The Electric Company
Genre	Children's television series Comedy
Starring	Morgan Freeman Judy Graubart Luis Avalos (1972–1977) Skip Hinnant Rita Moreno Jim Boyd Lee Chamberlin (1971–1973) Hattie Winston (1973–1977) Bill Cosby (1971–1973) Danny Seagren (1974–1977) Gene Wilder Mel Brooks Joan Rivers Zero Mostel The Short Circus: June Angela Irene Cara (1971–1972) Gregg Burge (1973–1975) Stephen Gustafson (1971–1975) Janina Mathews (1975–1977) Réjane Magloire (1975–1977) Rodney Lewis (1975–1977) Melanie Henderson (1971–1975) Douglas Grant (1971–1973) Todd Graff (1975–1977) Denise Nickerson (1972–1973) Bayn Johnson (1973–1975)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	780
Production
Running time	28 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	PBS
Original run	October 25, 1971 – April 15, 1977

The Electric Company was an educational American children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of six seasons, from 1971 to 1977. CTW produced the show at Reeves Teletape Second Stage in Manhattan. Image File history File links Ec_logo_800. ... Childrens television series are television programmes designed for and marketed to children, normally aired during the morning and afternoon hours, mainly before and after school. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... Dawsons Creek director, see Morgan J. Freeman. ... Judy Graubart is an American actress born in Fort Worth, Texas. ... Luis Avalos (born September 2, 1946 in Havana, Cuba) is a character actor. ... Skip Hinnant (Born September 12, 1940 in Chincoteague Island, Virginia) is an American actor. ... Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award-winning actress and the first and only Hispanic actress in history (as well as one of only nine people) to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. ... Jim Boyd (also known as Jimmy Boyd) is an American actor, born in Philadelphia. ... Lee Chamberlin (born February 14, 1938, in New York, New York), is an African-American film and television actress. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933) is an American actor and comedian who has starred in more than thirty movies. ... Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, writer, director and producer best known as a creator of broad film farces and comedy parodies or, as he says, spoofs. // Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York to Russian-Jewish parents Maximillian Kaminsky... Joan Rivers (born June 8, 1933) is an American comedian, talk show host, businesswoman, and celebrity. ... Mostel in Sirocco (1951) Zero Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was a Brooklyn-born stage and film actor best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof , Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max... June Angela (born August 18, 1959) is an Asian-American actress, singer, and dancer best known as Julie, the mainstay member of the Short Circus on the PBS childrens television series The Electric Company. ... Irene Cara (born Irene Escalera on March 18, 1959[1] in The Bronx, New York City) is an American singer, Academy Award-winning songwriter and actress of African, Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Réjane Magloire is a singer, model, and actress. ... Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor, writer and director best known for his 2003 independent film Camp. ... Denise Nickerson (1 April 1959) is an American actress and former child star who is best known as Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewing pre-teen from the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Childrens television series are television programmes designed for and marketed to children, normally aired during the morning and afternoon hours, mainly before and after school. ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ...

The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and other devices to provide an entertaining program to help children of primary-school age develop their reading skills. It was intended for children who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street. For information about The Sketch Show TV programme, see The Sketch Show. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ...

Performers

The original cast included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno (it was Moreno who screamed "Hey, you guyyyyys!!" to open the show in seasons two, five, and six and first screamed the phrase in episode 19), 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. Dawsons Creek director, see Morgan J. Freeman. ... Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award-winning actress and the first and only Hispanic actress in history (as well as one of only nine people) to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Judy Graubart is an American actress born in Fort Worth, Texas. ... Lee Chamberlin (born February 14, 1938, in New York, New York), is an African-American film and television actress. ... Skip Hinnant (Born September 12, 1940 in Chincoteague Island, Virginia) is an American actor. ... For Philippine soap opera, see Teleserye. ...

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. Jim Boyd (also known as Jimmy Boyd) is an American actor, born in Philadelphia. ... A voice actor (also a voice artist) is a person who provides voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... Luis Avalos (born September 2, 1946 in Havana, Cuba) is a character actor. ...

Bill Cosby was a regular in season one, and occasionally appeared in new segments during season two, but afterward he left The Electric Company. Nevertheless, segments Cosby had taped in seasons one and two were repeatedly re-run in shows produced throughout the following four seasons, and Cosby was billed as a cast member throughout the show's entire run. Similarly, Lee Chamberlin also left after the second season, but many of her segments were also repeatedly reused. Consequently, Chamberlin was also billed as a cast member for the show’s entire run.

Added to the cast at the beginning of the third season was Hattie Winston, an actress and singer who later appeared on the show Becker. Beginning in the fourth season, Danny Seagren appeared in the role of Spider-Man. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...

Regular sketches

Some of the regular sketches performed on The Electric Company included the following:

• The Adventures of Letterman—Segment featuring the work of animators John Hubley and Faith Hubley, wherein the title character, a young super hero who could fly and who wore a varsity sweater and a football helmet, foiled the mischief of the evil Spell Binder. Featured the vocal talents of Zero Mostel, Joan Rivers (who narrated the segments), and Gene Wilder (most of the time), the skit debuted during season two, and it was one of the most popular segments of the show. The Adventures of Letterman was parodied in season six as Litterman.
• Blond-Haired Cartoon Man—Voiced by Mel Brooks, he read words that appeared on the screen, but they did not always show up in the right order. "'I am cute very.' THAT'S IT! That's WRONG! 'I am cute very?' Who's the dummy writing this show?"
• The Blue Beetle—a bumbling super hero (Jim Boyd) who would often make matters worse instead of better for people who he tried to help, unrelated to the DC Comics hero of the same name. He wore a mask, a hood with antennas, wings attached to his back, tennis shoes, boxer shorts, and a T-shirt with "Blue Beetle" written on it, all of which were all colored blue except for the letters U and E of the word “blue.” He was also often put up against Spider-Man, by whom he was both jealous of and intimidated. One of his favorite taglines was, "I would if I could, but I can't, so I won't."
  • The Blue Beetle bore a striking resemblance to El Chapulín Colorado, a now-classic Mexican television program that aired from 1970 to 1978.
• Clayton—Introduced in season five but became a recurring character in season six, a Claymation character animated by Will Vinton who often commented on the previous skit or introduced a new concept.
• The Corsican Twins—Twin brothers (Skip Hinnant and Jim Boyd) who could hurt each other by punching, biting, kicking, etc., themselves, all while reinforcing sounds.
• Vincent the Vegetable Vampire—Send-up of the Bram Stoker literary character Dracula, played by Morgan Freeman. He was often seen with Frankenstein's monster (Skip Hinnant) and the Wolfman (Jim Boyd).
• The Director—A hapless auteur named Otto (Rita Moreno), dressed as an old-style Hollywood film director, tried in vain to make her actors read the correct line as printed on an oversized cue card held by Marcello (Morgan Freeman). The director used her riding crop as a pointer to the cue card, but she usually ended up whacking the cue card in anger with the crop startling Marcello. Several flubbed takes were depicted before the director gave up in frustration. Common director lines included “Marcello!!!!!” “Aaaaanndd ROLL ’EM!!” and “Aaaaaction!” Moreno modeled the character after John Huston.
• Dr. Doolats—Parody of Dr. Doolittle and Groucho Marx (with a Harpo Marx wig) in which the title character (Luis Avalos) used words to cure his patients.
• Easy Reader—"Easy Reader, that's my name, umm, umm-umm!"—Segments featured the title character, a smooth hipster who loved to read at every opportunity and every printed thing he saw (Morgan Freeman), teaching words of the day. Often associated with Valerie the Librarian (Hattie Winston). His name was a pun on the title of the the film Easy Rider.
• Fargo North, Decoder—An Inspector Clouseau-type detective (Skip Hinnant) tried to decode scrambled word messages and phrases. His name was a pun based on Fargo, North Dakota. Sesame Street 's Big Bird appears in one segment, asking him to help decode a message. It is also a reference to the decoding style of reading education.
• Five Seconds—Midway point of the show where viewers were challenged to read a word within a 5-second time limit. From 1973 to 1975, in a spoof of Mission: Impossible, the word would self-destruct in a Scanimate animation sequence after the time limit expired. ("The word you see here will self-destruct in five seconds. Can you read it before it does?") After 1975, the viewers had to read the word before a cast member (often a member of the Short Circus) did.
• Giggles, Goggles—Two friends (usually Rita Moreno and Judy Graubart) conversed when one of them misused a word (e.g., "flack" as in "flap," when the other was talking about something with the word "flap"). Several words, similarly tied by prefix or suffix, were humorously misused until they get back to the original word. "That's what I was trying to tell you!" remarked one of the characters, after which the other fumed in frustration.
• Here's Cooking at You—Send-up of Julia Child, with Judy Graubart playing Julia Grown-Up.
• J. Arthur Crank—Jim Boyd's plaid-wearing character who often interrupted sketches to complain when spellings or pronunciations confused him. In early episodes, he was just a voice on the phone, much like an irate viewer on a radio call-in show. In one sketch he sang a song devoted to his spiritual cousin Oscar the Grouch. Crank is named after British film mogul J. Arthur Rank and refers to what would be later known as crank calling.
• Jennifer of the Jungle—George of the Jungle send-up with (Judy Graubart) and Paul the Gorilla (Jim Boyd). Usually opened with Jennifer swinging on Viney the vine, yeling, "Oy-yoi-yoi-yoi...!"
• The Last Word—Always came at the end of the show; featured in season one instead of the next-show teasers from later seasons. The camera would show a barely lit incandescent bulb on a pull-chain switch hanging from a wire. The voice of Ken Roberts would state "And now, the last word" gravely. A single word would appear, usually one that had been featured earlier in the episode. An unseen cast member would read the word aloud, reach his/her arm into the shot, and turn the light off by tugging the pull chain.
• Love of Chair—Spoof of the soap opera Love of Life about a boy (Skip Hinnant) sitting on a chair. Announcer Ken Roberts (who, appropriately enough, also announced for Love of Life) read the day's story, told in the style of the old Dick and Jane primers, with questions asked at the end in a dramatic tone. The last question asked was always "And...what about Naomi?" This would be followed by "For the answer to these and other questions" at which point a cast member would be shown briefly on-screen uttering a completely unrelated non-sequitur such as "What time is it?" Seen primarily during the first season. A shot of the boy sitting on the chair was used for the Friday closing credits during the first season as well.
• Mad Scientist—Another monster-based parody, this time with an evil scientist (Morgan Freeman) and his assistant, Igor (Luis Avalos) trying to read words.
• Mel Mounds—A disc jockey (Morgan Freeman) who introduced songs, usually by the Short Circus. Known for the phrase "Sounds righteous, delightious, and out-of-sighteous! Heavy, heavy, (finger snap) heavy! Ha-ah!"
• Millie the Helper—Rita Moreno as an eager but point-missing trainee in various professions. Millie's bellowed catchphrase "Hey, you guys!" soon became a part of the show's opening. Named for the character Millie Helper from The Dick Van Dyke Show.
• Monolith—An animated short, set in outer space, used to introduce segments discussing a sound cluster. A huge Washington Monument-type structure begins to collapse to the strains of the Richard Strauss composition "Also sprach Zarathustra" (also the theme of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey), and the appropriate sound cluster would be chisled from the structure (such as "alk," "oo," "ow," "all," "ee"). A skit based on a scene from the film 2001 was usually built around this segment (with the characters always cowering in fear and awe as the music begins).

Rita Moreno as Pandora

• Pandora—Rita Moreno's bratty but lovable curly-headed blonde girl, who tried to outwit the "adults" around her.
• Pedro's Plant Place -- Luis Avalos as a greenthumb who incorporates reading words into his planting tips, accompanied by unpredictable plant-language speaking plant Maurice (Jim Boyd).
• Phyllis & The Pharaohs—A 1950s doo-wop group with Rita Moreno on lead vocals. Their hits include "Phantom of Love," "Grease," and "Is It Love?"
• Road Runner—New segments of the Looney Tunes character and his pursuer, Wile E. Coyote, produced and directed by Chuck Jones. These segments reinforced reading skills. These segments, unlike the classic Warner Bros. shorts, were completely devoid of sound, save for vocal effects such as laughing and sound effects such as the switching of a traffic light or the bouncing on a trampoline.
• Sign Sing-Along—Sometimes the last sketch on a Friday episode, filmed segments were married to a sing-along type song (e.g., "I like fish food; you do, too/Don't look now, your hair is blue"), with filmed snippets of a sign with said words. Sung once through, after which the viewers were expected to supply the lyrics the second time around ("All right, now we'll be quiet, and you sing it!") while a wah-wah-muted trumpet and bassoon duo played the melody of the words. Alternate: vignettes depicting literal translations of road signs (for example, slow-motion action of children playing for a Slow Children sign).
• The Six-Dollar and Thirty-Nine Cent Man—a spoof of The Six Million Dollar Man with Jim Boyd as Steve Awesome, who had far more bionic features than his more serious counterpart. Introduced in season five and became a recurring sketch in season six.
• Slow Reader—Originally a set of animated shorts, but at least one live-action sketch was shot based on the same characters and theme. A bald-headed slow reader was given a message to read by a delivery man and had trouble sounding out the words. Each message is advice he needed to follow (such as "Do not bother this giant person," "Go away," "Duck!" "Keep off the grass"), but wound up not understanding the words or meaning until it was too late. In later years, however, a few of the original sketches were slightly rewritten and reanimated with a much smarter slow reader who did not fall victim to any impending dangers.
• Soft-Shoe Silhouettes—Two cast members appeared in silhouette, one giving the prefix of the word, the other the suffix, to form a new word (e.g., "th-" and "-ing" to form "thing"). Most notable for the soft-shoe-type music that played during the segment. Done twice through, sometimes with the viewer trying to read the word the second time through. The song usually ended with the two saying a soft "yeah!"
  Parodies of this skit have aired on the following:
  • Family Guy - In the episode "Mr. Saturday Knight," where Peter was one of the silhouetted characters reading the words. He quickly became frustrated at his inability to keep up with the other character, and attacked him.
  • Madtv - Part of a larger Sesame Street parody that depicted Big Bird catching and spreading avian flu on the street. The silhouetted characters sounded out the words "flu," "fever," and "fatal."
  • Saturday Night Live (Miranda Richardson hosted)—In a short film called "Dieter's Dream." The silhouettes alternated with the words "whore" and "nun" to make the nonsense word "whorenun," whic described Miranda Richardson's character in the film.
  • Nike Athletic Wear’s Boom television advertisement campaign from the late 1990s.
  • Avenue Q (Broadway musical adult parody of Sesame Street) - Between two scenes, a male silhouette appeared who said the word "come," followed by a female silhouette who said the word "mitment." The two alternated until the female took over, who said the word "commitment."

