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The Electric Company was produced by Children's Television Workshop (CTW)
The Electric Company was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. The show was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett, and aired from 1971 to 1977. CTW is an American nonprofit organization that has produced several educational children's programs, with Sesame Street being its first and most well-known show.
The Electric Company was CTW's second series, intended for children who had outgrown Sesame Street. The show employed sketch comedy and various other devices to create an entertaining program that helped elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills. The show's cast included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman.
The Electric Company was unique in that it aimed to teach children to read through television, which was considered controversial at the time. Despite this, the show was a success and won two Emmys. It aired on more than 250 public TV stations and became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms across the nation.
The show underwent extensive testing during production and after its first season, in line with other Sesame Workshop series. The show's curriculum was forged over two years of research and testing by a team of TV writers, producers, reading experts, and other academic advisors.
In addition to its educational goals, The Electric Company also incorporated music with Joe Raposo as the music director for the first three seasons, followed by Gary William Friedman for season four. The show also featured songs by satirist and pianist Tom Lehrer, who wrote ten songs for the series.
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The show featured a diverse cast of kids who could sing and dance
The Electric Company featured a diverse cast of kids who could sing and dance. The show's cast included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman. Guest stars included Mel Brooks, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, and Joan Rivers. The teen pop band Short Circus included future star Irene Cara, who appeared in the first season (1971-1972) and would go on to become a pop music star. Cara was replaced in the second season (1972-1973) by Denise Nickerson, known for her appearance as Violet Beuregarde in the ABC daytime series Dark Shadows.
The other three original members of Short Circus were singer and guitarist Melanie Henderson; drummer and singer Stephen Gustafson; and singer, tambourinist, and guitarist Douglas Grant. For seasons three (1973-1974) and four (1974-1975), Grant and Nickerson were replaced by tap dancer Gregg Burge and Broadway actress Bayn Johnson. An entirely new Short Circus was cast for the show's fifth and sixth seasons (1975-1977), including singer Janina Matthews.
The show's cast also included Hattie Winston, an actress and singer who joined at the beginning of season three (1973-1974), and Danny Seagren, a puppeteer and dancer who played Spider-Man in seasons four to six (1974-1977). Spider-Man's appearances on the show were tied to Marvel Comics, which published Spidey Super Stories that featured Seagren's Spider-Man.
The Electric Company's diverse cast of kids who could sing and dance was a key part of the show's appeal and helped to engage and educate its young audience.
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Frequently asked questions
No, The Electric Company ended its original six-season run on April 15, 1977, and continued to air on PBS in reruns until early October 1985.
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that focused on children's literacy. The show tried to teach children to read by focusing on the sounds of letters and letter combinations.
Reruns of The Electric Company re-emerged on Noggin in 1995 and from 1999 to 2003. In early 2007, Apple Inc., through its iTunes service, started selling 15 previously unavailable episodes of The Electric Company.
