Claim: Bill Cosby appeared in a show that aired on television.

The Electric Company is an American educational children 's television series created by Paul Dooley and directed by Bob Schwartz , Henry Behar -LRB- 1972 -- 1975 -RRB- and John Tracy -LRB- 1975 -- 1976 -RRB- ; written by Dooley , Christopher Cerf -LRB- 1971 -- 1973 -RRB- , Jeremy Steven -LRB- 1972 -- 1974 -RRB- and John Boni/Amy Ephron -LRB- 1972 -- 1973 -RRB- ; and produced by the Children 's Television Workshop -LRB- now called Sesame Workshop -RRB- 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 . -LRB- In many areas , a preview special , Here Comes The Electric Company -LRB- pilot episode -RRB- , was seen in syndication through sponsor Johnson Wax on many local commercial stations during the week before its 1971 debut . -RRB- After it ceased production in 1977 , the program continued in reruns until October 4 , 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 -LRB- Teletape -RRB- , in Manhattan , which had been the first home of Sesame Street .   The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and various other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills . Since it was intended for children who had graduated from CTW 's flagship program , Sesame Street , the humor was more mature than what was seen there .