Blast from the Past alert: "The Electric Company" is back. Seriously - it is back, though not in repeat, but in originals. Sesame Workshop announced the re-launch a little earlier today saying the new series will carry "the same goal of the original series, combating the literacy crisis facing America’s second graders, but...re-energized to recognize the media-driven generation of today."
For a generation of people who were kiddies in the early to mid-seventies, this is hugish news - in those days, second graders actually watched educational shows like "Sesame Street" and "TEC;" today it's endless repeats of "SpongeBob" or "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. "TEC" was a genuine hit, of sorts, and featured - for all I know, even launched - Morgan Freeman's career. Plus, there was Rita Moreno ("hey all you guuuyyys...!!!)
Show production begins tomorrow and series will launch on PBS Kids in January of '09.
Here's a quote from Sesame Workshop: "The literacy crisis today is as pervasive and alarming as it was in 1971 when we created the first version of The Electric Company,” said Scott Cameron, Director of Education and Research for Sesame Workshop. “We know that if struggling readers don’t get the literacy help they need by the end of second grade, they are in danger of never catching up. Children in low-income families are particularly at risk..."
And here's a clip featuring Morgan F in the early show...