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Title-The best of the best of the Electric Company
Company-Shout Factory
Price-$5
As a kid I watched Sesame Street. Then when I started kindergarten I started watching Electric Company. And I enjoyed Electric Company more than Sesame Street. One reason is EC had Spider-man on it. Another was because EC also had Bill Cosby who I knew from Fat Albert and Picture pages. I knew that Shout Factory had released some Electric Company DVDs. But also had heard that they didn't have the Spiderman bits.Cause of rights issues. So I avoided those sets. Then months back I was digging through the $5 bin and found this DVD. "Well it's only $5 and it is 165 minutes. So 5 episodes for $5 that is worth it to me."
I love how 70s this show feels. And yes I know all the episodes on here are from the 70s. But I didn't remember it feeling so of it's time. And what a great cast the show had. I already mentioned Bill Cosby,but also there is Rita Moreno,Joan Rivers,Gene Wilder,Zero Mostel and Morgan Freeman. Freeman is so damn entertaining as Easy Reader.Now it isn't a secret I am not a fan of hippies. Mostly because all the hippies I have ever ran into are modern day upper class trust fund hippies. But if all hippies were like Easy Reader I would be a huge fan of them.
There is so much to love about this show. From the zany comedy skits. The music videos and oh so trippy animation. Add in how while the show is educational,but isn't boring like some educational shows are.
I ended up watching the entire DVD the day I bought it. But was wondering if it would appeal to kids today. So my next trip to visit my family on the coast I brought it along.My cousin who I always stay with has two sons. One who is 11 and the other is 6. Well one day both their parents were at work. And I had been told the boys were only allowed to play video games for 1 hour that day. But I cut them a deal. If they were willing to watch 2 episodes of Electric Company,I would allow them to play video games for 1 1/2 hours. So I put in the DVD. Started it and went and got on the computer. After 2 episodes were over the 6 year old asked if he could watch more. The 11 year old was ready to get his 1 1/2 hours of video games. I left the DVD playing. And noticed that the older brother was actually paying more attention to the DVD than his video game. They ended up watching the entire DVD and asked me if I had anymore.
I asked each one of them what they liked most about the show. The older one told me he liked the cartoons and how everyone "dressed very funny looking". The younger one told me he liked the songs and Letterman.
So was it worth it?-Well it is 5 episodes plus extras for $5. So yes it is totally worth it. But one caveat I don't know how much appeal this DVD will have for anyone who either didn't grow up watching this. Or isn't a pre-teen or younger.
