Wiktor Wise
'We're gonna turn it on' are the famous lyrics to the theme song of the edutainment TV show, The Electric Company. The show, which debuted in 1971, was created by the producers of Sesame Street and used sketch comedy, music, and cartoons to teach children how to read. The show's theme song reflects its educational purpose, with lyrics such as we're gonna get us the power to learn about anything. The Electric Company ran until 1977, with reruns airing until 1985, and featured guest stars such as Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, and Gene Wilder.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Theme Song | "We're gonna turn it on" |
| Target Audience | Elementary school students who were too old for "Sesame Street" but still needed help learning to read |
| Purpose | To teach the next phase of reading skills |
| Genre | Edutainment |
| Broadcast | Public TV stations |
| Broadcast Date | 25 October 1971 - 15 April 1977 |
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What You'll Learn
The Electric Company was an educational show
The theme song of The Electric Company, "We're Gonna Turn It On," emphasised the show's mission to "bring you the power" and "light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way." The lyrics also alluded to opening books and gaining the power to learn about anything, reflecting the show's focus on literacy and knowledge acquisition.
The Electric Company featured a diverse cast, including Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and Gene Wilder. It left a lasting impact on children's television, paving the way for other educational programmes that followed. The show's innovative use of humour and animation to engage young viewers in learning remains influential even today.
One of the show's memorable segments was "The Adventures of Letterman," where a villain would change letters in words, such as turning "money" into "honey," creating humorous and educational scenarios. This interactive approach to teaching reading and spelling left a lasting impression on its young audience.
The Electric Company's legacy extends beyond its initial run, as it set a precedent for educational programming. By combining entertainment and education, the show demonstrated that learning could be fun and accessible, leaving a lasting impact on generations of viewers.
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It aired from 1971 to 1977
"The Electric Company" was an educational TV show that aired from 1971 to 1977. The show's theme song, "We're Gonna Turn It On," reflected its mission to energize and empower young viewers through learning. The song's lyrics promised to "bring you the power" and "light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way." This sense of illumination and discovery extended to the show's content, which aimed to teach elementary school students reading skills and foster a love of learning.
The show's creators understood the importance of making education engaging and accessible. They achieved this through a variety of formats, including sketch comedy, animated shorts, music, and celebrity guest stars. By combining entertainment and education, "The Electric Company" created a fun and memorable learning experience for its young audience.
The show's impact extended beyond its initial run. It left a lasting legacy, with reruns airing until 1985, and it paved the way for other educational programs such as "Barney," "Dora," and "Super Why!." The show's innovative approach to teaching reading skills and its enduring popularity among generations of viewers have solidified its place in television history.
"The Electric Company" also left a mark on popular culture. The show introduced characters like Easy Reader, played by Morgan Freeman, and Millie the Helper, played by Rita Moreno, who became iconic figures in children's television. The show's format, blending humour and education, has influenced subsequent programs aimed at making learning fun for young audiences.
The show's theme song, "We're Gonna Turn It On," has also endured as a catchy and uplifting anthem. Its upbeat message of empowerment and enlightenment captures the show's spirit and continues to resonate with audiences long after the show's conclusion in 1977.
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The show used comedy, music, and cartoons to teach kids to read
The Electric Company, which aired from 1971 to 1977, was an edutainment show that used comedy, music, and cartoons to teach kids to read. The show was produced by the same team behind Sesame Street and targeted elementary school students who had outgrown that show but still needed help with their reading.
The Electric Company's theme song included the lyrics, "We're gonna turn it on, we're gonna bring you the power!" The show's format included sketch comedy, music, and animated shorts. One of its memorable sketches involved a hand reaching into view to turn off a lightbulb in a comedic way connected to the word being said, such as burning their fingers on the bulb for the word "hot."
The show also featured guest stars like Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, and Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers' character, for example, would say things like, "Wait, what's that villain doing? He's changing the M in money to an H, turning money into honey."
The Electric Company's legacy lies in its innovative approach to teaching reading skills to older children through a mix of entertainment and education. It paved the way for other educational programs that followed, such as Barney, Dora, and Super Why!.
Overall, The Electric Company left a lasting impact on children's television by demonstrating the effectiveness of combining humour, music, and animation to engage and educate young viewers.
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The show was created by the producers of Sesame Street
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. It was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. The show was intended for children who had outgrown CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street, and as such, the humour was more mature. The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and various other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills.
The show's theme song, "We're Gonna Turn It On", featured lyrics such as "We're gonna turn it on/We're gonna bring you the power/We're gonna light up the darkest night/Like the brightest day/In a whole new way". The song was written by Eric Rogers, who composed additional music for 260 episodes of the show and wrote some of its other songs. The original soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for the show's cast.
The Electric Company first aired on PBS from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, with 780 episodes over six seasons. It continued to air in reruns until October 4, 1985. A reboot of the series, also called The Electric Company, aired from 2009 to 2011 and featured similar sketch comedy and music to the original.
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The theme song promises to bring you the power
The theme song of The Electric Company, a children's edutainment TV show, promises to bring you the power. The show aired on PBS from 1971 to 1977 and was created by the producers of Sesame Street. It used sketch comedy, music, and cartoons to teach elementary school children how to read. The theme song reflects this educational purpose, with lyrics such as "We're gonna get us the power to learn about anything/And the power's gonna set us free."
The song's promise to "bring you the power" can be interpreted as a metaphor for knowledge and learning. By "turning it on," the show aims to empower young viewers by providing them with the tools to read and learn independently. This interpretation is reinforced by lyrics such as "We're gonna light up the darkest night/Like the brightest day/In a whole new way." The song suggests that the show will illuminate and brighten the minds of its young audience, helping them to see things in a new and exciting light.
The theme song's upbeat and energetic tone, with its catchy "We're gonna turn it on/We're gonna bring you the power" refrain, likely appealed to its young viewers and helped to engage them from the very beginning of each episode. The song's promise of power and knowledge may have also helped to instill a sense of confidence and motivation in its young audience, encouraging them to embrace learning and discover the power of reading.
Furthermore, the song's lyrics about "opening a book/And reading every word we can see" emphasize the show's focus on literacy and learning. By promising to bring the power, the theme song sets the tone for each episode, assuring young viewers that they, too, can unlock the power of reading and knowledge. This message of empowerment through education is a key aspect of the show's appeal and impact.
Overall, the theme song of The Electric Company not only sets the tone for the show but also captures its educational mission and spirit. By promising to bring the power, the song invites young viewers to join the Electric Company on a journey of learning and discovery, where they, too, can turn it on and embrace the power of knowledge.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electric Company is an edutainment show that ran from 1971 to 1977 on PBS. The show aimed to teach kids how to read using sketch comedy, music and animated shorts.
The theme song for the show included the lyrics: "We're gonna turn it on, we're gonna bring you the power! We're gonna light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way".
The show starred Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Lee Chamberlin, Skip Hinnant and Judy Graubart. Guest stars included Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and Joan Rivers.
