Breaking news! New Electric Company Series from PBS

[Ilikemuppets]

Where the heck is this quote? Sounds rediculous, though...

It's from this article form the NYtimes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/arts/television/12elec.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

[Fozzie Bear]

If they relaunch, and I hope they do, it would be cool to have cameos from some of the original cast. I wouldn't mind seeing Easy Reader pass the torch along to a new Easy Reader.

If in fact there is one.

 

[wwfpooh]

If they relaunch, and I hope they do, it would be cool to have cameos from some of the original cast. I wouldn't mind seeing Easy Reader pass the torch along to a new Easy Reader.

If in fact there is one.

Ditto. I hope this relaunch is done right.

 

[ISNorden]

Why do I get a sense of dèjá vu here? PBS has recently approved two other shows focused on super-powered characters who teach reading; the only major difference I can see so far, is that the new TEC will be a live-action show. Let's hope I'm wrong about that...*sigh*

 

[nemalki]

I'm a little mixed about the return of The Electric Company.

I'm amped about it because the original was just so good and evocative of its time. I watched just as the series was finishing up the rerun cycles. Watched them all, and loved them all. Even had crushes on Rita Moreno and Jennifer of the Jungle before I even knew what a crush was. Didn't have Noggin when the reruns aired there, but I thoroughly enjoyed the TV Land special airing and the recent PBS retrospective of the series. It's a great show, and we need more shows like that.

One show that has pretty much taken the torch of TEC is Between The Lions, probably because many of that show's writers were also a part of TEC. It has that weirdness factor that TEC brought with it, especially in certain segments of the series. Seriously, how subversively twisted and Cliff Hanger and Chicken Jane? I am worried that the similarly-themed Between The Lions could become a casualty when the new Electric Company comes on.

Another fear is if the revamped series will even have the same success and feel as the original. The whole superhero concept that I just read seems as far away as the original as you can get, and anybody looking for the original, or at least a facsimile, may be disappointed. It's almost like they're creating a new show but using an older brand to keep it alive . . . and that's what I'm afraid of as well.

 

[ISNorden]

One show that has pretty much taken the torch of TEC is Between The Lions, probably because many of that show's writers were also a part of TEC. It has that weirdness factor that TEC brought with it, especially in certain segments of the series. Seriously, how subversively twisted are Cliff Hanger and Chicken Jane? I am worried that the similarly-themed Between The Lions could become a casualty when the new Electric Company comes on.

If the new TEC is as well-written, educational, and funny as Between the Lions--then I'd love to watch it, even with no kids at home. Between the Lions is living proof that a kids' show can focus on one setting and have only a few major characters...without becoming boring and unwatchable. (They typically use "real" books to teach the lesson themes, too--not just educational texts written for the show. Anybody who handles reading that way knows what they're doing, so Sesame Workshop has some tough competition this time!)

Another fear is if the revamped series will even have the same success and feel as the original. The whole superhero concept that I just read seems as far away from the original as you can get; and anybody looking for the original, or at least a facsimile, may be disappointed. It's almost like they're creating a new show but using an older brand to keep it alive . . . and that's what I'm afraid of as well.

You're not the only one who got that impression. Compared to the continuous evolution of Sesame Street over thirty-odd years, this "revival" feels as if the only things being revived are the name and purpose of the show. Everything else was thrown out; only time will tell whether the new version becomes a dud or a classic.

 

[Drtooth]

If they relaunch, and I hope they do, it would be cool to have cameos from some of the original cast. I wouldn't mind seeing Easy Reader pass the torch along to a new Easy Reader.

I doubt that Morgan Freeman would return to the thing that really launched his stardom. At least, unless SW offers him a lot of money. Rita Moreno was (according to one report) offered a cameo to say "HEEEEEEY YOOOOOUUUU GUUUUYYYYYYSSS!"

I wouldn't mind seeing the peron who played Arthur Crank come back. That was so long ago, he may even look the part.