• Spidey Super Stories—Short pieces that featured the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man (which was provided to CTW free of charge) and cast members from the show. Stories involved the web-masked super hero (Danny Seagren) foiling mischievous characters involved in petty criminal activities (such as burglary or assault). Interestingly, Spider-Man spoke only in cartoon word balloons appearing over his head, which were accompanied by electronic punctuation sounds for emphasis when the appeared on-screen. Also, unlike in the pages of Marvel Comics, he was never seen out of costume as his alter-ego, Peter Parker. Debuted during season four and was the basis for a spin-off comic book. The segment's theme song also claimed, "Spider-Man, where are you coming from? Nobody knows who you are."
• Vaudeville Revue (also called The Stage)—Skits and songs were presented—variety show-style on-stage, with music fanfare and canned applause to introduce and end each segment.
• A Very Short Book—Typically the last sketch of an episode in which a very short story was read by a member of the cast. Based on nursery rhymes or fairy tales and had a humorous ending. Always finished with the words "The End."
• Vi's Diner—Customers tried to read simple menus to place their order at proprietor Vi's (Lee Chamberlin) eatery. Grover from Sesame Street made a guest appearance in a season-two skit because he was lost and in tears, and he needed the help of Vi and J. Arthur Crank to get back home.

The Adventures of Letterman was an animated skit that was a regular feature on the 1971-1977 PBS television series The Electric Company. ... John Hubley (May 21, 1914 – February 21, 1977) was an animator and animation director known for both his formal experimentation and for his emotional realism which stemmed from his tendency to cast his own children as voice actors in his films. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Mostel in Sirocco (1951) Zero Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was a Brooklyn-born stage and film actor best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof , Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max... Joan Rivers (born June 8, 1933) is an American comedian, talk show host, businesswoman, and celebrity. ... Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933) is an American actor and comedian who has starred in more than thirty movies. ... The Adventures of Letterman was an animated skit that was a regular feature on the 1971-1977 PBS television series The Electric Company. ... Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional comic book superheroes. ... Boxer shorts (also known as loose boxers or, imprecisely, as boxers) are a type of underwear, worn by men. ... The El Chapulín Colorado DVD cover El Chapulín Colorado was a television series created by Chespirito, played by Roberto Gomez Bolaños, a successfull mexican comediant that parodied superhero shows. ... The term Claymation is a registered trademark created by Will Vinton Studios to describe their clay animated movies; the more generic term is clay animation, but the portmanteau claymation has entered the English language as a genericized trademark. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847–April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... John Marcellus Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director and actor. ... Doctor Dolittle is the central character of a series of childrens books by Hugh Lofting. ... Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... Adolph Arthur Marx, popularly known as Harpo Marx, (November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was one of the Marx Brothers, a group of Vaudeville entertainers who later achieved fame as comedians in the Motion Picture industry. ... Wyatt, Mary (Toni Basil), Billy and Karen wandering the streets of a parade filled New Orleans. ... Inspector Jacques Clouseau is a bumbling fictional French detective who was a character in the Blake Edwardss Pink Panther series. ... Location in North Dakota Coordinates: Country United States State North Dakota County Cass County Founded 1871 Mayor Dennis Walaker Area    - City 98. ... Big Bird finds Ernie in a game of Journey to Ernie. ... Mission: Impossible is the name of an American television series which aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to September 1973. ... Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. ... Julia Child (August 15, 1912–August 13, 2004) was a famous American cook, author, and television personality who introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her many cookbooks and television programs. ... An Oscar the Grouch puppet, at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Oscar the Grouch, peering out of his can Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. ... Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (December 23, 1888 – March 29, 1972) was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc. ... George of the Jungle is a Saturday-morning animated television program originally broadcast on the American TV network ABC from 1967 to 1970. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into The Electric Company. ... Love of Life was an American soap opera which aired on CBS from September 24, 1951 to February 1, 1980. ... Dick and Jane were the main characters in popular basal readers written by Zerna Sharp that were used to teach children to read during the 1930s through the 1960s. ... Look up primer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cover to Bee Season Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (born Naomi Achs on March 15, 1946 in New York City) is an American screenwriter. ... Non sequitur is Latin for it does not follow. ... The Dick Van Dyke Show was an American television situation comedy which aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to September 7, 1966. ... The Washington Monument at dusk For other Washington Monuments, see Washington Monuments (world). ... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ... Also sprach Zarathustra, op. ... Image File history File links Pandora_moreno. ... Image File history File links Pandora_moreno. ... Luis Avalos (born September 2, 1946 in Havana, Cuba) is a character actor. ... Jim Boyd is a singer/songwriter and actor and member of the The Jim Boyd Band on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. ... Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ... ... Looney Tunes opening title Looney Tunes is a Warner Brothers animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969. ... Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote The Road Runner cartoons are a series of Looney Tunes cartoons created by Chuck Jones for Warner Brothers. ... Chuck Jones in 1976 Charles Martin Chuck Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. ... The Six Million Dollar Man was an American television series about a cyborg working for a U.S. secret service called OSI. The show was based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, and aired on the ABC network as a regular series from 1974 to 1978, following a set... Bionics (also known as Biomimetics, Biognosis or Biomimicry, a short form of Biomechanics - from the Greek word bios - pronounced vios - which means life, and the word mechanics) is the application of methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. ... Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... Mr. ... Peter Löwenbräu Griffin is the lead character in the American animated television series Family Guy. ... MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series based on the humor magazine, Mad. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Big Bird finds Ernie in a game of Journey to Ernie. ... For the current concern about the transmission of an avian flu to humans see Transmission and infection of H5N1. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Miranda Richardson as Queenie in Blackadder II (1986) Miranda Richardson (born 3 March 1958, in Southport, Merseyside) is an English actress, noted for her distinctive ability to deeply delve into the minds of the characters she plays. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nike, Inc. ... Avenue Q is a Broadway musical, which was originally conceived by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Spidey Super Stories was a live-action, recurring skit on the PBS childrens television series The Electric Company. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Peter Parker redirects here. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... Grover and a girl on Sesame Street A Celebration of Me, Grover DVD cover Grover shown alongside another character from Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog, on the cover of The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ...

