The Electric Company (1970s) (PBS)

The Electric Company has, for the most part, withstood -- or maybe just transcended -- the test of time. You'll like watching it again, and, even better, your kids will like it, too -- and suddenly you'll realize just how much actual learning got packed into each half hour. The "educational" part of this show isn't buried in plot or hidden in attempts to read a map or figure out clues: It's right out there in the open. The very dominance of the reading motif allows viewers to accept that and get lost in it, just as we can get lost in nearly any subject in front of a really good teacher.

The show's groovy rhythms, jive clothes, and '70s hairstyles carry an almost hip-hop vibe, and the multicultural cast just feels familiar. The backdrops and effects are pretty dated, and some of the props -- the typewriter, the cigar, the ice cream cart -- almost require explanation, but most of the show remains enjoyable even beyond the first hit of nostalgia. And watching your 4-year-old join in the soft-shoe patter of "C-AT, CAT"? Priceless.