# The Electric Company

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-electric-company/49394>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 10, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-electric-company/49394 "2001-01-10T20:29:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-electric-company/49394/1 "2001-01-10T20:29:01Z")

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I sent this one to Cecil, but maybe you guys can answer it faster:  
Growing up, one of my favorite shows was The Electric Company ("Hey, you  
guys!!!). Unlike it’s contemporaries, it was cancelled and, to my  
knowledge, was never re-aired. The only explanation I’ve ever heard for  
this smacks of urban legend, for lack of a better term. If I remember  
correctly, it revolved around a cartoon where the words “Shut up!” were  
either yelled or flashed on the screen. A parents’ group got upset at this,  
and demanded its removal, which they got.

Going to the internet site, I can find no information on the show’s untimely  
demise. Would you uncover the sinister truth of this possible conspiracy to  
deprive me of my favorite kids’ show?

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**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-electric-company/49394/2 "2001-01-10T21:07:35Z")

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Which page are you talking about, [this one](http://members.home.net/davechad/ec.html)? Yeah, I don’t see a reason for cancellation either. Although, since the show was rerun for several years while no new episodes were made, it seems unlikely that someone demanded and received its immediate removal.

The Electric Company is being rerun on [Noggin](http://www.noggin.com/), a new educational no-commercials network for kids. I know that the channel is available from Dish Network, and should be on other cable systems; perhaps you can see your old favorites there.

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**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-electric-company/49394/3 "2001-01-10T21:20:22Z")

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Yeah, I wish the show was still on, it was my favourite when I was growing up and would be great for my kids now.

I seem to recall reading on a website somewhere that it was cancelled because it was felt that it was overlapping Sesame Street too much. I don’t see that, myself, since TEC is aimed at an older audience.