Hey You Guys!!!!!!!!!

The New York Times reports that PBS is bringing back The Electric Company, a beloved 1970s-era children’s television show that uses SNL-style sketches to help children develop literacy skills. The Electric Company was produced by Children’s Television Workshop (since renamed Sesame Workshop, which will be producing the new show), the same organization that produces Sesame Street. While Sesame Street is focused on preschool aged students, The Electric Company is pitched to early elementary school students ages 6 to 9. Among other accomplishments, The Electric Company launched the career of Morgan Freeman, appearing here as recurring sketch character Easy Reader.

No word yet on whether Easy Reader will make a reappearance in the new show (possibly reincarnated as a Greenpoint hipster?), which producers are reconceptualizing in an effort to appeal to children who now have a much greater wealth of afterschool entertainment options.

As the most recent Future of Children noted, TV-watching per se isn’t necessarily bad for preschool (over two years old) and elementary-aged children (although all things in moderation). And quality educationally-oriented programs can actually have positive impacts on children’s learning. Sure, kids today have a lot of entertainment options–Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, DVDs–that didn’t exist in the 1970s. But a lot of what’s out there is the intellectual equivalent of empty calories–not to mention the many non-age appropriate things kids can find on afternoon TV these days. Parents and policymakers are concerned about protecting children from bad influences on TV and in the media, and debates about how to do that can become contentious. But unfortunately we tend to overlook the equally or more important flipside–providing engaging entertainment alternatives that children will find just as or more appealing than less salubrious options, while also reaping educational benefits. In that context, the return of The Electric Company is something to celebrate (and not just because I enjoyed watching it myself as an elementary schooler!).

No word yet, however, on when we can expect a reappearance of 3-2-1 Contact. Given that they’ve been namechecked by a well-known indie rock band, would it be too much to hope for the Bloodhound Gang to get their own show?