Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and Morgan Freemen in the Electric Company in 1971
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- Most of this is from excepts from "The Best of the Electric Company: Part 1 of 4," which Rita Moreno did in 2006. In October, 1971, when "the Electric Company" started, Bill Cosby was also producing and starring in "the Bill Cosby Show" a half-hour comedy which ran on Sunday Nights on NBC. Over 20 million people were watching "the Bill Cosby show," weekly, so his appearance in the cast of "the Electric Company" from 1971 to 1973 certainly helped it to become a successful show. It helped to teach millions of kids to read. Cosby also did many guest appearances for the Children's television Workshop's first hit series "Sesame Street." Cosby was also involved in producing the CBS hit animated children's series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," (1972-1985) at this time. It was the first cartoon series on American television centered on black kids and the first to teach children moral lessons on every episode.
Rita Moreno is the legendary actress from Puerto Rico who had major roles in two of the greatest movie musicals in history - "Singing in the Rain" (1952) and "Westside Story" (1961). She won an Oscar for her role in "Westside Story." She was also the voice of Carmen Sandiego in another hit children's educational series "Where in the World is Camen Sandiego" (1994-1999). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (an award Bill Cosby won in 2002) in 2004. She co-starred with Dr. Cosby in the television series, "the Cosby Mysteries" (1994).
When Rita Moreno screamed "Hey you guys!" that was the best line of all time I remember all of us kids in school screaming that all the time during recess, and it stuck with us forever lol.
ME TOO!
For years, I thought that line came from Saturday Night Live.
@@doro626 It's also in the first five minutes of War of the Gargantuas.
Same here!
I thought the line came from the Goonies
I'm 62 years old and i loved watching the electric company.
I love that the last word was "Groovy!" 😂 1970's Perfection!
✌❤
Rita Moreno was already famous, but when she did this particular skit, "Hey, you guys!" became her voice trademark!
Facts
🤣
Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy award winner
I had no idea Rita Moreno was already famous when I watched this show as a kid. I always thought The Electric Company made her famous. I was in my mid-20s before I realized Ms. Moreno was an accomplished stage actress before this show aired.
My kids would go nuts when they heard “ Hey you guys! “
Let’s show this to this new generation that says there was no inclusivity back then! The cast all resemble my group of friends in elementary school. How I miss those times. I love every member of that cast for teaching us great stuff!
God bless you, Rita Moreno. I drove my parents BANANAS shouting "Hey you guys!" But...they never stopped me from watching. Thanks, Rita. 💕
"Could they teach children to read using a television show?" Yep! I was one of those children. I was reading before kindergarten because of Sesame Street and The Electric Company. And, that was back in the day when you weren't expected to know how to read before kindergarten and still had snacks and "Naptime" for a few minutes each day. Thank you Electric Company!
I'm not sure as kids we realized what s powerhouse cast this was..
Bill Cosby was the only one famous at the time. I watched this all the time as a white kid, I didn't even notice there were only a couple on the show.
All the liberals saying there was massive discrimination back then can BITE ME
one day at a time referenced this. i'm proud
When?!?!?!
Oh yeah I screamed when I realized cuz I only knew the new EC. Then I watched this and I got so excited cuz the reference got even better.
Some 50 years later and I’m still mesmerized and feeling the joy I felt the first time. An amazing show and cast! ❤❤❤❤❤
"Hey you guys!!! " Watching and going down memory lane in 2022!
Extremely difficult to beleive Rita Moreno was pushing 40 when she filmed that episode! She's a total pixie as Millie the Milkman!
A pixie he says. HA!
At 87, she still looks pretty great. She has taken great care of herself.
@@MrJoshinJosh oh yeah....
Yes, and if you had the money she has to be able to afford personal trainers and plastic surgeons and dietary supplements, you'd look good when you're 87 too.
@Kitsalp Srewolf not true but every generation continues to age more slowly. With the exception of people who just have good if the average person looked at a picture of their parents when they were the same age you currently are and they will look older, you can keep doing this throughout the generations, just go to a antique photograph page and look at a photo of someone who was 30 in the 1800s, they will look like someone in their fifties today.
The Electric Company, Zoom, Sesame Street...I'm so glad I grew up with these great shows!
The Zoom kids were freaks.
Me too!!!! Me too
Man thank you...for the live of me I couldn't remember the name of the show Zoom...my wife and I were talking abut TV when we were kids
@@TheHiredGun187 LOL, You're welcome! :)
Remember 3, 2, 1, Contact? We truly did have good shows back in the day…
I thank Morgan Freeman for getting me to love reading. I still love reading. Plenty of time to read during these COVID days.
