Maybe this belongs in the Nostalgia area?

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/davechad/ec.html
http://www.joerenzetti.com/tec/
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2402/
http://www.jumptheshark.com/e/electriccompany.htm

ThinkGood,
My God, that brings back some memories,
Yes, we even had the Electric Company over here in New Zealand!.
BTW, what does "jumping the shark" actually mean?

Trumpy, I heard the phrase came after the Happy Days television show episode, when Fonzy jumped his motorcycle over a tank with a shark in it. The show lost popularity and that episode was thought to be the turning point. That's just what I have heard....

Stamcon,
It was explained to me slightly differently. Happy Days was losing ground in the ratings, and had to do something spectacular (and completely ignorant) so they came up with the idea of the shark jump.

Anytime a series does something desparate from then on it was known as "jumping the shark".

Happy Days was popular in England too. I found it went down a bit when they seemed to forget it was supposed to be set in the 1950s/early 60s and the clothing/hair styles etc. were completely out of place.

Never saw the "Electric Company" over here though.

It was a regular part of the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) "Childrens Television Network" lineup, in there with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, when I was a kid.

PBS broadcasts many British shows (e. g. Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, Monty Python's Flying Circus, etc.)

My son loved this show. Was on here in the late 70's.

As TG says,many British shows are shown on PBS.

My favorites are "Keeping Up Appearences" and "Mr. Bean"

Thanks for the explanation of "jumping the shark", guys!.
Happy Days is still playing over here, although during the day(5pm, I think).
They just don't make shows like the Electric Company for the kiddies anymore, we've got all this other tripe being fed to them.
ga.sparky56,
I hate "Keeping Up Appearances" with a passion, I hate that Violet woman, her voice makes my skin crawl!
No disrepect to you though!.

Trumpy, the thing I like about the British comedies is they are hilarous without being vulgar and sleazy. The whole family can actually watch!

Turned on the TV this morning and what should appear, but "Welcome Back Kotter" I first saw this show YEARS ago, but I still find the jokes funny, after all this time!.

Ooooh OOOOHHH!! Miss-ter Kahhtt-turrrrrr!!!



I only watched on episode of that thing...and that's all I can remember!!!

RE: Keeping up appearances. I wonder if there's a lost episode somewhere where Richard looses his cool and snaps back at "The Bucket Lady"

'Course that would have destroyed the major running gag in that show.

Now if I can only find me a car like the one Onslow drives.....

Sven,
It's a Ford Cortina, if my memory serves me correctly!.

It is indeed a Ford Cortina , but one of the rather boring later Mk. IV or Mk. V versions. (I much prefer older cars, if you hadn't guessed! ).

http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/kua/index.html


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 09-27-2003).]

How can you all talk about British shows and not mention Yes Prime Minister, and also Yes Minister. Anytime I see them in the store I have to buy them. Of course I don't get all the inside jokes, but it is still hillarious.

Does anyone remember the Goodies? I know that I loved that show many years ago. Unfotunately the only that I can remeber now is when the British government builds a high rise downtown. Then they figure out that they can't afford it so to keep it from turning into a slum they encase it in concrete. Of course the Goodies are trapped inside.

Scott

A friend of mine, back in 7th or 8rh grade, father had a Ford Cortina station wagon. Would have been early 70s. His father went away and John(my friend) drove it around in the driveway, went off the driveway and got it stuck , we had to get a wrecker to get it out. Washed it up and his father never said a word. Knowing what I know now his dad probably knew even though we thought we got away with something .

Yeah Scott! ,
I remember the Goodies.
It was a rather off-beat sort of show, but good to watch all the same.

They were excellent series indeed. I can appreciate them even more now that I'm a little older and a little more cynical about government....

Here's a link with the episode lists for you: http://www.britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/minister.htm

The Goodies:

Completely mad-cap, I used to see the show when I was young, but I don't recall that much in the way of stories now. I remember the giant kitten in the opening titles in one series!
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/goodies/index.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1970/goodies.shtml

On "jumping the shark":
IMO, it has just become to mean the point at which a program goes downhill, regardless of
how and why Happy Days performed the act.

On Happy Days:
Yes they did show lay seventies. Some of their background music was distinctly 1970s
funk based you also heard on contemporary set series.

On British TV comedies:
I used to watch one called Allo Allo (I think that was it's name), it was about the goings on at a Sally-Anne place. Seen all the Beans. Las I seen MPFC on US TV was on A&E (cable channel). It was also on the Canadian comedy channel.