The Short Circus

Short Circus mainstay June Angela, as she appeared during the sixth and final season of The Electric Company

• June Angela—Julie
• Irene Cara (1971–1972)—Iris
• Stephen Gustafson (1971–1975)—Buddy
• Melanie Henderson (1971–1975)—Kathy
• Douglas Grant (1971–1973)—Zach
• Denise Nickerson (1972–1973)—Allison
• Bayn Johnson (1973–1975)—Kelly
• Gregg Burge (1973–1975)—Dwayne
• Janina Mathews (1975–1977)—Gail
• Réjane Magloire (1975–1977)—Samantha
• Rodney Lewis (1975–1977)—Charlie
• Todd Graff (1975–1977)—Jesse

Another regular part of the show was the Short Circus (the name a pun on short circuit), a singing group of kids whose songs also facilitated reading comprehension. June Angela was the only Short Circus member to remain with the show during its entire 6-year run (she was 11 when production began, and 17 during its final season); others lasted anywhere from one to four years. Irene Cara appeared only during the first season and would go on to become a pop music star (Fame, Flashdance). Cara was replaced by Denise Nickerson, best known for her appearance as Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Image File history File links Juneangela_18. ... Image File history File links Juneangela_18. ... June Angela (born August 18, 1959) is an Asian-American actress, singer, and dancer best known as Julie, the mainstay member of the Short Circus on the PBS childrens television series The Electric Company. ... Irene Cara (born Irene Escalera on March 18, 1959[1] in The Bronx, New York City) is an American singer, Academy Award-winning songwriter and actress of African, Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. ... Denise Nickerson (1 April 1959) is an American actress and former child star who is best known as Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewing pre-teen from the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Réjane Magloire is a singer, model, and actress. ... Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor, writer and director best known for his 2003 independent film Camp. ... For alternate meanings see Short circuit (disambiguation) A short circuit (sometimes known as simply a short) is a fault whereby electricity moves through a circuit in an unintended path, usually due to a connection forming where none was expected. ... June Angela (born August 18, 1959) is an Asian-American actress, singer, and dancer best known as Julie, the mainstay member of the Short Circus on the PBS childrens television series The Electric Company. ... Irene Cara (born Irene Escalera on March 18, 1959[1] in The Bronx, New York City) is an American singer, Academy Award-winning songwriter and actress of African, Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. ... Fame is a 1980 musical film conceived and produced by David De Silva, directed by Alan Parker. ... Flashdance is a musical and romance film released in April 1983. ... Denise Nickerson (1 April 1959) is an American actress and former child star who is best known as Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewing pre-teen from the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a musical film adaptation of Roald Dahls classic book for children Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. ...

The other three original members of the Short Circus were Melanie Henderson (who, at 13, was the oldest of the original group), Stephen Gustafson, and Douglas Grant. For the show's third and fourth seasons, Grant and Nickerson were replaced by talented dancer Gregg Burge and Broadway actress Bayn Johnson. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Except for June Angela, an entirely new Short Circus was cast for the 1975–1977 seasons because previous members were getting too old. The new hires were Todd Graff (Ilene Graff's brother), Rodney Lewis, Réjane Magloire, and Janina Matthews. Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor, writer and director best known for his 2003 independent film Camp. ... Brooklyn, New York born actress Ilene Graff (b. ... Réjane Magloire is a singer, model, and actress. ...

In the first season, a number of unbilled children were also used on-camera with the show's cast, as on Sesame Street, but this concept was very quickly dropped.

Because of the frequent reuse of segments, a practice derived from Sesame Street, actors continued to appear after their departures from the cast.

Music

• Joe Raposo, who was famous for his work on Sesame Street, was the music director of the series for seasons one through three and wrote songs for the show during its entire run.
• Gary William Friedman served as the music director of the series for season four, writing some 40 songs, including the popular Spider-Man theme song.
• Tom Lehrer wrote ten songs for the series. "L-Y" and "Silent E" are among the more memorable.
• Dave Conner was the music director of the last two seasons of the series.
• Clark Gesner wrote several songs for the series including most of the sign songs but never served as the show’s music director.

The original soundtrack album, released on Warner Bros. Records, won a Grammy Award for the show's cast. Joseph Raposo Jr. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Brief Bio: Gary William Friedman is the composer of the Obie Award winning, Tony nominated musical THE ME NOBODY KNOWS. His music spans the worlds of theater, pop, television and film. ... Tom Lehrer in 1960. ... Silent E (sometimes described by teachers as a magic E) is a writing convention in English spelling: a silent letter e that appears at the end of a word. ... Clark Gesner (born March 27, 1938, Augusta, ME) was an intensely private and often enigmatic composer, lyricist, and occasional performer. ... Warner Bros. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Visuals

The series was notable for its extensive, innovative use of early computer-generated imagery, especially Scanimation, a then-state-of-the-art analog video-synthesizer system. They were often used for presenting words with particular sounds. Sometimes a cast member would be seen alongside or interacting in another way with a word animation. For example, June Angela, in a cute costume, was shown dancing beside the word "tap." Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects. ... Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. ...

The typeface featured for most of the words displayed on-screen is Franklin Gothic. It was used for the entire series. Spider-Man’s speech balloons were often set in Dom Casual. For the origin and evolution of fonts, see History of western typography. ... Designed in 1902 by Morris Fuller Benton for the American Type Founders company, Franklin gothic still reigns as one of the most-widely used sans serif typefaces. ... Dom Casual is an American typeface designed in 1951 by Peter Dom. ...