As a kid i didnt realize how hard these good people wrked to teach us to learn
All this time, I knew "The Goonies" was quoting something, but I didn't know it was Rita Moreno's character.
It's also in War of the Gargantuas.
People born between 1980 and 1992 know this quote through the Goonies lol
I started kindergarten in 1976. We watched Electric Company everyday at school. It was my favorite part of the being at school!
1978 We watched sesame street the first day of Kindergarten.
Me 1979 it was so fun to watch and with sesame street too
Interesting
I knew Morgan Freeman was in it. I had no idea Bill Cosby was. Mind blown!
For some odd reason I don't remember Cosby being on Electric Company, but I remember everyone else.
I don't think he stayed long on this show. He was also on Captain Kangaroo with Picture Pages. I loved him in that.
Zero Mostel (The Producers), too.
@@user-vh1ii8yr3s Yes, Zero Mostel was the voice of The Spellbinder in the Letterman segments. Gene Wilder voiced Letterman, and Joan Rivers was the narrator.
I am 47 years old now I remember watching this as a kid in school now I feel young again
ME TOO!
I do too :-)
I am 52 years young and theses episodes and sesame street were my favorite from childhood memories. Thinking of me sitting on the floor in front of the TV while Momma was in the kitchen cooking lunch for she and I.
Rita Moreno is such an amazing talent
I ate fried baloney sandwiches while watching this as a 6 -year old.
I think I'll make one myself right now
The thicker the slice, the better.
What a blast from the past! Cosby, Freeman, Moreno. Kids never had it so good. Thanks to the government, the creators, the actors, and to all the kids that grew up w. this fascinating learning tool.
Magic Garden and Wonderama were also cool.
That was a long time b4 Bill Cosby was indicted in those sex scandals.
Amen!
@@davidmunson3313 yes before he was caught but he was raping in 1971 for sure
@@davidmunson3313he was never to be arrested he did nothing wrong. They did that to please those stupid activists and shitty groups.
My 5 year old self had a huge crush on Rita back in the early days of this show.
Watching this now, 50 years later, I can confirm that I had good taste.
I was/am so in love with Rita Moreno. I loved this show because of her. "HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!!"
Yes, she was wonderful on it. There are lots of great children's shows on now that teach phonics and reading. This was really the first and only one in the 1970s and 1980s.
Carol Burnett had her Tarzan yell and Rita Moreno had her "Hey you GUUUUYS!!!"
@@jayraskin the new EC is pretty good except for the rap
I had such a crush on Rits as a kid she was sexy and perky my type.
Jennifer of the Jungle was my girl.
Hell of a cast for a public access show.
Great theme song, cast, writing. I agree with Rita--I loved the mix of comedy, music and animation. There were plenty of good comedy/variety shows on TV back then, but The Electric Company was really one of my favorites. Nothing but good memories of it.
87 years old and amazing ❤️
Moreno and Cosby are really good at this. The talent is incredible.
I grew up in the 1970s. Was in elementary school from fall of 1969 to spring 1977. In 2nd grade and 3rd grade, we watched this when it came on; our teachers herded us into a private room and we watched TV. Looking back, it's remarkable there was a TV show whose educational content was worthy of giving over a half hour of class time that could have gone to something else.
I was one of those kids whose teacher showed us The Electric Company in class! Did you by any chance go to Brentwood Elementary School in Los Angeles? (I think my teacher's name was Mrs. Wiener.)
Nope. Not Brentwood in LA. I attended Rolling Green Elementary in Urbandale, IA, a suburb of Des Moines. My 2nd grade teacher was Miss Indra. 3rd grade, Mrs Milligan.
I haven't seen this in 50 years! Thanks for uploading this. This is from my childhood generation. 1970's children's television was the BEST-- Sesame Street, Mister Roger's Neighborhood, The Electric Company, Fat Albert, Schoolhouse Rock, after-school specials, and more.
I forgot to mention Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Seamonster, H.R. Puffinstuff, The Banana Splitz, and Saturday morning cartoons.
"Schoolhouse Rock" as well. Couldn't even find those in The TV Guide!😂🎤👨🎓👩🎓🇺🇸📺B.W.
We watched this every morning in school grades 1-4 !
I'm 55 and loved this show, still do ! Great things leave great impressions on kids
I have asked people if they remember The Electric Company and not one does. Sad because this was really a great show.
