Schoolhouse Rock!
Created by	David McCall
Composer	Bob Dorough
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	65(list of episodes)
Production
Producers	George Newall Radford Stone
Running time	3 minutes
Production companies	Scholastic Rock, Inc.[1] ABC
Original release
Network	ABC (1973–1985, 1992–2000) Disney DVD (2009)
Release	January 6, 1973 (1973-01-06) – March 31, 2009 (2009-03-31)

Schoolhouse Rock! is an Americaninterstitial programming series ofanimatedmusicaleducational short films (and later,music videos) which aired during theSaturday morning children's programming block on the U.S. television networkABC. The themes covered includedgrammar,science,economics,history,mathematics, andcivics. The series' original run lasted from 1973 to 1985; it was later revived from 1993 to 1996.^[2] Additional episodes were produced in 2009 fordirect-to-video release.

The series was the idea of David McCall, an advertising executive of McCaffrey and McCall, who noticed his young son was struggling with learningmultiplication tables, despite being able to memorize the lyrics of manyRolling Stones songs. McCall hired musicianBob Dorough to write a song that would teach multiplication, which became "Three Is a Magic Number."^[3]Tom Yohe, an illustrator at McCaffrey and McCall, heard the song and created visuals to accompany it. Radford Stone, producer and writer atABC, suggested they pitch it as a television series, which caught the attention ofMichael Eisner, then the senior vice president in charge of programming and development at ABC, and cartoon directorChuck Jones.^[4]

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The first video of the series, "Three Is a Magic Number," originally premiered during the debut episode ofCuriosity Shop on September 2, 1971.^[5] The Curiosity Shop version is an extended cut that includes an additional scene/verse of 15 seconds in length that explains the pattern of each set of ten containing three multiples of three, animated in the form of a carnival shooting game.^[6] This scene has never been rebroadcast on ABC, nor has it been included in any home media releases; the longer version is, however, available on the soundtrack album, as is an extended version of "My Hero Zero".

Schoolhouse Rock! debuted as a series in January 1973 withMultiplication Rock, a collection of animated music videos adapting themultiplication tables to songs written by Bob Dorough. Dorough also performed most of the songs, withGrady Tate performing two andBlossom Dearie performing one during this season.General Foods was the series' first sponsor; later sponsors of theSchoolhouse Rock! segments also includedNabisco,Kenner Toys,Kellogg's, andMcDonald's.^[7] During the early 1970s,Schoolhouse Rock was one of several short-form animated educational shorts that aired on ABC's children's lineup; others includedTime for Timer andThe Bod Squad. Of the three,Schoolhouse Rock was the longest running.

George Newall and Tom Yohe were the executive producers and creative directors of every episode, along with Bob Dorough as musical director. This first season was followed in short order by a second season, run from 1973 to 1975, entitledGrammar Rock, which included nouns, verbs, adjectives, and otherparts of speech (such asconjunctions, explained in "Conjunction Junction"). For this second season, the show added the services ofJack Sheldon, a member ofThe Merv Griffin Show house band, as well asLynn Ahrens; both of them contributed to the series through the rest of its run. Blossom Dearie returned for a second episode, andEssra Mohawk joined the cast as a recurring singer. In contrast to the series name implyingrock and roll, most of the artists and songs were performed byjazz musicians; Sheldon noted the irony of the arrangement and how "everybody loved it" anyway.^[8]

A third season,America Rock, began production at the same time asGrammar Rock.^[9] It aired in 1975 and 1976, timed to coincide with theUnited States Bicentennial, and had music videos covering the structure of the United States government (such as "I'm Just a Bill") along with important moments in American history (examples include "The Preamble" and "Mother Necessity").

A fourth series, titled "Science Rock," followed in 1978 and 1979, and included a broad range of science-related topics. The first video of this season, "A Victim of Gravity," parodied elements of the hit filmGrease and featured a rare guest appearance from a pop band, with recently reunited doo-wop groupthe Tokens providing the vocals. In addition to episodes describing the human body's anatomical systems (the nervous, circulatory, skeletal and digestive systems each received a music video), episodes describing physical sciences such as astronomy, meteorology and electricity were also included, as was "The Energy Blues," an environmentalism-themed video.

A fifth follow-up series, titled "Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips," featuring the titular characters (the only music videos in the series to feature any recurring characters), premiered in the early 1980s and comprised just four segments abouthome computer technology, then just emerging onto the scene. As the references and depictions became quickly outdated, due to therapid advance of technology, these segments stopped airing after 1985 and were not released on home video until the 30th anniversaryDVD in 2002.

After leaving the airwaves in 1985, the original team reunited to produce two more Grammar Rock segments ("Busy Prepositions" and "The Tale of Mr. Morton") for television in 1993 withJ. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc.^[10] This was followed in 1995 by a new series, "Money Rock," which discussed themes related to money management on both the personal and governmental scale. Episodes from the new series aired in rotation with the original segments from 1993 to 1996.

