Beatrice Lang
The Electric Company was an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) and 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 October 4, 1985. The show's main purpose was to teach elementary school children basic phonetic and grammar concepts, as well as the next phase of reading skills beyond the alphabet. The Electric Company employed sketch comedy, live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and appearances by Spider-Man to create an entertaining and educational program.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the TV show | The Electric Company |
| Type of show | American educational children's television series |
| Producers | Children's Television Workshop (CTW), later known as Sesame Workshop |
| Co-creators | Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett |
| Developed by | Karen Fowler |
| Original series run | October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977 |
| Reboot series run | January 19, 2009, to April 4, 2011 |
| Reboot reruns | January 1, 2016, to November 1, 2020 |
| Target audience | Children between 5 and 10 years old |
| Subject | English and Language Arts |
| Teaching | Pronunciation, spelling, grammar skills, friendship, kindness, doing the right thing, and teamwork |
| Episodes | 780 episodes over 6 seasons |
| Reruns | Until October 4, 1985 |
| Channel | PBS |
| Cast members | Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Lee Chamberlin, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, Morgan Freeman, Francine Carruthers, Annie Scrambler, and more |
| Awards | Two Emmys |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Electric Company is an educational children's TV series
The Electric Company employed sketch comedy, songs, and live-action sketches to teach basic phonetic and grammar concepts. The show also featured appearances by Spider-Man and animated inserts with the superhero Letterman. The cast included Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and a then-unknown Morgan Freeman.
A reboot of the show aired from 2009 to 2011, with reruns continuing until 2020. This version featured similar short animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos, but each episode also included a storyline designed to teach vocabulary words through hip-hop and contemporary R&B music. The new series followed a group of tween and teen literacy heroes called the Electric Company, who battled a group of neighbourhood vandals known as the Pranksters.
Why Electric Companies Are Investing in Solar Energy
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It aired from 1971 to 1977, with reruns until 1985
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that initially aired from 1971 to 1977, with reruns until 1985. The show was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), now known as Sesame Workshop. CTW was also responsible for producing Sesame Street, which debuted in 1969. The Electric Company was created to cater to an older audience than Sesame Street, targeting elementary school students who needed help with reading. The show employed sketch comedy, psychedelic graphics, creative animation, and mod outfits to entertain and teach children about grammar and reading.
The Electric Company was considered a success, with a 1977 report by the Educational Testing Service noting its positive impact on its target audience of second-grade children who were struggling with reading. Despite its success, the show was cancelled due to limited funding and the need for CTW to choose between Sesame Street and The Electric Company to maintain their business.
The show's cast included notable names such as 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 show won two Emmys and aired on more than 250 public TV stations, becoming a popular teaching tool in classrooms across the nation.
After its initial run, The Electric Company continued to air in reruns until 1985. The show was later rebooted in 2009, airing new episodes until 2011, with additional reruns until 2014. The reboot maintained similar elements to the original show while incorporating contemporary music and vocabulary.
Electric Companies in Astoria, NY: Exploring Your Options
You may want to see also
Explore related products
A reboot of the show aired from 2009 to 2011
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that initially aired from 1971 to 1977, with reruns continuing until 1985. A reboot of the show aired from 2009 to 2011, with reruns playing afterward until 2013 and, on some services, until 2014 and even 2020. The reboot, like the original, was produced by Sesame Workshop and targeted children between the ages of 5 and 10. It covered English and Language Arts, teaching pronunciation, spelling, and other grammar skills. Each episode featured a storyline designed to teach four to five vocabulary words with a mix of hip-hop or contemporary R&B-style music. The new version also included interactive web elements and was promoted and extended via community outreach projects.
The reboot's heroes are a group of tween and teen literacy heroes who battle a group of neighborhood vandals called the Pranksters. Their headquarters is the Electric Diner, where their friend Shock, a beatboxing short-order cook, resides. The Pranksters are led by Francine Carruthers, who has the power to generate violet wordballs. Annie Scrambler, another member of the Pranksters, has the power to scramble any word or sentence with a stomp of her foot. Annie is often jealous of the Electric Company's good luck and sometimes works with her hypnotist uncle, Sigmund Scrambler, to get back at her rivals.
The reboot includes several nods to the original series. Each episode's opening has a Company member call on the others to assemble by yelling, "Hey, you guys!!", a line that was yelled by Rita Moreno in the opening sequence of seasons two, five, and six of the original series. Other nods to the original series include appearances by Paul the Gorilla and updated versions of the soft-shoe silhouette segments in which words are sounded out.
Reviews of the reboot were mixed. While some praised the series, others felt that the story aspects were "unnecessarily complicated and off the point" or that the "hip 'n' urban vibe" seemed "overly calculated".
Electric Company in Las Vegas: Who Powers Sin City?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Original Cast Album: "Company" (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/912IQDSUlDS._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The show used comedy to help children develop reading skills
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that first aired in 1971. The show used sketch comedy, psychedelic graphics, creative animation, mod outfits, and over-the-top characters to teach elementary school children reading and grammar skills. The show's target audience was children who were too old for Sesame Street but still needed help learning to read.
The Electric Company was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) and aired on PBS for 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons, from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, with reruns continuing until October 4, 1985. A reboot of the show aired from 2009 to 2011, with reruns playing until 2014.
The show's unique format and educational content were designed to be entertaining and engaging for young viewers. Each episode featured a mix of sketches, parodies, and music videos, with a focus on teaching reading and grammar skills. The show also included interactive segments where children could guess redacted words, which were replaced by Minimoog sounds that mimicked the modulation of the word or phrase.
The Electric Company was considered a success in its goal of helping children develop reading skills. A 1977 report by the Educational Testing Service found that the program had a "clear and significant impact" on its target audience of second-grade children who were struggling with reading. The show's cast included notable actors such as Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, and Morgan Freeman, and it won two Emmys during its run.
Who Powers Citrus County, Florida?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW)
The Electric Company was 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. CTW is also the producer of Sesame Street, which debuted in 1969. The Electric Company was intended for children who had outgrown Sesame Street but still needed help with reading. The show's target audience was elementary school students.
The Electric Company was designed to be an entertaining program that would help children develop their grammar and reading skills. It employed sketch comedy, psychedelic graphics, creative animation, mod outfits, and over-the-top characters to engage and educate young viewers. 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 Electric Company was considered a success, and it won two Emmys. It aired on more than 250 public TV stations and became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms across the United States. The show ran for six seasons, from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, with reruns continuing until October 4, 1985.
A reboot of the show, called The New Electric Company, aired from 2009 to 2011, with reruns continuing until 2014. The new version featured similar elements to the original show, such as short animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos, but each episode also included a storyline designed to teach vocabulary words with a mix of hip-hop or contemporary R&B-style music.
Electrical Companies in Denver: Best Options for Your Home
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The show was called "The Electric Company" because it was produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), the same producers behind Sesame Street. CTW is now known as Sesame Workshop.
The show was an educational children's television series that taught basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes.
The original show aired from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977, with reruns until October 4, 1985. A reboot of the show aired from January 19, 2009, to April 4, 2011, with reruns until October 7, 2013.
The show's cast included Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Lee Chamberlin, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, and Jenni Barber.
Yes, the show won two Emmys and aired on more than 250 public TV stations. It also became a teaching tool in thousands of classrooms nationwide.