Anyway:

Why do I get a sense of dèjá vu here? PBS has recently approved two other shows focused on super-powered characters who teach reading; the only major difference I can see so far, is that the new TEC will be a live-action show. Let's hope I'm wrong about that...*sigh*

I was about to point that out, but if I don't know if I can rant about a certain one anymore. All I'm hoping is that Disney sues them blue, since they look almost exactly like the Little Einstines... only the difference is they're CGI.

However, Word Girl, is just absolutely brilliant, and I can't reccommend it enough... especially if you're a fan of Soup 2 Nutz (formerly Squigglevision) type humor. Plus, it's not so much a reading show as a vocabulary booster show. And it clearly appeals to the same demographic as this new EC. While Superwhy appeals to preschoolers. (Rant time... make that preprepreprepreprepreschoolers)

I'm amped about it because the original was just so good and evocative of its time. I watched just as the series was finishing up the rerun cycles. Watched them all, and loved them all. Even had crushes on Rita Moreno and Jennifer of the Jungle before I even knew what a crush was. Didn't have Noggin when the reruns aired there, but I thoroughly enjoyed the TV Land special airing and the recent PBS retrospective of the series. It's a great show, and we need more shows like that.

One show that has pretty much taken the torch of TEC is Between The Lions, probably because many of that show's writers were also a part of TEC. It has that weirdness factor that TEC brought with it, especially in certain segments of the series. Seriously, how subversively twisted and Cliff Hanger and Chicken Jane? I am worried that the similarly-themed Between The Lions could become a casualty when the new Electric Company comes on.

Another fear is if the revamped series will even have the same success and feel as the original. The whole superhero concept that I just read seems as far away as the original as you can get, and anybody looking for the original, or at least a facsimile, may be disappointed. It's almost like they're creating a new show but using an older brand to keep it alive . . . and that's what I'm afraid of as well.

There are two points I can't stress enough. Firstly, how many revivals have you seen are exactly like the old series? The thing is, no matter how close you could get, you're pretty far away. And why is that? We always have different writers, actors, and various different people behind it. We can either have an imitation, or something different. Either way, it has a hard time stacking up to the original.

With a new TEC, we've got something different than Sesame Street (or for that Matter SNL). Those shows have been on the air for years and evolved to a different state slowly. But TEC wrapped in the early 80's. Unless you can Square one as the next TEC type show, there's about a 25 year gap between the shows.

Clearly they chose a different formula, and we will no doubt have current styles of humor. Expecting anything less would be like expecting to turn on SNL and see Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtain.

The other point is thus... Between the Lions. Now, I can see exactly why they have a new view with the new TEC. What can they do that BTL hasn't already done? BTL is basically Sesame Street, TEC, and Reading Rainbow boiled down to an essense and sprinkled over a new series concept. And they did it beautifully. We had very TEC segments like Cliffhanger, Sam Spud, and (last season of WGBH's production) The Punctuator. All brilliantly satirical, yet informative. But they all were interspearced a single storyline in an episode, ala SS. Reading Rainbow, well, that points easy to spot. The reading of books.

What i'm looking for when this airs is if it's good for what it is. I do NOT expect it to be the same as the old one at all. And hearing that they have a different concept, I'm really not expecting it now. Though I am disappointed we won't see something like Letterman (which would have been a great revival, if they got Nathan Lane and Mathew Broaderick to do the voices. I don't have to explain that one, do I?)

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Well, even if it does not sound exactly like the old show, I still think it' has a pretty good sounding concept to me. At least we still have the old show that has been released ion some forum or another.

 

[wwfpooh]

As I said, hopefully this reinvention is done right.

 

[Drtooth]

Which brings to mind the question.... what would you rather have? A brilliantly done, entertaining reinvisioning of an old show, or a poorly made, by the numbers, been there done that retread, exactly how the show used to be?

As I said, I'm looking to see if the show is good by itself, not if it's a carbon copy of the original. If they do great with the new plot and style, then I hope for the best.