PBS Gives a Jolt to "Electric Company"

Righteous, delighteous, and out-of-sighteous!

The New York Times says that PBS is bringing back "The Electric Company," which hasn't seen public access airtime since 1977.

The timing is perfect, since shows like Nick Jr.'s "Yo Gabba Gabba" are helping kids put the fun in funky, with a mixture of cartoonish live-action characters, retro animation and music that includes punk, funk and hip-hop. The new "Electric Company" will also have its own DJ, beat-box artist Shockwave.

The 2009 version will be hip-hop-ified, with its core focus still on reading. Although a cameo has been offered to original cast member Rita Moreno, don’t expect to see Morgan Freeman reprise his Easy Reader role -- although that would be awesome!

"The Electric Company" will air each week on your local PBS stations, starting in January 2009. -- Rachel Cericola