The Electric Company (2009 TV series)
A reboot teaching vocabulary through hip-hop and superhero adventures.
The Electric Company, an educational children's show from Sesame Workshop, was created by Karen Fowler as a revival of the 1971 original. It ran on PBS Kids from January 23, 2009, to April 4, 2011, with PBS reruns lasting until August 31, 2014. Reruns later aired on HBO Family’s HBO Kids block from January 1, 2016, to November 1, 2020. On certain platforms, it is called The New Electric Company to differentiate it from the earlier series.
Quick Facts
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 3
- Episodes
- 52
- Location
- Kaufman Astoria Studios
- New York, NY
- Newark, NJ
- Runtime
- 28 minutes
- Company
- Sesame Workshop
- First aired
- 23 January 2009
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Each episode of the revival features short animations, parodies, sketches, and music videos similar to the original, but also includes a storyline teaching four to five vocabulary words with hip-hop or contemporary R&B-style music. The story follows the Electric Company, a group of tween and teen literacy heroes who battle neighborhood vandals called the Pranksters. Their headquarters is the Electric Diner, where a beat-boxing short-order cook named Shock resides. The opening of each episode includes a Company member yelling "Hey, you guys!"—a nod to the original series. Other nods include appearances by Paul the Gorilla and updated soft-shoe silhouette segments. The revival incorporates interactive Web elements and community-outreach projects. The first season had 28 weekly episodes, the second season twelve episodes beginning January 18, 2010, and a third season debuted February 7, 2011, ending April 4, 2011, with new members Marcus and Gilda.
Characters
The Electric Company consists of five friends who protect the neighborhood from the Pranksters, each able to throw wordballs—blue magical balls that create words on any surface—and each possessing a special skill. Hector Ruiz, played by Josh Segarra, is the 18-year-old leader who can replay any image he sees; he is athletic and has a rivalry with Manny. Jessica Ruiz, played by Priscilla "Star" Diaz, is Hector's 13-year-old sister and a talented rapper who can replay any word or phrase she hears. Keith Watson, played by Ricky Smith, is a 14-year-old who can generate and magnify images in mid-air; he is logical and often devises solutions. Lisa Heffenbacher, played by Jenni Barber, is a 16-year-old who can unscramble anagrams and excels at science, with a rivalry with Annie. In season 3, a new Company member named Marcus appears, and Jessica looks after him as the youngest and newest member. Hector becomes the new owner of the Electric Diner in season 3, and Lisa is revealed to be traveling with a science program, though Jenni Barber did educational commercials during that season.
Episodes
Starting May 3, 2011, each episode concluded with a two-minute animated short titled "The Adventures of The Electric Company on Prankster Planet," promoting a flash game on the PBS Kids website. These shorts and the game expanded beyond literacy to include basic math skills. In the animated shorts, Jessica and Marcus visit the Pranksters' space base, where the Electric Company's powers do not work, and they must use their wits to disable Manny Spamboni's Wordsuckeruppenator by hitting 13 off buttons. Each short ends with Jessica and Marcus yelling "Hey, you guys!" and the viewer is encouraged to play the online game, which involves platforming and math challenges. A sequel game and accompanying shorts began July 9, 2012, airing alongside eight repackaged episodes from seasons 1 and 2. This sequel features Francine's Reverse-a-Ball machine, which reverses words it touches, and focuses on graphs and data interpretation skills. In these shorts, Francine watches Jessica and Marcus attempt to shut off her launchers, and a studio audience of robots votes on obstacles, with results graphed by Francine.
Critical reception
The show received generally positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 74 out of 100 based on eight reviews. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times found the story aspects unnecessarily complicated and off the point, noting the original series spent more time teaching. Entertainment Weekly described the hip urban vibe as overly calculated but praised the new characters. Monica Hesse of The Washington Post praised the series but said it reminded her of Ghostwriter rather than the original Electric Company. Marc Peyser of Newsweek wrote that it more than lives up to its legacy. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times stated that today's children will find it watchable and gain language skills, but may not hold it in their hearts 35 years later.
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