Closing credits

Each show ended with one of the cast members announcing, "The Electric Company gets its power from the Children's Television Workshop." After the copyright notice, the list of corporate sponsors would be flashed on the screen. An instrumental version of the show's theme (starting in 1973, and changed each season) played beneath the music; prior to this, a specific musical score played during the corporate credits.

The corporate sponsors—which included such entities as the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York—were flashed one or two at a time for the first five seasons and scrolled during the sixth season. The Ford Foundation is a charitable foundation based in New York City created to fund programs that promote democracy, reduce poverty, promote international understanding, and advance human achievement. ... The Carnegie Corporation was founded by the will of Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. ...

The actual corporate credits for all seasons:

Production funding for The Electric Company is provided by the Bureau of Libraries and Educational Technology, the National Center for Educational Technology, the United States Office of Education, Mobil Oil Corporation, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, PBS-Affiliated Stations, unrestricted general program grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Ford Foundation, and by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), headquartered in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, USA, is the largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in the world, formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. ... The United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare (also known as HEW) was a cabinet level department of the United States government from 1953 until 1979. ... The Corporation for Public Broadcasting logo, used from 1969 to 2002. ...

Friday closing credits

As with most PBS children's-related programming produced by CTW, the Friday episodes featured closing credits along with a full-length version of the same music that played over the corporate credits list. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The video that played beneath the scrolling list of credits changed from season to season, and were as follows:

• Season 1—Skip Hinnant in his Love of Chair character, sitting completely still or doing some other action (such as sleeping). Midway through the season, the music changed from a full-length instrumental specific to the corporate credits to an upbeat, marching band-type instrumental version of the show's theme. The second theme ended with crashing sound effects, momentarily startling the boy from his sleep.
• Season 2—Cast members, entering the room one-by-one. The Short Circus—dressed in marching-band uniforms—entered the room first, followed by dual versions of the adults (each actor in dual roles), who entered as him/herself along with the character he/she is most noted for playing (e.g., Morgan Freeman entering both as himself and as Easy Reader). At the end of this sequence, the last one in the room would close the door, and the picture would break up in pieces and crash down. Other times, a hammer would appear in the bottom right of the screen and hit it, causing the same type of breakage. The same instrumental theme from the later season one episodes was used.
• Season 3—Begins with the Short Circus playing its musical instruments over a chroma key, then walking off as they dance to the beat of the music. About midway through came a montage of clips from various skits, capped with a clip of Paul the Gorilla dancing across the screen. The theme was rescored; it had more of a rock feel, thanks to a prominently heard electric guitar. The corporate credits theme was a hybrid of the Friday credits theme (the first part) and a slower-tempoed instrumental version of the opening theme (for the second half).
• Season 4—Not featured on shortened episodes that aired on Noggin or on either of the DVD sets because of ownership-rights issues. Spider-Man’s hand opens a special Spidey Super Stories comic book in which the show’s logo is seen on the first open page. The hand turns the page, which reveals four panes that contain montages of several clips from the show. In the upper right panel, animation from the song "Silent E" is interspersed with the message “Reading can be fun." The hand turns the page again, and a collage of the people involved in the production is revealed that looks like comic-book art. Four panels are seen, and the camera moves in a clockwise motion so that all of the frames can be seen in close-up. Finally, Spider-Man’s hand closes the comic book.
• Season 5—Filmed clips of the Short Circus along with focus-group clips from an elementary school and behind-the-scenes action from the Teletape production studio. Another rescore of the theme could be heard, with horns prominent this time to create a definite easy listening feel; it was played at a slower tempo for the corporate credits. This sequence was used as the opening of a 1975 documentary on the success of the series in schools that was included in The Best of The Electric Company Vol. 2 DVD boxed set; however the music from the show's opening was used.
• Season 6—Clips from classic skits, sometimes tied together (such as sneezing, people coping with high wind gusts, water, etc.). Once again, the theme was rescored, this time using a prominently heard Moog synthesizer leading the acoustic instruments.

Skip Hinnant (Born September 12, 1940 in Chincoteague Island, Virginia) is an American actor. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into The Electric Company. ... Dawsons Creek director, see Morgan J. Freeman. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ... Noggin is a cable television network in both the United States and United Kingdom. ... Easy listening music is a style of popular music which emerged in the mid-20th century. ... The term Moog (pronounced /moʊg/ to rhyme with vogue, not /muːg/) synthesizer can refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for analog and digital music synthesisers. ...

Show numbering

A total of 780 episodes were produced in the show's six-season run, 130 per season. The first four seasons (1971–1975) were numbered 1–520. The season-five shows (1975–1976) were numbered 1A–130A, and the season-six shows (1976–1977) were numbered 1B–130B. This was done because these two seasons were designed as year-long curriculum for schools.

Starting with season three (episode 261), a show's number would be presented in the sketch-of-the-day teaser segment, which would highlight a particular sketch that would be shown during that episode. The voice of a cast member would say a variant of, "Today on The Electric Company, the so-and-so says, '(censored),'" and the action would freeze as the graphic of the word of the day—or card with the word of the day printed on it—became visible to viewers. The censored words were replaced by a series of harsh electronic sounds that sounded something like a theremin played out-of-tune in the amount of syllables required for each word. The still action would linger on the screen for several seconds, then fade to black, where the show number would become visible in a Scanimate animation. The next-show teaser, which was introduced in season two without music, worked in the same way, and usually used a different take of the music heard during the sketch-of-the-day teaser, except that there was no show number shown. In season six, the electronic sounds were made less harsh-sounding. Léon Theremin playing an early theremin The theremin or thereminvox (originally pronounced but often anglicized as [1]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. ... Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. ...

In season one, however, after the title sequence, the sound of a striking match would be heard, and a fade-up from black would reveal a hand holding a lit match and "show #x" handwritten on a piece of paper that was placed in such a way so that it could blend with the surrounding objects in-frame. Instead of the next-show teaser, Ken Roberts's voice could be heard, saying, “And now, the last word,” and the trademark light bulb would be shut off by a hand doing whatever the last word was. In season two, after the opening sequence, the words "The Electric Company" would disappear from the familiar logo, and the show number would appear in its place through the use of a Scanimate animation and an electronic whooshing sound. Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. ...

It is interesting to note that some episodes in seasons three through five have serious technical errors with either their sketch-of-the-day teaser segments or their next-show teaser segments, which is probably because of the failure of the linear analog video-editing equipment. Episodes that have these errors in their sketch-of-the-day teasers include 297, 1A, 8A, 15A, and 60A. Sometimes the music starts too late, ends too early, or plays too long. Sometimes the video does not appear at all—only a show number appears and only part of the teaser music plays. Sometimes the errors are negligible, with the teaser music only playing a fraction of a second longer than usual. For season six, because the teaser music was changed to a shorter, self-contained composition, these errors do not occur. Linear video editing is the process of selecting, arranging and modifying the images and sound recorded on video tape whether captured by a video camera or recorded in a studio. ... Analog video is a term that can refer to any of three analog television (picture only) transmissions signals. ...

