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The Electric Company (1970s)

(Rated TV-Y, Educational, Starring Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby, Where to watch: PBS, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Sesame Street/Laugh-In hybrid taught Gen X to read.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The show focuses on teaching kids to read. The cast is quite diverse, and overall there's very little to worry about, though some of the behavior/standards are a bit dated (a cast member smokes a cigar, women tend toward the giggly, etc.).
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Occasional borderline innuendo -- for example, Gloria the Glowworm finds Glen to "make her glow."

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Bill Cosby smokes a cigar as part of a Groucho Marx reference (something that wouldn't really have been frowned upon in the early '70s).
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Electric Company (1970s)

Parents need to know that this classic '70s educational show is still a lot of fun, if a bit dated. For instance, some of the words that kids are taught (like "reducing exercises") don't really translate today. And in our PC culture, the word "gag" -- while admittedly chock-full of "g" sounds, feels like an odd one to use (accompanied by a human demonstration no less) in this context. It's also worth noting that the show doesn't transfer very well, digitially, to today's HD TVs. Dramatic effects created by having actors work in front of a black screen become fuzzy and hard to watch, as do many of the show's signature "electric" word bursts. If you have an old TV hooked up to a DVD player, that's the way to go.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how this show compares to today's educational shows. What's similar? What's different? Is this show still fun to watch even though it's decades old? Parents, if this is one you watched in your own childhood, tell your kids what you remember most, and ask them what stood out to them. You can also ask older kids whether their teachers use any of the show's reading techniques at school -- and then ask them if they think that teacher might have watched the show as a kid (their mind may just boggle at the thought).
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