'The Electric Company' powering up again
The show’s creative team outlined a rough sketch of its updated version of the beloved children’s program in Beverly Hills Saturday morning, as part of the Television Critics Assn., a semiannual gathering of national television writers where networks preview their upcoming programming.
Other than in name, the modern version will bear little resemblance to the original series, which including reruns aired on PBS from 1971 to 1985. Gone are the major characters of the old show in favor of four “do-gooders” who use their literacy superpowers to solve problems and keep their urban neighborhood safe.
Like its inspiration, the new show will weave elements of pop culture, music, comedy sketches and celebrity appearances into the show to make the learning more palatable to youngsters. For instance, Jack McBrayer from NBC’s “30 Rock” appears in an early episode of the show.
“Kids are going to choose it not because it's good for them,” said the show’s executive producer Karen Fowler, “but because it’s so fly and funny.”
The new show, too, was created to help combat the nation’s literacy crisis, which according to recent educational research indicates that over half of the nation’s children are at risk of falling far behind in reading. The show mainly targets 6- and 9-year-olds who may already be experiencing difficulty with their reading skills.
The program will emphasize building vocabulary in a way the original did not. New education research shows that if children try to read and repeatedly trip over words they don’t understand, they are more likely to quit, said the show’s producers. The key is to get children reading by the fourth grade -- believed to be a watershed marker for literacy, they added.
“The Electric Company” will be plugged into more than just television. The show will reach out to youngsters through the Internet, gaming platforms, comics and books.
“There is some irony in creating a television show that teaches kids how to read,” said the show’s education and research director Scott Cameron.
-- Martin Miller
Photo: Karen Fowler, courtesy Getty Images
