Classic Television - Weekdays

The Electric Company

Original channel

PBS

Original run

October 25, 1971 – April 15, 1977

Starring

Morgan Freeman

Judy Graubart

Skip Hinnant

Rita Moreno

Jim Boyd

Lee Chamberlin (1971–1973)

Bill Cosby (1971–1973)

Luis Ávalos (1972–1977)

Hattie Winston (1973–1977)

Danny Seagren (1974–1977)

The Short Circus

June Angela

Irene Cara (1971–1972)

Douglas Grant (1971–1973)

Stephen Gustafson (1971–1975)

Melanie Henderson (1971–1975)

Denise Nickerson (1972–1973)

Bayn Johnson (1973–1975)

Gregg Burge (1973–1975)

Janina Mathews (1975–1977)

Réjane Magloire (1975–1977)

Rodney Lewis (1975–1977)

Todd Graff (1975–1977)

The Adventures of Letterman

Gene Wilder

Mel Brooks

Joan Rivers

Zero Mostel

The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was directed by Bob Schwartz, Henry Behar (1972–1975) and John Tracy (1975–1976), written by Christopher Cerf (1971–1973), Jeremy Steven (1972–1974) and John Boni/Amy Ephron (1972–1973) and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now called Sesame Workshop) for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. After it ceased production that year, the program continued in reruns from 1977 to 1985, as the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. CTW produced the show at Second Stage, located within the Reeves Teletape Studios, in Manhattan, the first home of Sesame Street.

The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills. It was intended for children who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street. The humor was more mature than what was seen there.