“Hey, you guyyyyys!” The Electric Company is returning to TV.
If you were a devout fan of the 1970s PBS children’s classic like I was then you have not forgotten Rita Moreno’s attention grabbing show opening scream. The instant my brothers and I would hear: “Hey, you guyyyyys!” we would run to our spots in front of the TV. While there we would anxiously wait for Spider-Man’s cameo and laugh along with the pun-filled sketches.
Man, I loved that show.
Which is why I was thrilled to hear that the series is coming back to PBS next January. Show producers say the show will be modernized to capture the attention of kids from the current hip-hop era. The 2009 version of “The Electric Company” will reportedly be a “more danceable version” of the original series. The updated show will also air on a weekly basis rather than in daily installments as it did more than 30 years ago.
An exec with PBS describes the updated Electric Company as a show that combines “ Disney’s High School Musical, Fame and a Dr Pepper commercial.” Viewers can expect a cast of culturally diverse city kids who sing, dance and promote literacy.
The folks at the Sesame Workshop are once again producing the show and it will still be marketed to kids 6 to 9 years old. For the most part the new version is very similar to the original Electric Company. Kids will once again be reminded that reading is cool and how learning new words can be empowering.
According to show producers, the first episode will introduce viewers to the four quasi-superheroes that formed the not-so-secret society known as the Electric Company. Keith, Jessica, Lisa and Hector make a pledge not only to use their powers for good but also to eat sensible portions of healthy meals. The gang ranges in age from 13 to 20 and can scramble, recall, project and animate words in high-tech ways that the original bunch couldn’t have dreamed of doing.
Production on the 21st century model of the PBS classic is already underway and execs say they hope the end product will reduce the literacy gap between low- and middle-income families.
I know my child will be watching. Will yours?
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