26 half-hour weekly episodes are slated to run nationally in January 2009 on PBS Kids, and will be supplemented with a richly interactive online environment as well as community-based outreach activities, taking place in 20 cities across the country.

The latest version of The Electric Company is a multi-media, multi-platform literacy campaign charged with reducing the literacy gap between low and middle income families and advance the ideal that ‘reading is cool.’

“The literacy crisis today is as pervasive and alarming as it was in 1971 when we created the first version of The Electric Company. We know that if struggling readers don’t get the literacy help they need by the end of second grade, they are in danger of never catching up. Children in low-income families are particularly at risk, because they generally start school with a significantly lower vocabulary than those in middle or high income families. And without a strong vocabulary, it becomes increasingly harder to read school materials and succeed academically. So, our goal with The Electric Company is to reach the kids who are struggling, and who might think that reading isn’t cool or isn’t useful, and we hope to do that by creating compelling and high-quality television, web and outreach materials,” stated Sesame Workshop director of education and research Scott Cameron.

Through the talented production, writing and musical staff, The Electric Company is brought to life with a narrative story-line, music videos, sketch comedy, animation and short films. The series have been executive produced by Karen Fowler.

Willie Reale (A Year With Frog and Toad) leads The Electric Company writing team and has brought in Cox Brothers (Blades of Glory) and Jerome Hairston (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, am Sunday) to create 26 half-hour madcap comedy episodes.

The cast of The Electric Company is a group of do-gooders who keep the neighborhood safe with their literacy super-powers, and who solve problems often created by a group called “The Pranksters.” Stationed from their home-base, The Electric Diner, the team consists of four core cast members.

The Electric Company platforms will focus initially on TV, outreach, and broadband, but will extend over time to include books and other print materials, portable media, hand-held and console games.