The Electric Company

Show Summary

Aired: 1971 - 1977
Show Type: Live Action
Country of Origin: US

The Electric Company, created by the Children's Television Workshop, was on in the morning about 5 times a day. In the middle of the show they would often have a Spiderman segment which featured live-action mixed with animated backgrounds and thought balloons. The show ended in 1977 but the final two seasons aired in reruns untill 1985. The show's most famous regular is none other than Morgan Freeman.

A spinoff print magazine was also published in the 1980s.

CAST:
Luis Avalos -- Roberto; Dr. Doolats; Igor; Pedro (1972-1977)
Jimmy Boyd -- Andy; J. Arthur Crank; Paul the Gorilla; The Blue Beetle; The Wolfman; voice of Loreli the Chicken; Steve Awesome -- The $6,000,000.39 Man (1971-1977) (as Jim Boyd)
Lee Chamberlin -- Brenda; Vi; Madame Rosalie; Gladys the Glow-Worm (1971-1973)
Bill Cosby -- Hank; The Milkman; Ken Kane; The Ice Cream Man (1971-1972)
Morgan Freeman -- Mark; Easy Reader; Mel Mounds -- the DJ; Count Dracula; Mad Scientist; The Cop (1971-1977) Morgan Freeman was also the man under the Spiderman suit.
Judy Graubart -- Winnie; Jennifer of the Jungle; Julia Grownup; The Witch (1971-1977)
Skip Hinnant -- J.J.; Fargo North Decoder; Frankenstein; Supper Man; Clam; Boy in "Love of Chair" (1971-1977)
Rita Moreno -- Carmela; Otto the Director; Pandora the Little Girl; Millie the Helper (1971-1977), Jennifer of the Jungle
Danny Seagren -- Spider-Man (1974-1977)
Hattie Winston -- Sylvia; Valerie the Librarian (1973-1977)
June Angela -- Julie, member of the Short Circus
Gregg Burge -- Dwayne, member of the Short Circus (1973-1975)
Irene Cara -- Iris, member of the Short Circus (1971-1972)
Todd Graff -- Jesse, member of the Short Circus (1975-1977)
Douglas Grant -- Zack, member of the Short Circus (1971-1973)

Comments

SilverWolf74Posted: 05/14/2007

The Electric Company was one of my favorite shows on PBS! I was so disappointed when it ended. 3*2*1 Contact was put in its place. I loved that show too, but I wanted my EC! I loved the Spidey episodes. I especially liked the ones with Dr. Fright, Dracula, The Yeti, and The Spoiler. I got a kick out of the Letterman segments. Remember when Letterman broke the Spellbinder's wand? The Spellbinder cried like a little boy and went, "He bent my little wand!" Priceless, lol! Remember when Dracula(Morgan Freeman), Frankenstein's Monster(Skip Hinnant), and The Wolfman(Jim Boyd), did an eerie tribute to Silent E? That was one of my favorite and most remembered EC skits. In fact, where I'm into monsters, I loved all the EC skits involving the Monsters. I always got a huge kick out of Crank. What a character! Rita Moreno was great. She always cracked me up as The Director. She would whack the cue card that Morgan Freeman was holding and scare the hell out of him. :-D Another wonderful EC memory is the LY Song cartoon. I always liked the ending part of it with Dracula. I wish I could see it all again! I saw some of my favorite skits when Noggin aired EC, but I didn't get to see them all before it got cancelled. Oh well. Can only hope that the DVD sets have all the great memories I miss. I'm definitely getting them for me and my daughter!

JillianPosted: 02/27/2008

I totally still think of the consonants as masculine and vowels as feminine! The part with the puppets always stuck out most to me. Thank goodness for DVD releases!

mrmusicPosted: 03/08/2008

Easy Reader that's my name.. uh,uh,uh! Silent E, Boy in chair,Spider-Man were just a few in many skits I liked. The show made learning easy and fun. "Azzzz Izzzzz'' :)

sassygalcanPosted: 06/03/2008

you missed MELANIE HENDERSON in your cast list of THE SHORT CIRCUS.

SuzanneHIHPosted: 06/13/2008

Easy Reader was a hip dude! I've got all these on DVD now for the kiddo. She thinks their groovy too.

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