Monday, November 9, 2009

Electric Company

Somehow I have bamboozled the kids into thinking Tivo'ing PBS is cool. They are just as excited about watching Arthur and WordWorld as they are Cars and Star Wars... actually MORE so recently. I'm sure it won't last, but at least there is a trace of educational value to our boob-tube time.

I decided to browse the latest PBS selections recently - you know, mix it up a bit. I didn't even know the Electric Company was still around! I loved that show! I was excited to watch it with the kids...

...ah, you can never go back home. It's now a bunch of funk-savvy tween friends rapping and hip-hopping into my kids hearts. They had a snappy little ditty about the different sounds of 'oo' (i.e. foot vs boot, yes I was paying attention), and the opening credits looked like a video. I at least felt like I was back on terra firma when the two silhouetted profiles spoke the words in pieces with a cheery tune in the background (Come on, everyone say it with me, f-...-oot... foot!)

So, I am officially turning into an old person... "You know kids, this show was different back in MY day..." I can't wait to yell at the neighborhood kids to get off of my yard.

3 comments:

Jules said...

I had heard that Electric Company got a revamp, but I haven't actually seen it. I suppose the show from back in our day would seem pretty old-fashioned now. No cell phone, computers, CD players, Hammer pants....

Unknown said...

Hell...thank god Electric Company is around. With my kids going to Chinese school they have NO idea how to sound out words.

Amy said...

We watched part of an episode of Sesame Street with Ripley and found ourselves doing the same thing - comparing it to the way it was when we were little. We like some updates (Murray Had a Little Lamb), but not others (clay-mation Bert and Ernie). You've convinced me that I should probably avoid Electric Company.