Rita talks about THE ELECTRIC COMPANY

[Dodgerfn5]

Rita is an absolute gem and still shines today!

[texasghost]

What I find fascinating between children's teaching programming in the 70's compared to shows like Word Girl now are so far more advanced.

Going from the 70's words the Electric Company taught like...Greedy Greg grabbed the green grapes....to shows like Word Girl that teaches words to kids such as....crestfallen...or Marauder or Spritzer.

You would have never seen those words on the 70's shows.

[gordogreat74]

I've only seen her on The Muppet Show & The Electric Company, she was hilarious on both!

[jakedakota1]

my mom knows ritas daughter fernanda besties!!!!!!!!!

[lexiconlover]

two people don't know how to read

[thanksforthemessdick]

oh man RITA MORENO IS STILL HOT!!!

[zcg3]

Still a beautiful woman...

[cottonwhiskersuk]

HEY YOU GUUUUUYS!

[meterman432110]

the thing about this show it was on during at a time where still somewhat racial hated to the hippie drug culture,this was a good example of people of all colors working and coming together specially short circus . great show

[Thirdgen83]

Hippies and druggies are NOT a "race"...

[funkeekatt]

She's so fascinating to watch and listen to. I love her animation and passion.

[sageofsuccess]

I was one of those "very young" who was watching the show.

[dog453679]

Well, at least she didn't shout "Hey, you guys!" at the end unless the interviewer had her earplugs. And yes, she was one of the greatest actress on that show(still is.) I close out this text by saying: HEY, YOU GUYS!!!! LOL!

[sellabangelist]

We all had a crush on Rita Moreno!

But the talent on that show! It was all A-list actors.

[onebadwebmonkey]

I always had a crush on that Rita when I was a kid.

[RodCornholio]

Great looking for her age.

[casagal65]

Love her! :)

[denzelsnipes69]

She can still get some!

[bubbabeatz1]

Wow, amazing, this is the same lady that played the nun on OZ, to think, she was on the electric company

[odinata]

She should do a movie with Penelope Cruz as her daughter.

[huntonpeck]

What a beautiful lady Rita Moreno is! It's wonderful to hear her talk so fondly about her memories of The Electric Company. That show certainly helped me and countless other kids across the nation learn how to read. I wish I could thank her personally.

[justfmax]

Rita Moreno is an absolute treasure. A woman of prodigious talent who devoted herself to educating kids, including me. Thank you, Rita!

[smoothpants]

I could read the newspaper at 5 years old. TEC definitely gets a lion's share of the credit from me for that.

[stanleypoint8]

Ms "HEY YOU GUYS" !!! I love Rita!!!! You are my STAR! - Mabuhay from Manila, The Philippines

[localflava]

Thank you Ms. Moreno...you have been such an inspiration to me as a child!!!!

[lunar9889]

She Was RIGHT! There has never been another educational and entertaining programme for kids! The Electric Company is the BEST!

[Astraldragon1]

that is true Rita was right, The Electric company was a great Educationa and Entertaining show...for Kids..Never to be dublicated again a once in a life time experiance....

I recently Heared they brought back the show but it is not good from what I hear, I've never seen it. so I can't say one way or another how good or bad it is.

[author]

Rita was definitely the most entertaining person on The Electric Company. And my favorite character that she played was that really mean movie director. It was funniest towards the end of those movie director skits when Rita would give up and do something desperate, and then all the other actors would have trouble restraining their laughter.

[jokesonewe]

I was scared of her mean character when I was little LOL

Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Gene Wilder, and Mel Brooks...classic show

[bigpopparamma]

@author

The name of the director she played was Otto, based on famed director Otto Preminger. One other character of hers I knew, whom I hated, was Pandora the Brat.

[areuready2lol]

Electric company was part of my kid program lineup back then. Including School House Rocks, Sesame Street and Zoom. I feel like a dinasour!!

[mccommas2]

Me too!! :) I am 41.

[UglySean]

Schoolhouse ROCK. Comprised jointly o Multiplicaiton Rock, America Rock and Grammar Rock, though they added Science Rock and Money Rock and who knows what else. Bob Dorough, now in his 80s has one of the friendliest voices I've ever heard on TV.

[theScytheofGod]

I know how you feel, but these shows helped us in ways that the kids aren't getting anymore, I work with kids and they don't get these type of excellent learning tools that shaped us.

[lpdkburjsmx]

wow...this show hasn 't been in my memory....in decades... wow... Moreno is georgious

[NiggaTubeDotCom]

No it's not funny at all.

[tomovox]

Ms. Moreno NEVER ages it seems! Such a stunning woman. I always thought the cast of EC did an unbelieveable amount of work for those shows and it's nice to hear her discuss all the work that went into it day after day. When you factor in all the singing, teaching, dancing, staging, acting, etc. you really have to be awed that the show was incredibly excellent every episode. Look at the sketch comedy shows that air once a week, and you won't find even a fraction of the quality you find on EC.

[BellaCaramia]

HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who didn't love The Electric Company? One of the best memories of my childhood.

[Marbles471]

Gosh...you think maybe she enjoyed the experience? ;]

Morgan Freeman, on the other hand, does not like to talk about this show. At least that's what I heard.

He rocks, but he seems like the ultimate snob. (Well okay, second ultimate---Russell Crowe takes first place.) XD

[NJDominicana246]

It's odd that she didn't mention her "HEY YOU GUYS!" shout

[gun15509]

They need to bring back, do a revised or something of this great show. Shows like the Electric Company, Ropper Room, Mr. Rogers, New Zoo Review and Captain Kagaroo are seriously needed in this day and time.

With all of this so-called reality televsion BS, dominating the newtworks, it has kept this younger generation stuck on stupid big time!

[Marbles471]

gun:

They are making a sequel to The Electric Company as we speak. It's supposed to premiere sometime in 2009, last I heard.

The format won't be anything like the old show, though.

[mccommas2]

Well then whats the point?

[Marbles471]

The point? The point is, it ain't for 30 or 40-somethings who would like to see a revival. It's for modern kids in growing up in a different environment than 35 years ago.

However, I happened to catch the premiere by accident yesterday. It's....eh. Feels very forced and contrived to me. "Corporate," some online commentator wrote. It feels "test-marketed" in a way the spontaneous and silly original didn't. But it's not for me, it's for kids. Let's see if it accomplishes its goals.

[Tigertony67]

The Electric Company was one of my favorite shows, along with Zoom, Sesame Street, and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. My interest in Spider-Man developed from The Electric Company. Ms. Moreno looks great in this video. What year was this done?

[SOLACEBOY]

Yes thewalkingtvguide, but for some odd reason Barbra Streisand is the only one credited to her name.

[ShadeOfSway]

The interviewer is terrible

[thewalkingtvguide]

Rita won a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar.I think

the only other person to do that was Barbra Streisand

[waddleduckie1]

I miss Rita Moreno, She, like Tom Lehrer, and Morgan Freeman, are beloved part of my childhood memories. I remember watching The Electric Company and hearing her trade mark greetings "HEY YOU GUYS!" She had a wonderful sense of humor and was witty as well as a great singer!

[gj2766155]

beautiful women and I loved the show.

[vanGoghsear7]

She's just exquisite. I hope she knows how loved she is by the whole Electric Company generation.

[Raymasaki]

vangoghsear - yeah Now that we who she was.

i dont know about you But when i watched this in the 70's i Had NO idea who

Rita moreno was, most kids didnt pay attention to that. But Yeah Amazing show

[WildmanWoodie]

Ms. Moreno is probably one of the most talented performers of all time. We are all lucky and blessed that she contributed to The Electric Company.

[vanGoghsear7]

Couldn't agree more.

[vanGoghsear7]

That "couldn't agree more" was supposed to go with WildmanWoodie's post below!

[metsdudenj]

The interviewer sounds very basic and inexpereinced

[Kohntarkosz]

Whenever I see Rita on TV, I always remember three words:

HEEEEEEY YOOOOOOOOOOU GUYYYYYYYS!!!!!!!!!!

:-)

[hotchocolett]

me 2!

[JackPlatt]

Wonderful! The Electric Company was simply brilliant!

[paukenmeister]

I remember the "Ottosir" (director) w/"Marcello" sketches. Moreno and Freeman executed them perfectly.

[AlbieGray]

Absolutely! They did those and they were hilarious!

[jankins24]

I loved The Electric Company... it was one of the shows that I watched with my mother, daily! LOL I downloaded the theme to my iPod.

[Wallacefield]

I think that Rita is the only person to have won an Emmy, Academy Award, a Tony and a Grammy. She's smart, funny, at 76 she's still hot and she has tons of class.

[heyheyheydude]

The lovely Rita Moreno turned 76 a week ago yesterday..and I'm sure she could still belt out a mean "HEY YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" to this very day..

[lenellbr]

I'm a child of the 70's and I have to say is Thank You Ms Moreno (and the rest of the cast) for giving us a wonderful show! It was the Electric Company and Sasame Street that got me though school. The Children's shows of today cannot match the favor your show.

I still enjoy my Electric Company videos and the new DVD's today as I did as a child.

You still look pretty Today Rita :-)

Again Thank You for the childhood enlightenment with the Electric Company.

Lenellbr.

[BubbleGumSinger1]

LOVED Morgan Freeman on The Electric Company. EASY READER was the character on PBS/CTW television who taught me to read. I have fond memories of that show and that character.

[blkguy620]

Rita,

You rock!!!!

[BAASSIK]

I loved this show, mostly because of Mrs. Moreno. Love her love her love her.

[SillyDawnOwnsMe]

Thank you for this. I was born in '74 and remember watching this as a kid. When Morgan Freeman started making alot more movies in the late 80-90's I said, "Dude that's the guy from the Electric Company!"

[kickinbacknyc]

Thank you Rita for making such a wonderful impact on my childhood. If I live to be 100, I will always remember the slogan: "Heeey youuu Guyyyys!"

[leapingcat]

Thank you for helping me as a child. I had a crush on you when I watched the show. If I could see you and the whole cast, I would give you a all a big hug. Thank you for making my childhood happy. I love you.

[Lurkerbunny]

Skip Hinnant was wonderful she said. :DDDDDDDDD

[Reenstorm]

I love the electric company please remix it and bring it back Rita, Morgan, and the rest please the children of today need you

[rw75]

Sister Peter Marie rules.

[Emanistan]

Is this from the E.C. DVD special features?

[bennyraven]

No, this is the Archive of American Television interview with Rita. You can find the whole interview (encompasses her whole career) on Google Video.

[funkmike]

Is her voice raspy from shouting "Hey you guuuuys!" all of those years?

[center4ants]

you know morgan owned this lol

[lurch321]

hell yes! he was born to be a badass.......Easy Reader, the DJ, Dracula........'nuff said. Is no less a badass today too! One of the best actors alive, IMHO.

[auntbecky]

Rita was right. EC really had wit. It never talked down tot he kids or treated them like idiots that needed protection. Not like the shows now.

[DarlingLigeia]

Indeed. And look at how gracefully she aged, rather than dumping chemicals on her face and getting so much plastic surgery to the point of beyond recognition.

[auntbecky]

oh yes, Rita is truly like a fine wine. getting better all the time. i love her.

[Marsena]

Amen! Thank God for actresses that age gracefully.

[quincyhughes]

Rita Moreno entered my life early on "TEC", and later in "West Side Story". She's a treasure, and she still looks great!

[sporty05]

She's still hot!! :-)

[StoogeAtHeart]

I wish they would've talked about the "Hey you guys!" call. Great clip though.

[bassistguy]

2000

[dsneybuf]

What year is this from?