The Electric Company is coming back!

For those who are a little older then me and my generation, you remember the Electric Company.

It was like a precursor to You Can't do that on Television.
Songs, performances, sketch comedy.

Cast of the original included:

Electric Company is coming back

courtesy of wiki

The original cast included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Judy Graubart, Lee Chamberlin, and Skip Hinnant. Most of the cast had done stage, repertory, and improv work, with Cosby and Moreno already well-known from film and television. Ken Roberts, who was best known as a soap-opera announcer, was the narrator of some of the segments during the first season. Jim Boyd, who was strictly an off-camera voice actor and puppeteer in the first season, began appearing on-camera in season two, mostly in the role of J. Arthur Crank. Luis Avalos also joined the cast at that time.

I wanted to give a little nostalgia and upload a video for you but I can't get the links to work. But a little search and they are easy to find.

Hey you guyyss!

Used to like this show.

Man that was a loong time ago.
I feel ancient.

reply to post by badgerprints


LOL

I was on the tail end of it.

But I still remember some of the segments.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Morgan Freeman played many characters including Dracula. I also remember Spidey showing up in some episodes.

I wish they would just rerun the older episodes. They have the same impact on reading, and although dated, they are very entertaining. I will take a wait and see attitude, but it is difficult for lightning to strike twice.



[edit on 1/12/2009 by kidflash2008]

reply to post by kidflash2008


I am very curious on how it is going to be.

Especially these days, competition is tough.

It used to be just a few shows. Now with cable television, you are competing against dozens.


TV for kids is better then ever. Which is sad in a way too.

I still think you can't go wrong with Sesame Street.

reply to post by nixie_nox


My problem with Sesame Street is the PC police are patrolling there big time. Making a snowperson, instead of a snowman was the reason a friend of mine switched the show off for his children.
Nick, Disney, and the Cartoon Network and their spin-offs have a big audience, which is hard for PBS to compete with.

If I had kids I'd have them watch The Electric Company. I think it's a sad thing that has happened to Sesame Street and Nick Jr. is a cesspool. I don't think TV for kids is any better, in fact, I think it's degraded.

Sure there are a lot of shows now, but they're of poor quality.

This article reminds to watch it once more.
It could be funny to talk about something when we were young.








dvdsetshop

Awe----some...

da-da-da-da

Awesome!!!

Now if only they'd bring back Schoolhouse Rock between kids shows.....

I learned so much from those things....

I'm just a Bill...
The Preamble to the Constitution...
Conjunctions...
Interjections...

Great stuff...but yeah, Electric Company was cool...as was the silent Spidey with the thought bubbles....

reply to post by moonnight113


They did have an Electric Company marathon on one of the satellite cable networks a few years back. I did catch some episodes, and while it was geared for children, did hold up surprisingly well. With such a good original cast, it is easy to see they kept the quality pretty good.

I do agree with having memories of a TV show, thinking it was the best thing on TV. Then the TV show comes back in reruns, and one discovers it was pretty bad. This happened with the special on Bozo and other Chicago children's shows. They were painful to watch now, but I loved them as a kid.

reply to post by Gazrok


LOL I LOVE School house rocks. I know you can get the videos.

I wish they would show them again.

I still sing "I'm just a bill on capital hil...."

reply to post by kidflash2008


I know what you mean. I used to love scooby doo, Now I can't change the channel fast enough.

But I still love Mr. Rogers. I watched him recently and I realized he was the original"how it's made".

He will show a factory making something.


One show I have started watching again( i was little the first time, watched with dad) was M.A.S.H.

And I still think it is as good as it was then.

My husband has even started watchign it with me, and he used to hate it.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Mr Rogers was geared toward preschool age children, and that show is still watchable by adults. It was his warm personality that invites you to spend a half hour with him.

Most of the children's shows were and still are made with a low budget and the idea to sell cereal, MickyDees, and toys. I could not believe how many products were placed in and plugged on Bozo's Circus. I guess that was the way it was since children's TV started in the early 1950s.

Funny School House Rock story....

In my college American History class, we had a really tough professor...
Everyone always asked for extra credit, and he refused.

Then, on final exam day (day of the exam, not prior), he capitulated... He said, ok...here's a bonus question...write the preamble to the Constitution, word for word...and I'll give you 20 points if you get it right.

Don't know if you know, but other than "of the United States of America", the song from Schoolhouse Rock is exactly the words to the preamble...

"We the people (of the United States of America), in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility"...etc., etc.

A lot of us 80's kids were humming the song...and getting extra points!

Wow this brings back memories.

I read the whole Wiki article and was flooded with images from what seems like a lifetime ago. I remember sitting in the floor "too close to the TV" watching the show every day. (And, no, I didn't hurt my eyes or go blind from sitting that close, LOL).

Many thanks for the post that brings back the nostalgia. One thing I didn't remember was all the big names who played roles in the series. But as a kid, I didn't know who they were anyway.

Edited to add: I starred and flagged the thread since it brought a smile to my 40 yr old face. Perhaps it will do the same for others.
Cheers!

[edit on 18-1-2009 by Coach Knight]

reply to post by Coach Knight


I am always amused when I see a known actor in an earlier kids' TV show.

Some examples:

Sesame Street: Charlotte Rae (the letter carrier)

Pee Wee's Playhouse: Laurence Fishburne (Cowboy Curtis), S Epatha Merkerson (Reba the letter carrier)