Credits

Season 1

• Executive Producer: David D. Connell
• Producers: Samuel Y. Gibbon, Joan Ganz Cooney, Ralph Rogers
• Director: Bob Schwarz
• Head Writer: Paul Dooley
• Writers: Tom Dunsmuir, Jeremy Stevens, Albert Rosenzweig, Alan Refee, Elaine Laron
• Production Designer: Bill Bonhert
• Music Director: Joe Raposo
• Head Lyricist: Elaine Laron
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Associate Producers: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr., Naomi Foner
• Production Editor: Diana Wenman
• Production Assistants: Marsha Chaykin, Lois Fortune, Jewelle L. Gomez, Anne W. Graveson, Jack L. Roberts, Peter Turner IV
• Production Stage Manager: Charles Raymond
• Stage Manager: Alfred Broderick
• Associate Director: Harriett Wohl
• Assistant to the Producer: Florence Weinshoff
• Choreographer: Patricia Birch
• Costume Designer: Ramsee Mostoller
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Assistant Set Decorator: Hector Collazo
• Graphics: Frank D'Amario, Fred Rogers
• Assistant Designer: C. Murawski
• Film Editor: Madeline Anderson
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Nannette Eiland Flynn
• Unit Manager: Patrick Pleven
• Technical Director: Phillip G. Riddle
• Lighting Director: David M. Clark
• Audio: Allan B. Rosenstein
• Video: Rolf Wahl
• Technical Consultant: Walt Rauffer
• Sound Effects: Bernie Fambrough
• Videotape Editors: Ben Wilder, John Hutchison, II, Conrad Carrano, Joe O'Dowd
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Make-up: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Lorelei: Aniforms
• Vice President of Electric Company Research: Edward L. Palmer
• Research Director: Vivian Horner
• Assistant Research Director: Barbara Fowles
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Facilities: Teletape

Joan Ganz Cooney (born 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer. ... Ralph Rogers was the founder of Texas Industries in 1951. ... Paul Dooley (fore) as Enabran Tain in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine See Paul Dooley (Australian rules footballer) for the Western Bulldogs footballer. ... Joseph Raposo Jr. ... Cover to Bee Season Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (born Naomi Achs on March 15, 1946 in New York City) is an American screenwriter. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Nat Mongioi has been the Set Decorator of Sesame Street since its premiere in 1969. ...

Season 2

• Executive Producer: Samuel Y. Gibbon
• Producer: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr.
• Director: Hank Behar
• Head Writer: Tom Whedon
• Writers: Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, Sara Compton, John Boni, Jim Thurman
• Production Designer: Ronald D. Baldwin
• Music Director: Joe Raposo
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Studio Producer: Charles Raymond
• Associate Producers: Wibby Ritchey, Florence W. Friedman
• Production Editor: Diana Wenman
• Curriculum Coordinator: Kathleen Corkett
• Production Assistants: Ellen Abrams, Lois Fortune, Betty Rothenberg, Angela Van Wright, Diane Sharon, Peter Turner, IV,
• Associate Director: Stanley Spiro
• Stage Managers: Alfred Broderick, Lee Fairchild
• Choreographer: Patricia Birch
• Costume Designer: Ramsee Mostoller
• Assistant Music Director: Dave Conner
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Assistant Set Decorator: Hector Collazo
• Graphics: Len Rosolio
• Assistant Designer: Gene Fabricatore
• Graphics Coordinator: Marsha Chaykin
• Film Editor: Madeline Anderson
• Assistant Film Editor: Anne W. Gravenson
• Assistant Production Editor: Winston Ferguson
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Technical Director: Phillip G. Riddle
• Lighting Director: David M. Clark
• Audio: Art Rosalin
• Video: Jerry Keller
• Technical Consultant: Walt Rauffer
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
• Videotape Editors: Conrad Carrano, Patrick McKenna, Jerry Newman, Ben Wilder
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Makeup: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Lorelei: Aniforms
• Announcer: Ken Roberts
• Vice President of Electric Company Research: Edward L. Palmer
• Research Director: Vivian Horner, Ph.D.
• Assistant Research Director: Barbara Fowles
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
• Facilities: Teletape

Tom Whedon is the father of Joss Whedon, the creator of the successful television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Nat Mongioi has been the Set Decorator of Sesame Street since its premiere in 1969. ...

Season 3

• Executive Producer: Samuel Y. Gibbon
• Producers: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr., Joan Ganz Cooney, Ralph Rogers
• Director: Henry Behar
• Head Writer: Tom Whedon
• Writers: John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, Jim Thurman
• Production Designer: Ronald D. Baldwin
• Music Director: Joe Raposo
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Studio Producer: Charles Raymond
• Associate Producers: Wibby Ritchey, Florence W. Friedman
• Production Editor: Diana Wenman
• Curriculum Coordinator: Kathleen Corkett
• Assistant to the Producer: Gale Ross
• Production Assistants: Laura Sheiner, Ellen Abrams, Betty Rothenberg, Angela Van Wright
• Associate Director: Stanley Spiro
• Stage Managers: Brooks Fountain, Michael Dutton
• Choreographers: Patricia Birch, Gerri Dean
• Costume Designer: Ramsee Mostoller
• Assistant Music Director: Dave Conner
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Graphics: Len Rosolio
• Assistant Designer: Gene Fabricatore
• Graphics Coordinator: Marsha Chaykin
• Scenic Artists: David Lowry, Norvid Roos
• Script Supervisor: Pamela Webber
• Film Department Supervisor: Madeline Anderson
• Animation Coordinator: Lois Fortune
• Assistant Production Editor: Winston Ferguson
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Lighting Director: Richard Weiss
• Audio: Art Rosalin
• Video: Jerry Keller, Bob Squittierri
• Technical Consultant: Walt Rauffer
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
• Videotape Editors: Patrick McKenna, Jerry Newman, Ben Wilder
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Make-up: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Lorelei: Aniforms
• Vice President of Electric Company Research: Edward L. Palmer
• Research Director: Vivian Horner
• Assistant Research Director: Barbara Fowles
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
• Facilities: Teletape

Joan Ganz Cooney (born 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer. ... Ralph Rogers was the founder of Texas Industries in 1951. ... Tom Whedon is the father of Joss Whedon, the creator of the successful television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Nat Mongioi has been the Set Decorator of Sesame Street since its premiere in 1969. ...

