The Electric Company is an American educational
children's television series that was directed by Bob Schwartz, Henry Behar (1972–75) and John Tracy (1975–76), written by Christopher Cerf (1971–73), Jeremy Steven (1972–74) and John Boni/Amy Ephron (1972–73) and produced by the
Children's Television Workshop (now called Sesame Workshop) for
PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. (In many areas, a preview special,
Here Comes The Electric Company (pilot episode), was seen in
syndication through sponsor
Johnson Wax on many local commercial stations during the week before its 1971 debut.) After it ceased production in 1977, the program continued in reruns until 1985, as the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. The Workshop produced the show at Second Stage, located within the
Reeves Teletape Studios (Teletape), in
Manhattan, the first home of
Sesame Street.