TV Theme Song Top Ten: The Electric Company (#3)

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Yeah, you go right ahead and make fun of me for this one. I don’t care! I’m sure this monthlong look at my favorite television series theme songs has made you suspicious to begin with. I can only confirm your suspicions!! Here we go with today’s song. #3: The Electric Company - Cast I freely admit that I was way too old to watch this show for its intended purpose (to help kids read). So, why did I watch it? Two words: Skip Hinnant. He’s 82 now, and retired; however, I’ve seen photos of him in his 70s, and he was still cute. Hinnant played Fargo North, Decoder (he said it was a couple of days into rehearsals before he got that joke) and a character named JJ. (No, he didn’t own a black cat, although Hinnant did voice the X-rated Fritz the Cat in those movies.) The Electric Company WAS an education for me, though. It was pure Vaudeville schtick. I’d watched a lot of the old comedians and heard them talk about working in Vaudeville, but that form of entertainment was on life support (variety shows were the final gasp of tribute to the entertainment genre) by the time I came along. Here was a kids’ show, not only teaching them how to read but teaching them what the entertainment was like in the 1920s! It also had a stellar cast of big names (some then, some now): Rita Moreno (who’d already had an Oscar for West Side Story) and Morgan Freeman (who’d later win an Oscar) were cast members. The late Irene Cara was a member of the kids’ group the Short Circus in the show’s first season. And animated voices were provided by the likes of Zero Mostell (Spellbinder), Gene Wilder (Letterman), Joan Rivers (the narrator), and Mel Brooks (the grumpy short reading guy). Oh, and Tom Lehrer did songs (like “Silent E” and “L-Y”). there was a whole lot in that show to keep the grown-ups entertained, starting with the theme song. The Electric Company Written by Joe Raposo Recorded by the Electric Company Cast From The Electric Company, 1971-77 It’s coming down the line, strong as it can be: