Monday, February 13, 2006

Sesame Street vs. Electric Company

Ah, Sesame Street. Sunny days and monstrous puppets; what can beat that? How about Spiderman and Morgan Freeman? Few people realize that Morgan Freeman was once one of the actors on Electric Company. Or that Spiderman made a regular appearance on that kid centric show. Personally, as a kid I preferred the Electric Company to Sesame Street. Not that I didn't like Sesame Street, I just liked the Electric Company a little more. Mostly because of Morgan Freeman and, naturally, Spiderman. But there was also Letter-man (Narrated by Joan Rivers; voiced by Gene Wilder) the hero with a different letter on his shirt. He could turn a terrifyingly monstrous snake into a delicious cake, just by tearing off the 'C' on his sweater and covering the 'SN'. Man, wouldn't that be a handy trick?

"Why, Halle, I've just turned that pesky little blouse you were wearing into a less visually restrictive mouse. No, no need to thank me."

Of course, 'Swordfish' managed to do that as well and without the rodent.

Of course, Sesame Street continues strong to this day, while Electric Company ended its run nearly twenty years ago. Which shouldn't be an indictment. I look at it as a simple fact that the talent involved with putting together the episodes went on to bigger pay checks and no suitable replacements became available. What is more indicative of the show is that I haven't seen an episode since the seventies, yet I have positive indelible memories.

Top Five Old School after school education

1) Electric Company - My man Morgan!
2) Sesame Street - Realistically, an eight foot bird would be worse on children than a rabbid velociraptor.
3) Captain Kangaroo - First time I saw this, I was dissappointed that the main character wasn't a marsupial at all.
4) Mr. Rogers Neighborhood - I'm still a little fuzzy as to why this guy had a house he only stayed in for an hour a day. The shoe thing was a curiosity as well.
5) Rhomper Room - She bloody never saw me in her stupid mirror.

1 comment:

GETkristiLOVE said...

What, no Zoom???
"Come on and zoom, zoom, zooma zoom
We're gonna, zooma, zooma, zooma zoom
Come on give it a try,
We're gonna show you just why,
We're gonna teach you to fly high,

Come on and zoom..."