" Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary - GOVT 101" S 2 EP 7
On Wednesday, February 3, 2023, we celebrated a Saturday morning television show, Schoolhouse Rock on ABC! I’m a Generation Xer and I grew up on Schoolhouse Rock! Generation X owes a great deal to SchoolHouse Rock and I want to celebrate the half-century mark of this phenomenal animated television show.
My Citizen Legislators as y’all know, the Topless Government podcast is a cross between School House Rock and civics for the masses.
According to IMDb:
A generation of American kids grew up singing the catchy tunes that were an integral part of "Schoolhouse Rock." These animated shorts incorporate songs that illustrate educational subjects such as history, science, multiplication tables, and basic grammar.
First episode date: January 6, 1973 (USA)
Executive producers: Tom Yohe, George Newall, Radford Stone
Year: 1973
Created by: David McCall
Original network: ABC (1973-1985, 1992–2000); Direct-to-video (2009)
Production companies: Scholastic Rock, Inc. ABC
In the first season, there were 11 episodes.
Season 1 episodes
Watch
Why zero is a hero in multiplication.
Watch
Noah's Ark helps teach the multiplication of two.
S1 E3 · Three Is a Magic Number
Watch
A Magician digs deep into his top hat that proves three is a magic number.
Watch
A field trip to the zoo is fun and educational.
S1 E5 · Ready or Not, Here I Come
Watch
Five, 10, 15, 20; multiplying in fives.
Watch
Visits to the neighborhood candy store and restaurant.
Watch
Lucky Seven Sampson teaches the kids about the multiplication of seven.
Watch
Multiplication of eight is learned through a song.
Watch
A cartoon music video is used to teach the nines.
Watch
How 11 makes multiplication fun.
Watch
The martian Little Twelvetoes teaches kids about the number 12.
I did some digging to see if there were other animated series, and low and behold I found out that Netflix had green-lighted “We the People” in 2021. The show was created by Chris Nee and executive produced by Kenya Barris (Blackish), and Barack and Michelle Obama. The series premiered on July 4, 2021.
I took the opportunity to watch one episode from the first season, The Three Branches of Government. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard, and the "Frozen" songwriters lay out a musical lesson about checks and balances in our government. The episode was five minutes in length and I was quite frankly disappointed in the episode. I’m biased but the episode was striving to do it all and for me it fell flat.
Welcome back to Topless Government. This show is a cross between Schoolhouse Rock and civics for the masses. I want to make this show relatable and fun for everyone who would like to know how YOUR government works. Remember knowledge is power! So let’s get started.
I am the host, Crystal Ellerbe. I live, breathe, eat, and sleep politics. I’ve done two tours of duty in the US Senate and one tour of duty in the US House. I had the privilege of working in state and local governments, corporate America and several lobbying firms in Washington, DC.
This is the SECOND SEASON OF TOPLESS GOVERNMENT and I’ll be discussing topics that have been top of mind to everyone, providing an insight on how YOUR government works.
As always I would be pleased if you would subscribe, rate, share, and review the show.
