The Electric Company (2009 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Electric Company |
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| Starring | Priscilla Diaz Jenni Barber Josh Segarra Ricky Smith Ashley Austin Morris Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan Coy Stewart Carly Rose Sonenclar William Jackson Harper |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 52 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | Kaufman Astoria Studios |
| Running time | 28 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Sesame Workshop |
| Distributor | Sesame Workshop |
| Release | |
| Original network | PBS Kids |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | January 23, 2009 – April 4, 2011 |
The Electric Company is a fun American TV show for kids aged 6 to 10. It aired on PBS Kids from 2009 to 2011. This show is a new version of an older series from 1971 with the same name. Like the first show, this one was made by Sesame Workshop, the same people who create Sesame Street.
The show uses short cartoons, funny skits, and music videos. Each episode also tells a story. These stories help kids learn new words. The music in the show is often in a hip-hop or contemporary R&B style.
Contents
About the Show
The main story in The Electric Company is about a group of young heroes. They are called the Electric Company. Their job is to fight against a group of neighborhood troublemakers called the Pranksters. The heroes meet at the Electric Diner. Their friend Shock, who is a great beat-boxer, works there.
The show often gives a nod to the original series. For example, in the opening, a character yells, "Hey, you guys!!" This was a famous line from the old show. You might also see Paul the Gorilla, a character from the first series. There are also updated versions of old segments where words are sounded out.
The show also had online games and activities. These helped kids learn even more. The first season had 28 episodes. Two more seasons followed, bringing the total to 52 episodes.
Meet the Characters
The show has many cool characters. They are split into two main groups: the good guys (The Electric Company) and the bad guys (The Pranksters).
The Electric Company Heroes
The Electric Company is a team of four friends. They work together to protect their neighborhood from the Pranksters. They all have a special power. They can throw "wordballs." These are blue, magical balls that make words appear on any surface. Each member also has a unique skill.
- Hector Ruiz (played by Josh Segarra) is the leader of the Electric Company. He is the oldest member. Hector can replay any image he sees, just like a video camera. He is very good at sports, especially basketball. Hector becomes the new owner of the Electric Diner in Season 3.
- Jessica Ruiz (played by Priscilla Star Diaz) is Hector's younger sister. She is a talented rapper. Jessica can replay any word or phrase she hears, like a tape recorder. She is confident and loves to rap. Jessica also helps look after Marcus, the newest and youngest member.
- Keith Watson (played by Ricky Smith) can make images appear in the air. This helps him explain difficult words. He can also make images bigger. Keith is smart and often finds ways to stop the Pranksters. He is also good at basketball. His dad used to own the Electric Diner.
- Lisa Heffenbacher (played by Jenni Barber) is very smart. She can unscramble any anagram she finds. Lisa is great at science. In Season 3, she travels with a science program. Hector keeps her updated on what's happening back home.
- Marcus Barnes (played by Coy Stewart) is the newest and youngest member. He joined in Season 3. Marcus is good at math and uses his skills to solve problems. He loves numbers, is athletic, and always wants waffles and pickles.
Friends and Allies
- Shock (played by Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan) is a cook at the Electric Diner. He usually beat-boxes instead of speaking. He uses his hands to show his ideas.
- P.J. Watson (played by Kyle Massey) is Keith's funny cousin. He appeared in Season 2.
- Leo Watson (played by L. Steven Taylor) is Keith's father. He used to own the Electric Diner. He gave it to Hector in Season 3.
- Mario (played by Lin-Manuel Miranda) is Shock's best friend. He is a hip-hop emcee. He appears in some musical parts of the show.
- Paul the Gorilla (played by Steven Freitas) was a character from the original show. He is the only character brought back for the new series.
- Dax (played by James Miles) is a Skeleckian. He is a good friend of Lisa's.
- Polly Hashimoto (played by Ann Harada) is a local author. Her books are in the library.
The Pranksters
The Pranksters are the bad guys in the show. They are the enemies of the Electric Company. In some parts of the show, the Pranksters explain letters and sounds.
- Francine Carruthers (played by Ashley Austin Morris) is the leader of the Pranksters. She can also make wordballs, but hers are violet. Francine thinks she is very smart. She often tries to make herself look good by causing trouble for the Electric Company. In Season 3, she gets an assistant named Gilda Flip.
- Annie Scrambler (played by Sandie Rosa) often feels jealous of others. She can scramble any word or sentence by stomping her foot. This creates new words. Sometimes she works with her Uncle Sigmund, who is a hypnotist.
