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The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. The show was created by Paul Dooley and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) for PBS. It was designed to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills through sketch comedy and other entertaining devices. The Electric Company won two Emmys, aired on more than 250 public TV stations, and became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms across the United States. The show featured a cast of young actors who played members of a group called the Electric Company, who used their special powers to protect their neighborhood from a group of vandals known as the Pranksters. The cast of the show included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman. After the original series ended in 1977, The Electric Company continued to air in reruns and inspired a 2009 reboot of the same name.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of original series | 1971-1977 |
| Date of reboot series | 2009-2011 |
| Format | Educational children's television series |
| Number of episodes | 780 |
| Number of seasons | 6 |
| Producers | Children's Television Workshop (CTW), Sesame Workshop |
| Co-creators | Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett |
| Cast | Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Lee Chamberlin, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, Morgan Freeman, Irene Cara, Mel Brooks, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Joan Rivers |
| Aim | To teach children to read |
| Methods | Sketch comedy, animations, parodies, sketch, music videos, wordplay |
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What You'll Learn
The Electric Company's cast and crew
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett, and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. The show aired on PBS for 780 episodes over six seasons.
The cast of The Electric Company included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman. Other cast members included Lee Chamberlin, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, and Hattie Winston. Guest stars on the show included Mel Brooks, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, and Joan Rivers. The teen pop band Short Circus included future star Irene Cara.
The Electric Company also had a reboot in 2009 with a similar premise but a new cast. This version followed a group of five friends who protect the neighbourhood from the Pranksters. Each member had a unique power, such as the ability to throw "wordballs" or replay any image they see. Notable cast members from this series include Josh Segarra, Priscilla "Star" Diaz, Jenni Barber, and Coy Stewart.
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The show's educational impact
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series 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 it aired on PBS from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, for a total of 780 episodes over six seasons. The show continued to air in reruns until October 4, 1985, and was later rebroadcast on the Noggin network from 1999 to 2003.
The Electric Company was designed to help elementary school children develop their grammar and
The show's cast included notable actors such as Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and Judy Graubart. The original soundtrack album, released on Warner Bros. Records, won a Grammy Award for the show's cast. The series was also known for its innovative use of early computer-generated imagery, particularly the Scanimate system, to present words and sounds in a visually engaging way.
In addition to its educational impact, The Electric Company left a lasting legacy in popular culture. It inspired a special comic book series by Marvel Comics called "Spidey Super Stories," which featured easy-to-read adventures of Spider-Man and occasionally included members of the show's cast. The show also spawned two educational-based video games for the Intellivision console in 1979, licensed by Mattel Electronics.
A reboot of The Electric Company aired from 2009 to 2011, with similar short animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos. This version also incorporated storylines designed to teach vocabulary words through hip-hop and contemporary R&B music. The reboot expanded the educational focus beyond reading and literacy to include basic math skills, with a new series of animated shorts called "The Adventures of The Electric Company on Prankster Planet."
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The show's legacy
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that first aired in 1971. The show was created by Paul Dooley and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) for PBS in the United States. It was designed to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills through sketch comedy and various other devices. The show was a huge success, airing on more than 250 public TV stations and becoming a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms nationwide. It won two Emmys and featured a host of famous names, including Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Mel Brooks, and Gene Wilder.
The Electric Company was groundbreaking for its time, as it sought to use television as a tool to teach children to read. This was a novel concept in 1971, as most people, including teachers, believed that television was "horrible" for children. The show's research team, writers, and producers spent 18 months developing the show before it went on air. The show's cast members also reflected on the impact of the show, with one cast member, Luis Ávalos, commenting that "The Electric Company turned me on and brought me the power of laughter and positive vibes!".
The Electric Company's influence extended beyond the classroom, as it also had a significant cultural impact. The show featured a diverse range of characters, including strong female characters like Lisa Heffenbacher and Jessica Ruiz, who were portrayed as smart, talented, and confident. The show also featured characters from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the diverse nature of American society. The Electric Company's use of sketch comedy and music also helped to make the show entertaining and engaging for young viewers, with songs like "L-Y" and "Silent E" becoming popular among children.
Overall, The Electric Company left a lasting legacy as a groundbreaking and influential educational children's television series. It helped to pioneer the use of television as a teaching tool, and its impact can still be felt in the world of educational entertainment today. The show's combination of entertainment and education continues to inspire and inform the creation of engaging and instructive content for young audiences.
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The show's reboot
The original Electric Company was an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. It was created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. The show employed sketch comedy and various other devices to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills.
The show was rebooted in 2009 and ran until 2011, with reruns continuing until 2014. The new version had similar animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos to the original show, but each episode also featured a storyline designed to teach four to five vocabulary words with a mix of hip-hop or contemporary R&B-style music. The Electric Company consisted of a group of four to five friends who protected the neighborhood from the Pranksters, a group of vandals. Each member of the Electric Company had a special skill, such as the power to throw "wordballs," blue magical balls that create words on any surface.
Some of the main characters in the reboot included Hector Ruiz, the oldest member and leader of the Electric Company, who had the power to replay any image he saw like a video camera; Jessica Ruiz, Hector's younger sister and a talented rapper who could replay any word or phrase she heard like a tape recorder; Lisa Heffenbacher, a smart and well-liked girl with the power to unscramble any anagram; and Marcus Barnes, the newest and youngest member of the Electric Company who had the power to solve math problems.
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The show's characters
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. The show was created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. The show's cast included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman.
The Electric Company consisted of a group of four to five friends who protected their neighborhood from the Pranksters. Each member had a special skill and the power to throw wordballs, blue magical balls that created words on any surface.
Hector Ruiz (played by Josh Segarra) was the oldest member and leader of the Electric Company. He had the power to replay any image he saw, much like a video camera. Hector was athletic and skilled at basketball. He had a strong rivalry with Manny due to a limerick contest from their childhood. Hector's younger sister, Jessica Ruiz (played by Priscilla "Star" Diaz), was a talented rapper with a similar power to her brother's, able to replay any word or phrase she heard like a tape recorder. Jessica was confident and brash, especially when dealing with the Pranksters.
Lisa Heffenbacher (played by Jenni Barber) was a well-liked and smart girl who excelled in science. She had the power to unscramble any anagram she found. Lisa had a rivalry with Annie, who caused numerous headaches for her. Marcus Barnes (played by Coy Stewart) was the newest and youngest member of the Electric Company, introduced in season 3. He had math skills and could solve math problems with his wordball power.
Other notable characters included Shock (played by Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan), a short-order cook at the Electric Diner who rarely spoke directly, instead beatboxing and using hand gestures to communicate. P.J. Watson (played by Kyle Massey) was Keith's eccentric cousin who appeared in season 2, and Leo Watson (played by L. Steven Taylor) was the proprietor of the Electric Diner and Keith's father. The Great Calvero (played by Jason Antoon) was the local magician who performed in the park.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Electric Company' is an American educational children's television series. It first aired in 1971 and was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) for PBS in the United States. The show used comedy, animations, and music to teach children reading and grammar skills.
The cast of the original series included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Lee Chamberlin, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, Hattie Winston, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman.
The cast members of the 1971 series have gone on to various endeavours. Rita Moreno, for example, has had a successful acting career, winning an Academy Award. Morgan Freeman has also gone on to become a well-known actor. Other cast members such as Luis Ávalos, Jim Boyd, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, and Hattie Winston have provided commentary and reflected on their experiences on the show.
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