Season 4

• Producer: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr.
• Director: Henry Behar
• Head Writer: Tom Whedon
• Writers: John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, Jim Thurman
• Production Designer: Ronald Baldwin
• Music Director: Gary William Friedman
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Studio Producer: Wibby Ritchey
• Associate Producers: Florence W. Friedman, Joan Lufrano
• Production Editor: Diana Wenman
• Curriculum Coordinator: Kathleen Corkett
• Assistant to the Producer: Gale Ross
• Production Assistants: Sandra Kavanaugh, Angela Van Wright
• Associate Director: Stanley Spiro
• Stage Managers: Brooks Fountain, Michael Dutton
• Choreographers: Patricia Birch, Liz Thompson
• Costume Design: Ramsee Mostoller
• Assistant Music Director: Dave Conner
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Additional Music: Joe Raposo
• Set Director: Nat Mongioi
• Graphics: Len Rosolio
• Assistant Designer: Gene Fabricatore
• Graphics Coordinator: Laura Sheiner
• Scenic Artists: David Lowry, John Sherman
• Script Supervisor: Pamela Webber
• FIlm Department Supervisor: Madeline Anderson
• Animation Coordinators: Lois Fortune, Betty Rothenberg
• Assistant Production Editor: Winston Ferguson
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Unit Manager: Glenda Jones
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Lighting Director: Dave Clark
• Audio: Bryan Keen
• Video: Bob Squittieri
• Technical Consultants: Walt Rauffer, Teddy Dangel
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland, Barbara Wood
• Video Tape Editors: Patrick McKenna, Jerry Newman, Ben Wilder
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Makeup: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Research: Edward L. Palmer (President), Vivian Horner (Vice President), Barbara Fowles (Assistant Director), Cornelia Brunner, Hylda Clarke, Ada Simonetti
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
• Facilities: Teletape

Tom Whedon is the father of Joss Whedon, the creator of the successful television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Brief Bio: Gary William Friedman is the composer of the Obie Award winning, Tony nominated musical THE ME NOBODY KNOWS. His music spans the worlds of theater, pop, television and film. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Joseph Raposo Jr. ...

Season 5

• Executive Producer: Samuel Y. Gibbon
• Producer: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr., Joan Ganz Cooney, Ralph Rogers
• Director: John Tracy
• Head Writer: Tom Whedon
• Writers: John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, Jim Thurman
• Production Designer: Ronald D. Baldwin
• Music Director: Dave Conner
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Studio Producer: Wibby Ritchey
• Associate Producers: Kathleen Corkett, Joan Lufrano
• Production Editor: Diana Wenman
• Curriculum Coordinator: Sandra Kavanaugh
• Assistants to the Producer: Gale Ross, Aleti Olivi
• Production Assistants: Dana Zorah, Andrea Cvirko
• Associate Director: Richard Forrest
• Stage Managers: Mortimer J. O' Brien, Lois Fortune
• Choreographer: Liz Thompson
• Costume Designer: Ramsee Mostoller
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Graphics: Len Rosolio
• Assistant Designer: Gene Fabricatore
• Graphics Coordinator: Lauria Sheiner
• Scenic Artists: David Lowry, John Sherman, Nick Annino
• Script Supervisor: Pamela Webber
• Film Department Supervisors: Madeline Anderson, Michael Breddan
• Animation Coordinator: Nanine Valen
• Assistant Production Editor: Winston Ferguson
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Unit Manager: Glenda Jones
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Lighting Directors: David M. Clark, Richard Weiss
• Audio: Art Rosalin
• Video: Bryan Keen
• Technical Consultants: Walt Rauffer, Teddy Dangel
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
• Videotape Editors: Patrick McKenna, Jerry Newman, Ben Wilder
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Make-up: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Vice President of Electric Company Research: Edward L. Palmer
• Research Directors: Vivian Horne, Barbara Fowles
• Researchers: Cornelia Brunner, Hylda Clarke, Ada Simonetti
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
• Facilities: Teletape

Joan Ganz Cooney (born 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer. ... Ralph Rogers was the founder of Texas Industries in 1951. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Nat Mongioi has been the Set Decorator of Sesame Street since its premiere in 1969. ...

Season 6

• Executive Producer: Samuel Y. Gibbon
• Producers: Andrew B. Ferguson Jr., Joan Ganz Cooney, Ralph Rogers
• Director: Bob Schwarz
• Head Writer: Tom Whedon
• Writers: John Boni, Sara Compton, Tom Dunsmuir, Thad Mumford, Jeremy Stevens, Jim Thurman
• Production Designer: Ronald D. Baldwin
• Music Director: Dave Conner
• Film Producer: Edith Zornow
• Studio Producer: Wibby Ritchey
• Associate Producers: Kathleen Corkett, Joan Lufrano
• Editors: Diana Wenman, Winston Ferguson
• Curriculum Coordinator: Sandra Kavanaugh
• Assistant to the Producer: Aleti Olvi
• Production Assistants: Andrea Cvirko, Patricia Rout
• Associate Director: Diana Wenman
• Stage Managers: Mortimer J. O'Brien, Lois Fortune
• Choreographer: Liz Thompson
• Costume Designer: Ramsee Mostoller
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Graphics: Len Rosolio
• Assistant Designer: Robert Hoppe
• Graphics Coordinator: Laura Sheiner
• Scenic Artists: David Lowry, Nick Annino
• Script Supervisor: Pamela Webber
• Film Department Supervisor: Michael Breddan
• Animation Coordinator: Nanine Valen
• Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Technical Advisor: Walt Rauffer
• Unit Manager: Glenda Jones
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Lighting Directors: David M. Clark, Richard Weiss
• Audio: Art Rosalin
• Video: Bryan Keen
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland, Nancy Tafoya
• Videotape Editors: Patrick McKenna, Jerry Newman, Ben Wilder
• Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
• Make-up: Mickey Scott
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Vice President of Electric Company Research: Edward L. Palmer
• Research Director: Barbara Fowles
• Researchers: Cornelia Brunner, Hylda Clarke, Ada Simonetti
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald S. Lesser
• Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
• Facilities: Teletape

Joan Ganz Cooney (born 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer. ... Ralph Rogers was the founder of Texas Industries in 1951. ... Tom Whedon is the father of Joss Whedon, the creator of the successful television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Ramsee Mostoller is a costume designer known for her works on Dark Shadows and Ryans Hope, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Another World. ... Nat Mongioi has been the Set Decorator of Sesame Street since its premiere in 1969. ...

Rebroadcast and rebirth

Following the last original episode on April 15, 1977, the series continued on PBS in reruns until October 1985, with the final two seasons (1A–130A and 1B–130B) shown in rotation. These are the episodes that are the most familiar to viewers. April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

Cover for the DVD Box Set The Best of the Electric Company (2006).