I do I do !! The skits where Morgan Freedom holds a cue card & the actor keeps saying the wrong word, the Rita as the director keeps hitting the cue card with her riding crop was so hilarious...🇨🇦🇨🇦👍😎😂😂
Oops, then * Rita
I don't think it taught kids anything meaningful. But it was great entertainment
You are hanging with the wrong people!
Love you Rita! I’m 50 and loved this as a kid
I am one of the kids they helped teach to read and more. They helped with every day things like mesuring, talking on the phone. And, the most important thing this show did, was not talk down to kids. They would do a skit like the first milkman skit and just assumed all of us would know Bottle and laugh that she could not get it. But, at the same time help those who might not yet be there by giving all the right clues.
I was 7 years old, my second grade teacher used to show this on TV in the classroom!
This makes me so happy!!!!! ✌️
Any one else coming here after watching ONE DAY AT A TIME !!!😍😘❤💓
If they were in Canada, it could mean "one bag of milk."
Yep, I said that
🤓🍶
I loved The Electric Company. I still do. 💜💜💜
Oh my Lord. What wonderful memories this brought back. I had no idea Morgan Freeman was on this show. But it's been 40+ years since I seen it. Back when things were simpler for children. God bless you all
You all taught me to read. Thank you-The Electric Company opened the world up for me.
I never missed a show! I loved the electric company so much!
Can you believe Rita was 40 years old in this? She looks 20.
I knew Tom Lehrer had written SILENT E and L-Y for The Electric Company. I just learned he wrote a total of ELEVEN songs for the show! The Professor will celebrate his 93rd birthday on April 9th.
Fantastic comic-songwriter. It is nice to hear he is still around.
Getting goosebumps watching this, I looked forward to this everyday as a kid. I miss those days …
I grew up on this show and I had fond memories of the cast. You filed that away and then wait 48 years to see this again on UA-cam. Rita Moreno - always remembered her but I never knew the other cast members names as a kid. At 54 - I sure do. Can't believe Cosby and Freeman were in that group. I remember them but never put it together until tonight. Crazy!
I grew up on this show and I’ve been obsessed with Morgan Freeman ever since. I also Loved the show Zoom... these shows were entertaining as well as educational. They were innovative and ahead of their time... still a great teaching tool today👌🏽☺️💯🦋
Same! I have loved Morgan Freeman from the moment I saw him on The Electric Company.
1971 was a good year!
I started watching the Electric Company when I was about 6 years old, but because I was in first grade in 2006, I only got to see it on DVD, which was fine with me.
hav'nt seec E C since 70's thanks for the memories.
When she said "one banana of milk" Rita probably had her mind on her Chiquita Banana commercial.
This was the most meaningful acting they ever did. Brilliant way to teach Reading!
Boy....I remember watching The Electric Company and I learned a lot. The good ole days.
Rita Moreno,undisputed queen of the Puertoricans!
I have been in love with her since I was 4 years old.
I am now 51.
Unmarried.
Why?
Because Rita is already married.
🥰😂
I love these old electric company episode s please play them now
I have this episode from a "Best of" box set. I had a crush on Buddy from Short Circus back then. The cute blonde boy near the beginning of this.
Warning: contains Bill Cosby
Cosby and Rita also got hired once by the Baxters to look after the house while they were away on vacation. Millie has to figure out scrambled instructions: "Walk the plants, pick up the dog, and water the mail."
4:28 “HEY YOU GUYYYYYS!!!!” Classic Rita Moreno.
Rita commented on the hard work put into multiple sketches & musical numbers. I can barely imagine the stress that Skip, Morgan, & Bill were likely under, keeping track of their lyrics & chairs for "Grumble, Growl, & Grunt."
Little known fact: Bill Cosby was on the first season of The Electric Company. With other great PBS kids shows like Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and ZOOM the 70s were a great time to be a kid! 😎
It's weird seeing Bill and Morgan as young people!
Actually he was on TEC during the second season as well….
I just learned that this show is where Sloth got that line from when he shouted hey you guys in The Goonies
Best childhood tv show, still enjoy
That line always cracks me up every time!!
OMG I remember this show!! I loved it as a kid!!
the show came out in 71 but I was born a year later. Bout time I got old enough to watch it (76-77), Tne Short Circus was on the show and my favorite..The Adventures of Letterman
This was ''Educational Television'' for stoners...
Damn good show
Watched it EVERYday...
