Parents Television Council Reviews

PTC reviews aim to provide you with advance information about an entertainment offering so that you can be the final arbiter of what you and your family see.

The Electric Company

By Kimberly Sielen

MPAA RATING: N/A
Starring: Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby
Genre: Educational children's show

Recommended Age: 5+

Created by the Children's Television Workshop, The Electric Company is a wonderful show that teaches literacy skills to children in elementary school.  Originally produced in the 1970s for children who had outgrown Sesame Street, it remains an entertaining and educational show that promotes the importance of reading in everyday life.

Each episode of The Electric Company highlights different sounds and skills.  For example, one episode focuses on "ob," "b," and "d."  Skits on this program include several about characters named Bob, like "Broadway Bob," and "Bob is Tall." To make the show appeal to adults as well, famous actors such as Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel, and Joan Rivers provide voices for the animated skits "The Adventures of Letterman," while Spiderman and Road Runner assist in other lessons.  Even beloved characters from Sesame Street, like Grover and Oscar the Grouch, come to visit The Electric Company.  Recurring sketches feature Fargo North, the investigator who solves word mysteries, and "Love of Chair," a serial about a boy in a chair.  Often, popular fairy tales are fractured, as in the case of "Cinderella: If You Wash the Dishes" and "Snowball and the 6 Dwarves," giving old stories a new twist.  Every song, skit, and sketch teaches an entertaining lesson.

There is no offensive content in The Electric Company and it is full of countless positive messages.  Teamwork and friendship are emphasized; characters are rewarded for getting things right, and encouraged to try again when they get something wrong.  The Electric Company is full of altruistic behavior, and the focus on literacy education makes it appropriate for children five and up.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THIS DVD: There are two versions of this DVD that may be available in stores. The original version contains an ad on disc 1 for 'Undeclared' which is not appropriate for children. If you are in possession of this version you can contact the studio for a replacement disc 1 that does not contain the ad.

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