The earlier 1971–1975 shows did not resurface until January 31, 1999, when the Noggin network, which was partly owned by Sesame Workshop at the time, rebroadcasted the show as a result of its co-ownership of the network. A two-hour feature-length compilation special, which was aired on TV Land, re-introduced the series to a new generation whose parents grew up watching the show. Noggin ran 65 select episodes until 2003, when they were pulled from the program lineup because Sesame Workshop sold its half of the network to Viacom, which already owned the other half. The shows were cut subtly to fit Noggin's shorter running time and free up time for various interstitial segments produced for the network. These deletions included the episode numbers, the Scanimate word animations, the segments 15 seconds and shorter, and the teasers for the next episodes (in seasons two through six). Image File history File links TECDVDcover. ... Image File history File links TECDVDcover. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Noggin is a cable television network in both the United States and the United Kingdom, intended to help kids learn. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Viacom (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIAb) is an American media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable and satellite television networks (MTV Networks and BET), and movie production and distribution (the Paramount Pictures movie studio and DreamWorks). ... Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. ...

DVD releases

The series was not seen since it was pulled from Noggin’s schedule until Sesame Workshop (under license to Shout! Factory and Sony BMG Music Entertainment) released a DVD boxed set on February 7, 2006 (The Best of the Electric Company), that included 20 uncut episodes from all six seasons, plus outtakes and introductions and commentary by Rita Moreno and June Angela. Shout! Factory (founded 2003) is a multi-platform integrated entertainment company that was started by Richard Foos (co-founder of Rhino Records), Bob Emmer (former Warner Music Group and Rhino executive) and Garson Foos (former Rhino executive). ... The Sony BMG Music Entertainment logo. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Due to the overwhelming (and somewhat unexpected) popularity of the initial DVD release, a second boxed set was released on November 14, 2006 (The Best of the Electric Company Volume 2). This second volume contained 20 episodes from seasons one through five and a 30-minute documentary on the effects of in-school viewings of The Electric Company from 1975. Cast members Luis Avalos, Jim Boyd, Judy Graubart, Skip Hinnant, and Hattie Winston provided commentary and reflected on their years on the show. However, the original content of seven of the episodes presented in the second DVD set was altered. In some cases, material that was originally broadcast in a particular episode was removed completely while material from other episodes was included. For example, episode 60A, which is included in the second boxed set, originally contained the Spider-Man episode "Spidey Meets the Prankster" and used a scene from that sketch as the opening teaser. The teaser was removed completely after the opening credits, leaving only the episode number, and at the start is an episode of "The Six-Dollar and Thirty-Nine Cent Man," which supposedly aired only during season six. Also removed following the Letterman sketch in this episode is the clip of the Short Circus singing "Stop!" and a Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote cartoon. Clayton appears in this episode as well, even though he supposedly only appeared in season six. These altered episodes also contain special effects used to segue from one sketch to another that were not used in the show's original run. The other altered episodes are 197, 227, 322, 375, 77A, and 105A. The material seen in these altered episodes was not what was originally shown when the episodes were first broadcast. November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

It is believed that these changes were probably made to avoid repeats of segments that were on the first DVD set, but it is more likely that it is an issue over ownership rights: the segments that were used to cover up the material that Sesame Workshop does not own, which include Spider-Man, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, and more, were longer than the excised segments, and the episodes were cut further to get them down to their required 28-minute length.

It is rumored that additional DVDs may be produced in the future.

An hour-long television show called The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits was broadcast on many PBS stations in late 2006. It included interviews with cast members and voice talent, and creator-producer Joan Ganz Cooney. The special was produced by Authorized Pictures, distributed by American Public Television and the Public Broadcasting Service, and was designed to be seen during pledge drives. A DVD of this show was released March 6, 2007. Joan Ganz Cooney (born 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American businesswoman and television producer. ... American Public Television (APT) is a distributor and source of programming for public television stations in the United States and networks worldwide. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

iTunes

In early 2007, iTunes started selling 15 previously unavailable episodes of The Electric Company for iPod use. It is currently not known if these episodes will appear on DVD for a third boxed set or if they are uncut. ITunes' The Electric Company Volume 1 contains episodes 5, 13, 23, 128, 179, 249, 261, 289, 297, 374, 416, 475, 91A, 8B, and 32B. The correct title of this article is . ... iPod (fifth generation) in Apple Universal Dock, iPod nano (second generation) and iPod shuffle (second generation) iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched in 2001. ...

Possible new version

According to http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6410774.html?display=Breaking+News Sesame Workshop is preparing a new version of The Electric Company that will hit the airwaves in Fall 2008.

Trivia

• Writer Thad Mumford went on to have a very successful career writing and producing sitcoms, including the final years of M*A*S*H, ALF, and A Different World.

• Tom Whedon, head writer from season two onward, also wrote for The Dick Cavett Show, Benson, Alice and The Golden Girls. His son Joss has also written for television, creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly.

• Bill Cosby used his experience as a cast member toward his Ed.D. (Doctorate in education).

• In the episode of Family Guy named Hell Comes to Quahog, Diane Simmons reads an on-air message from the Quahog electric company, then screams "Hey, you guyyyyys!!" à la Rita Moreno, which is then followed by an animated version of the opening sequence from the show's first season.

M*A*S*H was an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart and inspired by the 1961 novel Catch-22, the 1968 Richard Hooker novel M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors and its sequels; and—primarily—the 1970 film MASH. It is the most well... Alf: The Animated Series and Alfs Hit Talk Show For other uses, see ALF (disambiguation). ... A Different World was an American television sitcom. ... Tom Whedon is the father of Joss Whedon, the creator of the successful television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of many talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on several television networks, including: ABC daytime (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) (originally titled This Morning) ABC prime time (May 26–September 19, 1969) ABC late night (December 29, 1969–January 1, 1975... Benson was an American television series which aired from 1979 to 1986 on ABC. The character of butler Benson DuBois, played by Robert Guillaume, had originally appeared on the soap opera parody Soap. ... Alice title card Principal character Alice Hyatt, played by Linda Lavin. ... The Golden Girls is an American sitcom that originally aired Saturday nights on NBC from September 14, 1985 to May 9, 1992. ... Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American cult television series that aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ... Angel is a spin-off from the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Firefly is an American science fiction television series that premiered in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... The Doctor of Education degree (Ed. ... Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... Hell Comes to Quahog is the third episode, of season 5, of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award-winning actress and the first and only Hispanic actress in history (as well as one of only nine people) to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. ...

External links

• The Electric Company at the Internet Movie Database
• The Electric Company at TV.com
• The Electric Company official Web site
• The Electric Company at MySpace
• The Electric Company at iTunes (requires software)