I always wondered what happened w you. Thank You, for the education 1971 I was going on 7 years old.. You've touched MILLIONS of lives.
I had a huge crush on her watching these as a kid
oh wow! i remember the milkman scene! i not seen it since the 70s😆
Thank you Rita !!!!
I was definitely a child recipient that greatly benefited from this program !
Thank you.
Marcus Edge
How did they keep from laughing during this sketch? No wonder "HEY YOU GUYYYYYS!" became Rita Moreno's catchphrase.
& not only it became Rita Moreno’s phrase, it was later used in the 2009 reboot of TEC!
I just love when she does her trademark yell!!
I remember loving Morgan Freeman's character as a little kid. The only thing I still remember from Electric Company is the intro where he walked with that swagger and gave a the camera a friendly finger gun point. I think that's why I still subconsciously love seeing him in movies, he's the cool friendly guy.
Just watchec the DVD today she said the famous hey you Guuuuuuyyysss 4 times😁
This show looked so fun! What a cast and groovy presentation
HEY YOU GUYS , we watched this every morning in school in 1971. I was in the 5th grade in Georgia. I remember Morgan Freeman { one of my favorite actors } dancing like a young Michael Jackson lol, Oh my iv'e gotten old.
I like this much better now that I'm old, Grumble Growl and Grunt is Great!
It was shown on philippine tv way back 1979, I will always go home from school in a hurry , every afternoon, to watch the tv show. The Electric Company is part of my childhood!
All grown up now and reading like a boss. Thank you 🙏
I was 1yrs old when this first aired on Television!!
I just love the old ones!! but I wish I had season three!!
I used to watch in 1979 electric company and 1980 it really was fun and educational
Aside from educational TV, the 1970's had 2 educational songs that were on Billboard charts. In 1970, the Jackson 5 had a hit called "ABC" (Easy as 1-2-3) and in 1972/73, The Carpenters had a hit called "Sing" (Sing A Song) which was featured on "Sesame Street."
I love Electric Company when I was growing up in the 70s. It was one of my favorite TV shows. I didn't think I would be watching Electric Company as a grown up on my tablet.
And Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman would go on to be in two of the most amazing prison dramas of all time - “The Shawshank Redemption” and “OZ”.
Bill Cosby would go on to serve actual time.
good one mate !
And the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania by an 8-0 ruling found that the trials that he had been subjected to at the age of 80, while he was blind, were illegal because they violated his constitutional rights. Eternal shame on the mad DA and vile Judge who did this.
Straight out of my own childhood! I knew Rita Moreno best when she used to work on the children's show opposite Seasame Street called "The Electric Company". With her trademark yell, "HEY YOU GUYS!!!" And I learned how to read from watching every episode.
Oh my gosh I feel old!! I remember watching this as a kid😁😁😁
Back in 1973, I was in the 3rd grade..my teacher would bring out the TV and put on The "Electric Company"....Such memories!!!!
HEY YOU GUYS !!!!!!! That turned out to be in the opening soon after ..this is the bit they took it from....loved this show with Dennis nickerson and Morgan freemen and Spider-Man. Love the. OR. Song.
It was my favorite ever and still is. Thank you so much 😊😍☺️ remembering my childhood
No matter how much I grow out my hair, no matter how wide my bell bottoms may be, or how spread my spread collars are... I will never in a million years ever get to be this groovy.
Yes, I so remember this show and watching it in school. Learning a lot of basic early learning skills in school. The times was so laid back then. Using pencils and paper made us think in school.
I thought this show was on in 1970. The reason I know is my father never let my sister and I watch EC b/c he could not stand Bill Cosby. And He passed away in 1970 so it could not be 1971. He said it was not educational but my sister and I loved the show!
Loved this as a kid! Love the teaching methods! Reasoning skills too! Bonus funny!
That milk segment is pretty awesome for its quick but understated humor... something I want to show my daughter as she grows up, but that's definitely going to lead to an uncomfortable conversation later about how actors are not their characters.
It dawned on me why a lot of us love Morgan Freeman's voice. We grew up listening to him and didn't even know as we didn't exactly know he was going to be the greatest voice of our time!
Man three academy award winners!!!
Perfect.
Thank you!
I'm 53 years old, and I was two years old when I saw the very first episode when it premiere then on October 25,1971. Thomas Keith Farris.
I grew up with these shows sesame 5:47 Street mister, Rodgers, electric company. I read very well when I started school
i remember now, this was the show I used to watch as a kid