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The Electric Company

  • TV Series
  • 1971–1977
  • TV-G
  • 28m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,837
84
Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, June Angela, Luis Avalos, Lee Chamberlin, Doug Grant, Judy Graubart, Stephen Gustafson, Melanie Henderson, Skip Hinnant, Denise Nickerson, and Jim Boyd in The Electric Company (1971)
Music Video: Tom Lehrer - S-N (Snore, Sniff, And Sneeze)
Play trailer2:31
5 Videos
44 Photos
Sketch ComedyComedyFamily

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

  • Stars
    • Jim Boyd
    • Morgan Freeman
    • Judy Graubart
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    2.4K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,837
    84
    • Stars
      • Jim Boyd
      • Morgan Freeman
      • Judy Graubart
    • 39User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 3 wins & 6 nominations total

    Episodes780

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos5

    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    Trailer 2:31
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    Trailer 1:10
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    Trailer 1:10
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    Trailer 1:31
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    Trailer 2:16
    The Electric Company: The Tom Lehrer Collection
    The Best of the Electric Company
    Trailer 1:18
    The Best of the Electric Company

    Photos44

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    + 38
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    Top cast45

    Edit
    Jim Boyd
    Jim Boyd
    • Andy…
    Morgan Freeman
    Morgan Freeman
    • Count Dracula…
    Judy Graubart
    Judy Graubart
    • Jennifer of the Jungle…
    Skip Hinnant
    Skip Hinnant
    • Clam…
    Rita Moreno
    Rita Moreno
    • Carmela…
    June Angela
    June Angela
    • Julie - Member of the Short Circus
    Mel Brooks
    Mel Brooks
    • Blond-Haired Cartoon Man
    Luis Avalos
    Luis Avalos
    • Dr. Doolats…
    Zero Mostel
    Zero Mostel
    • Spell Binder
    Hattie Winston
    Hattie Winston
    • Sylvia…
    Melanie Henderson
    Melanie Henderson
    • Kathy - Member of the Short Circus
    Stephen Gustafson
    Stephen Gustafson
    • Buddy - Member of the Short Circus
    Danny Seagren
    • Spider-Man
    Lee Chamberlin
    Lee Chamberlin
    • Brenda…
    Bill Cosby
    Bill Cosby
    • Hank…
    Gregg Burge
    Gregg Burge
    • Dwayne - Member of the Short Circus
    Todd Graff
    Todd Graff
    • Jesse - Member of the Short Circus
    Doug Grant
    • Zack - Member of the Short Circus
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Marvel Comics allowed the show to use the character Spider-Man for free. To commemorate the partnership between Marvel and the Children's Television Workshop, Marvel published a special comic book series called "Spidey Super Stories," which were easy-to-read adventures of Spider-Man that occasionally featured members of the show's cast. A shortened version of the comic, featuring only characters from the Marvel Universe, appeared in "The Electric Company" 's spin-off magazine. There was even a parody in a humor issue of Marvel's "What if...?" called "Spidey Intellectual Stories", where Spider-Man defeats a super-villain by debating philosophy in a story that even the narrator, the Watcher, finds boring.
    • Goofs
      During the song "Apostrophe S" (sung by Lee Chamberlin), after Lee sings "the hat is Jim's and that's that", a white-sleeved arm appears briefly at the bottom right of the screen.
    • Quotes

      Narrator of 'The Adventures of Letterman': Faster than a rolling "O"! Stronger than silent "E"! Able to leap capital "T" in a single bound! It's a word, it's a plan, it's Letterman!

    • Crazy credits
      At the end of every episode is a disclaimer read aloud by one of the cast members stating, "The Electric Company gets its power from the Children's Television Workshop".
    • Connections
      Edited into Spidey Super Stories (1974)

    User reviews39

    Featured review

    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.
    • blackarachnia2
    • Dec 13, 2004
    • Permalink

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    FAQ19

    • How many seasons does The Electric Company have?Powered by Alexa
    • Who sings/plays the theme song?
    • What are the lyrics of the theme song?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 25, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sesame Workshop
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Reading Program
    • Filming locations
      • Reeves TeleTape Studio, 81st St. & B'way, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Children's Television Workshop (CTW)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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    Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, June Angela, Luis Avalos, Lee Chamberlin, Doug Grant, Judy Graubart, Stephen Gustafson, Melanie Henderson, Skip Hinnant, Denise Nickerson, and Jim Boyd in The Electric Company (1971)
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