MovieChat Forums > The Electric Company (2009) Discussion > I actually like it!

I actually like it!

posted 15 years ago by patskywriter
14 replies | jump to latest

Saw the new Electric Company for the first time today, and I love it! I've always been a huge fan of children's programming, so even at my advanced age I tend to think that I'm able to judge these shows on their own merits. I thoroughly enjoyed the old Sesame Street and the Electric Company, and absolutely adored Square One.

RE: the new Electric Company, I love the graphics, the great music (nice grooves and bass lines, plus the use of REAL instruments (gasp!)), and the lessons -- which are thoughtfully repeated by being presented in more than one way during the show. The show is entertaining, colorful, and fun -- and, like Sesame Street, includes real pop stars, which add a "learning is good" element.

... and the beatboxing is tight. :)

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mfZero 15 years ago

I don't care for the theme, or the actual Electric Company parts, but the skits and bits are nice.

[–] patskywriter 15 years ago

It does seem that the Electric Company parts are the weak links. I'm hoping that the writing will eventually lead to more character development--just something to better differentiate among the characters. The show also doesn't have that sarcastic/ironic tone that help color other shows like Square One, Bugs Bunny, and Pete and Pete. A bit of that might come in time, too, as well as the actors growing into their characters. I remember that one of my favorite shows of all time -- Second City TV -- got a rough start, but within a year or so became an excellent show.

[–] Repairmanmanmanmanmanman 15 years ago

it kind of reminds me of bill nye the sciene guy show.

Come out dissing and you'll end up missing. I'm a cut-throat baller... like OJ Simpson.

[–] cfhpai13 15 years ago

I like it because it's something new on pbs. I watch pbs until 6:00 because I have regular tv and there is nothing else on until then! So, I glad that I don't have to watch boring reruns of word girl or arthur! and the main story lines don't insult my inteligence like sesame street which I watch on days off!

[–] krazygirl11 15 years ago

i really liked it too. my nephew watched the whole thing and didnt say a word. which takes alot. good job pbs.
xoxocarol

[–] sportdistant 15 years ago

I thought it was cool as well. My 7 year old cousin watched it with me and thought it was cool too, it grabbed his attention.

The music is great, skits and bits are cool, and I like the main storyline.

The show is just 100% fun.

[–] Meadra 15 years ago

My 6 year old loves it. It's not the same as the one from when I was a kid, but it is similar and definitely updated.

[–] gtoparts 15 years ago

just watched it with my 2 year old & he loved it Me i thought the chicks on it were pretty easy on my eyes seems like decent kids show

[–] uncleernie1973 15 years ago

I grew up with the original, and have them on DVD. What was good for us will not be good for kids today. Sesame Workshop (Childrens Television Workshop), have some of the most throughly researched shows. As I posted before Joan Ganz Cooney knows what she is doing. I like the new "interruptions", and as along as it teaches kids to read like the orignal did, than we are alright. They should have never taken TEC off in the first place. They should have been fine tuning it all along for each generartion. That's why Sesame Street has lasted so long.

[–] mactach 15 years ago

Is there some reason why you're repeating yourself?

[–] uncleernie1973 15 years ago

Because maybe people will finally get it.

[–] sweet1310452 15 years ago

I watched the original series in the 70s and I think it really helped me learn to read (better). I've only seen clips on youtube, not an actual episode. In the old series, they focused on a certain phonetic sound with several skits or cartoons for several minutes all dealing with that sound. I remember that in many episodes a live action character would introduce these moments: "Stay tuned, because we're doing to be seeing a lot of words with the I sound as in sit, pin, think..." I think this was good because it gave a focus to what we were watching.

Is the new show like this, or are the segments more random? If they are, I'm wondering if that wouldn't confuse people, since there are so many different ways to pronounce the letter I in English.

As far as reading shows, the original series was to me, the very best one. Reading Rainbow, which was on for many years, just kind of taught reading culture, reading is educational, informative, but if you don't know phonics, you're not going to be able to make much meaning from what's in the book.

I haven't seen much of Between the Lions, but it seems to be a bit more in focus with what The Electric Company was trying to do, although the level of talent involved in the 70s Electric Company was extremely high: Oscar winner Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby who had already won a bunch of awards by that time and certainly didn't have to be in this if he didn't want to, Morgan Freeman who went on to win an Oscar, the composers were very high caliber people in the entertainment industry. Between the Lions looks rather cheap in comparison from the one or two eps. that I watched.

I'd read that the reason the original show ended was that unlike Sesame Street which was able to make money from the merchandising of the Muppet characters, TEC couldn't make a sufficient amount of revenue from its characters (plus if that show kept going from 1971 onward, the actors who played Fargo North, J Arthur Crank etc would've gotten too old for those roles). Hence, the show only ran for as long as it had initially been planned.

[–] mactach 15 years ago

What do you mean Morneo and Cosby didn't have to join TEC cast.
Nor did Freeman.

I don't think who was and who wasn't a household name or not had anything to do doing TEC.