When I was a kid, I grew up watching The Electric Company. The PBS program was really ahead of its time — a comedy/variety show that taught basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes. The numbers were really unique, and the show featured early-career celebs like Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, and Morgan Freeman. Pretty cool for the late ‘70s.
So I was excited to see that The Electric Company was coming out on DVD. I immediately thought of my 8-year-old, who loved The Muppet Show’s format and antics. My wife, however, disagreed, thinking that the learn-to-read aspect would be too far below a second grader’s purview. That’s probably because my wife can’t remember watching the show when she was a kid.
Well, let me just say that since The Best of the Electric Company – Volume 2 entered my house, our daughter has not stopped singing the theme song or acting out random sketches. Score one for dad.
Even after all of these years, I was so glad to see that the skits and songs still captivate young minds in this day of “short-attention-span-itis.” I think the length of each number is perfect, just enough to entertain and have them asking for more.
This DVD set is great. It’s fun and educational, and while there are other shows on the air today that do the same thing, The Electric Company was the one that started it all. Of course kids today have no idea who any of the A-list ‘70s actors who frequently made guest appearances are, but for us parents, it’s a nice blast of nostalgia.
Special features:
- A "Remember The Electric Company" featurette
- New episode intros by cast members Judy Graubart, Luis Avalos, Skip Hinnant, Jim Boyd, and Hattie Winston
- Trivia in the form of pop-ups (like the show’s original title, The Reading Program)
I know my 6-month-old is way too young for The Electric Company now, but when the time comes, this will be the perfect program to introduce her to reading in a fun way. In the meantime, she’ll love watching her sister dance around the house to the music.
Grade A+
