"The Electric Company" (1971) TV series 1971-1977

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Writers:

Sara Compton (writer)
Paul Dooley (head writer) (1971-1972)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

25 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy

Tagline:

Hey, you guys!

Plot:

A comedy variety show that teaches basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes.

Plot Keywords:

Spider-Man | Part Animated | Smart | Scanimate | Hero

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Jim Boyd	...	Andy / ... (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Morgan Freeman	...	Count Dracula / ... (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Judy Graubart	...	Jennifer of the Jungle / ... (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Skip Hinnant	...	Clam / ... (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Rita Moreno	...	Carmela / ... (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
June Angela	...	Julie - Member of the Short Circus (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Mel Brooks	...	Blond-Haired Cartoon Man (780 episodes, 1971-1977)
Luis Avalos	...	Dr. Doolats / ... (650 episodes, 1972-1977)
Joan Rivers	...	Narrator of 'The Adventures of Letterman' (650 episodes, 1972-1977)
Gene Wilder	...	Letterman (650 episodes, 1972-1977)
Zero Mostel	...	Spell Binder (650 episodes, 1972-1977)
Hattie Winston	...	Sylvia / ... (520 episodes, 1973-1977)
Melanie Henderson	...	Kathy - Member of the Short Circus (520 episodes, 1971-1975)
Steve Gustafson	...	Buddy - Member of the Short Circus (520 episodes, 1971-1975)
Danny Seagren	...	Spider-Man (390 episodes, 1974-1977)

Also Known As:

The Reading Program (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

28 min (780 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-Y | USA:TV-Y7 (some epiosodes) | USA:TV-G (1971-1985) | Singapore:G

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Children's Television Workshop (CTW)

Trivia:

Lee Chamberlin left the series after season two, but she was billed as a cast member for the show's entire run.

Quotes:

Blond-Haired Cartoon Man: I can't swim. I can't swim. That's true, that's true, I can't swim a stroke. But as far as drowning is concerned you are looking at the king!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Mr. Saturday Knight (#3.9)" (2001)

Hey You Guys! This Show Was Fun.

Hey You Guys! I really loved the Electric Company even though it was five years before my time. I can say that I learned a lot from this show. Just basic reading and grammatical skills that so many kids are lacking these days. This show was really fun and there were a lot of people who made it that way. They really need to make more educational programs just like this so that kids can keep an opened mind as to what's out there rather than relying on other TV shows that don't really have any educational value and do very little to stimulate young minds.

I'm surprised that this show isn't in syndication and hasn't been released on DVD and VHS because the Children's Television Workshop could profit very well from it.