Umair Gaines
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that first aired in 1971. The show, produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), aimed to teach children basic reading and grammatical skills through sketch comedy and animated shorts. The Electric Company ran for 780 episodes over six seasons until 1977, and continued in reruns until 1985. The show was also re-aired on Noggin from 1999 to 2003.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original run | October 25, 1971 – April 15, 1977 |
| Total no. of seasons | 6 |
| Total no. of episodes | 780 |
| Runtime | 28 minutes |
| TV rating | G |
| Networks | PBS, Noggin |
| Production companies | Children's Television Workshop (CTW), Sesame Workshop |
| Syndication | Johnson Wax |
| Creator(s) | Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett |
| Developer(s) | Samuel Gibbon, Barbara Fowles |
| Presenter(s) | Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, Skip Hinnant, Ken Roberts, Jim Boyd, Luis Avalos |
| No. of viewers | Aired on more than 250 public TV stations |
| Awards | 2 Emmys, 1 Grammy |
| Spin-offs/Rebirth | Aired on Noggin from 1999 to 2003, Aired on PBS Kids from 2006 to 2011 |
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What You'll Learn
The Electric Company's original run
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 made its debut on October 25, 1971, and ran for six seasons until April 15, 1977, airing 780 episodes in total. The show continued to rerun on PBS until early October 1985.
The Electric Company was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The show's target audience was elementary school students who were too old for Sesame Street but still needed help learning to read. The show employed sketch comedy, songs, and various other devices to provide an entertaining program to help children develop their grammar and reading skills. The show's extensive use of early computer-generated imagery, especially Scanimate, a then-state-of-the-art analog video-synthesizer system, was particularly notable.
The original cast of The Electric Company included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, and Skip Hinnant. Most of the cast had experience in stage, repertory, and improvisational work, and Cosby and Moreno were already well-established performers on film and television. The show won two Emmys, aired on more than 250 public TV stations, and became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms nationwide.
The Electric Company left a lasting impact, with Freeman crediting the show as his first break in television, and Moreno reflecting on the experience as "a community service" and "a wonderful experiment." The show's innovative approach to educating and entertaining children influenced dozens of educational shows that followed.
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Reruns of The Electric Company
Reruns of "The Electric Company" began airing in October 1977, after the last original episode aired on April 15, 1977. The reruns continued until early October 1985. The show was off the air for a few years until February 2, 1999, when the Noggin network, partly owned by Sesame Workshop and PBS, rebroadcast the show. Noggin created a two-hour compilation special to reintroduce the series to a new generation. The special was aired on TV Land as a way to promote Noggin. Noggin ran 65 select episodes until mid-2003.
The Electric Company was an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), later known as Sesame Workshop. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The series aired on PBS for 780 episodes over six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. The show's target audience was elementary school students who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street, and needed help developing their grammar and reading skills. The show employed sketch comedy, psychedelic graphics, and various other devices to entertain and educate its young viewers.
A reboot of the show aired from 2009 to 2011, with reruns playing on PBS until August 31, 2014. The reboot, called "The New Electric Company," featured similar short animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos to the original show, but with a contemporary twist. Each episode also featured a storyline designed to teach four to five vocabulary words through hip-hop or R&B-style music. The reboot also included interactive web elements and was promoted through community outreach projects.
Despite the success of "The Electric Company" and its impact on educational television, the show faced some challenges. There were concerns about the cost of producing the show, with PBS stations and statewide networks complaining about the expenses incurred by the Children's Television Workshop. Additionally, some teachers and educators had reservations about using television as a medium for teaching reading and literacy skills.
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The show's educational value
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. The show was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as the Sesame Workshop, and was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The show's aim was to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills through sketch comedy and various other devices. The show is notable for its extensive use of early computer-generated imagery, especially Scanimate, a then-state-of-the-art analog video-synthesizer system used for presenting words with particular sounds.
The Electric Company's target audience was elementary school students who were too old for Sesame Street but still needed help learning to read. According to a report by CTW, "Government estimates showed that illiteracy was a problem for as many as one out of ten Americans," and that "millions more" were "functional illiterates." The show's creators sought to address this issue by using entertainment as a vehicle for education. Rita Moreno, who played a variety of roles on the show, reflected on this approach in an interview, stating, "I always saw The Electric Company as a community service on my part... But it was absolutely worth it. It was such a wonderful, wonderful experiment."
The show employed sketch comedy, animated shorts, and psychedelic graphics to engage and entertain young viewers. It featured a talented cast, including Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, and Skip Hinnant, many of whom had experience in film and television. The show's format included songs, such as "Apostrophe S" and "Silent E", which were used to teach grammar and reading skills in a fun and memorable way. The show also featured a parody of a soap opera teaser, with a cast member saying, "Today on The Electric Company, the so-and-so says, '(bleep)'" and freezing the action with a graphic or card featuring the "word of the day."
The Electric Company was a groundbreaking show that combined entertainment and education in a way that had not been seen before. It received critical acclaim, winning two Emmys, and became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms nationwide. The show's impact extended beyond its initial run, with reruns, a reboot, and a DVD release continuing into the 2000s. It also influenced dozens of educational shows that came after it, leaving a lasting legacy in children's television and education.
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The show's cast
The cast of "The Electric Company" featured several notable actors, including Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, and Skip Hinnant. Most of the cast members had experience in stage, repertory, and improvisational work, and some, like Cosby and Moreno, were already well-established performers in film and television.
Ken Roberts, known for his work as a soap opera announcer, was the narrator of some segments during the first season, including a parody of the genre that made him famous. Jim Boyd, who started as an off-camera voice actor and puppeteer, began appearing on camera in the second season, often playing the role of J. Arthur Crank.
The show also featured appearances by Spider-Man, as well as characters from the Marvel Universe, in a partnership between Marvel and the Children's Television Workshop. This partnership resulted in a special comic book series called "Spidey Super Stories," which were easy-to-read adventures of Spider-Man that sometimes included members of the show's cast.
The Electric Company's cast and crew made significant contributions to the show's educational and entertaining content, leaving a lasting impact on television and educational programming.
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The show's awards
The Electric Company was an American educational children's television series that aired from 1971 to 1977. The show was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) and aimed to teach elementary school children reading and grammar skills through sketch comedy and various other devices. The Electric Company was well-received and won several awards during its run.
The show's extensive and innovative use of early computer-generated imagery, particularly the Scanimate analog video-synthesizer system, was notable for its time. This technology was used to present words with particular sounds and create interactive scenes for the cast members. The Electric Company's original soundtrack album, released on Warner Bros. Records, won a Grammy Award for the cast. The show also won two Emmy Awards and aired on more than 250 public TV stations, becoming a popular teaching tool in thousands of classrooms across the nation.
The Electric Company has had a lasting impact on educational television and is credited with informing dozens of educational shows that came after it. The show's success led to reruns, a reboot, and a DVD release that continued into the 2000s. The Electric Company's unique blend of entertainment and education has left a lasting legacy, and it remains a beloved piece of television history.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electric Company first aired on October 25, 1971.
The Electric Company was on TV for six seasons, ending on April 15, 1977.
There were 780 episodes of The Electric Company.
The Electric Company aired on PBS.
Yes, The Electric Company re-ran on PBS until October 1985. It was also re-run on Noggin from 1999 to 2003.