- Danny Rebus (played by William Jackson Harper) is a smooth and fancy Prankster. He can turn any sentence into a rebus puzzle. His messages often make fun of the Electric Company. Danny is proud and easily offended.
- Manny Spamboni (played by Dominic Colón) is the loudest Prankster. He doesn't have powers like the others. But he is very good at robotics and mechanics. Manny uses his many gadgets to cause problems for the Electric Company.
- Gilda Flip (played by Carly Rose Sonenclar) is the newest Prankster. She is Francine's assistant. Gilda doesn't have powers. She is very good at planning and has many small talents.
Prankster Friends
- Sigmund Scrambler (played by Mark Linn-Baker) is Annie's uncle. He is a hypnotist. He helps Annie bother the Electric Company.
- Antigone Carruthers (played by Julie Halston) is Francine's mother. She is the CEO of a big company. She often calls the Electric Company "the Electricians."
- Mrs. Bebe Spamboni (played by Andréa Burns) is Manny's mother. She loves Manny very much. But she doesn't like it when he cheats.
Animated Characters
The show also features many fun animated characters in short segments.
The Adventures of Captain Cluck
- Captain Cluck (voiced by Isabella Palmieri) is a chicken-themed child superhero. She wears a pink outfit and has the power to fix things.
- The Poultry Patrol are Captain Cluck's chickens. They have funny names like Amy, Fay, and Fran.
Pets Home Alone
- Donny is a yellow canary. He likes to call his furry friends "Fuzzball."
- Nuggets is a magenta hamster.
- Petunia is a blue bulldog. She wears a pink bow.
- Tom is an orange kitten. He is shy and knows how to use a laptop.
Haunted House
- Werewolf (voiced by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) has brown fur. He lives in a haunted house.
- Bat (voiced by Cree Summer) is the only flying monster.
- Mummy (voiced by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) is green-skinned. He wears toilet paper and has an Indian accent.
Other Animated Friends
- The Three Orangutans (voiced by Dominic Colón, Jenni Barber and Josh Segarra) help show words that start or end with certain sounds.
- Special Agent Jack Bowser (voiced by Tyler Bunch) is a blue android dog. He is often trapped and needs help reading codes.
- Music Man (played by Reggie Watts) is a deep-voiced singer. He appears in many musical parts. In later seasons, he does chores for his space alien neighbor in a video game style.
- Felix and Oscar are like a funny duo. Felix is an older man, and Oscar is a tall, silly teenager.
Prankster Planet
Later episodes ended with an animated segment called "Prankster Planet." In these cartoons, Jessica and Marcus visit the Pranksters' space base. The Pranksters build inventions to mess up words. Jessica and Marcus have to use their brains to turn off these inventions. This segment also focused on measurement.
Who's in the Show
The main actors included Priscilla Diaz as Jessica, Jenni Barber as Lisa, Josh Segarra as Hector, and Ricky Smith as Keith. Coy Stewart played Marcus Barnes, and Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan was Shock.
Many famous people also appeared on the show. These include musicians like Pete Wentz, Ne-Yo, Sean Kingston, Common, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, and Doug E. Fresh. Sports stars like Tiki Barber and Dwight Howard also made appearances. Other celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon were guests too.
Mark Linn-Baker sometimes played Annie's uncle Sigmund. Lin-Manuel Miranda, a famous Broadway actor and composer, also made guest appearances. He helped with the music for the show.
Songs from the Show
The Electric Company featured many catchy songs to help kids learn. Here are some of them:
From Season 1
- "We've Got Skills" – Hector, Jessica, and Lisa
- "Take the Pledge" – Keith, Hector, Jessica, Lisa
- "The Nature Lover" – Danny
- "The Limerick Slam" – Hector, Jessica, Manny and Mrs. Spamboni
- "The Cheese Song" – Lisa, Dax and Electric Company
From Season 2
- "Sheriff Frank vs. Negative Apple" – Mario and Danny
- "Follow The Clues" – Polly
- "The Francine Hotel Jingle" – Francine and Mrs. Carruthers
- "Compromise" – Electric Company and Pranksters
From Season 3
- "Wordball on His What?" - Hector, Jessica and Marcus Barnes
- "Gilda Breaking Records" – Gilda Flip and kids
- "Here Come the Animals Dressed As Monsters" – Hector, Jessica, Marcus, Keith and Shock
- "Beatbox" – Doug E. Fresh and crowd
- "I Love My Power" – Manny and his robot