The Walt Disney Company acquiredSchoolhouse Rock in 1996 along with its acquisition of ABC ownerCapital Cities/ABC Inc.;Schoolhouse Rock was one of only two non-Disney children's shows (The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show being the other) to continue airing (albeit in reruns) after the transition toOne Saturday Morning. The series as a whole (after 27 years, shortly before the show's 30th anniversary) ceased airing on television in 2000, with newer episodes being released directly to home video. However, reruns occasionally aired onToon Disney'sBig Movie Show block in 2004, but were soon removed from the schedule.

Starting in 2002, the team once again reunited to produce a new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College," written by George Newall and performed by Bob Dorough and Jack Sheldon for the 30th AnniversaryVHS and DVD releases. For the new song, Tom Yohe Jr. took over as lead designer for his father, Tom Yohe Sr., who had died in 2000.^[11] Another contemporary song, called "Presidential Minute," also written by George Newall, which explained the process of electing thePresident of the United States in greater detail, was included on the 2008 DVDSchoolhouse Rock! Election Collection, which centered on songs relating to American history and government.

In 2009, in response to the threat ofclimate change, a new series of shorts was released directly to DVD, with the titleSchoolhouse Rock! Earth.^[12] Animations were created by members of the original production team, and 11 environmentally themed songs were written and performed by a combination of veterans of the original series (including Bob Dorough, Jack Sheldon, and Lynn Ahrens) and newcomers such as composerGeorge Stiles and performersTituss Burgess,Barrett Foa, andShoshana Bean, all of whom were veterans ofBroadway theatre. In a first for the series, an additional 12th song, "The 3 R's," a reworked version of "Three Is a Magic Number" rethemed around the message "reduce, reuse, recycle," was included as alive actionmusic video (starring singerMitchel Musso) rather than as a new cartoon. Also unique to this iteration of the series was the inclusion of interstitial introductions featuring recurring animated characters created for the DVD, Jack, Bob, and Lou, a trio ofArcticpolar bears.

On January 6, 2013, George Newall and Bob Dorough appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of their ongoing series of free concerts on the Millennium Stage. It was deemed the largest attendance to date of the venue. Dorough played five songs, accompanying himself on the piano: "Three Is a Magic Number," "Figure Eight," "Conjunction Junction," "Preamble," and "I'm Just a Bill." (Dorough had only performed lead vocals on the original version of "Three Is a Magic Number"). He also performed "Interjections!" accompanied by DC-area kids' bandRocknoceros. Rocknoceros also performed "Electricity, Electricity," "Unpack Your Adjectives," "Energy Blues," and "Fireworks."

On March 20, 2019, it was announced thatSchoolhouse Rock!: The Box Set (1996) was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in its 2018 class.^[13]

• No shows were produced featuring the number1 explicitly, though several of them, including "Elementary, My Dear," do include this number. "My Hero, Zero" introduced the subject of how to use zero for multiplying by 10, 100, and 1,000. "Little Twelvetoes" introduced the subject of how math arranged on base 12 rather than on base 10 would work, as well as covering multiplication by12.

• In 1973,Capitol/EMI Records released a soundtrack album ofMultiplication Rock (SJA-11174), featuring all 11 songs. Two tracks, "My Hero, Zero" and "Three Is a Magic Number," had been edited for TV to keep each video within three minutes. This LP features both songs in their full, uncut forms. Also, the album version of "The Four-Legged Zoo" has a slightly shorter ending compared with the television version. Released with the album was a single (Capitol/EMI 3693) with the two Grady Tate–sung tracks ("Naughty Number Nine" b/w "I Got Six"). This album was re-released^[14] byUMe on red/blue-colored vinyl onRecord Store Day 2019.

• This segment introduces Jack Sheldon and Lynn Ahrens as series regulars. "Conjunction Junction" and "A Noun Is a Person, Place, or Thing" were Sheldon and Ahrens' debuts onSchoolhouse Rock! respectively.

• "Busy Prepositions" (a.k.a. "Busy P's") and "The Tale of Mr. Morton" were produced forSchoolhouse Rock!'s return to ABC in 1993 with J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. producing the animation.

• "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College" and "Presidential Minute" were produced for DVD.

"Three Ring Government" had its airdate pushed back due to ABC fearing that theFederal Communications Commission, theU.S. Government, andCongress would object to having their functions and responsibilities being compared to a circus and threaten the network's broadcast license renewal.

• In the Disney+ version of "Electricity, Electricity," the flashing light visuals for the "electricity" text are toned down to reduce the risk of anyone with photosensitive epilepsy.^[16]
• Sometime after its initial airing, "The Greatest Show on Earth," also known as "The Weather Show," was pulled from broadcast rotation because theRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus objected to its use of theirtrademarkslogan (which was in the questioned title) and filed alawsuit against the network for copyright infringement.^[15] As a result, after the 1987 release, it was not included on any other VHS release.

• These songs did not air onABC. They premiered on a DVD released in 2009. They were also available for purchase oniTunes.^[20]

Several tie-ins were released in 1995:

• Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks, a tribute album featuring covers ofSchoolhouse Rocks songs performed by popular music artists (see below).
• Schoolhouse Rock! The Official Guide (ISBN 0-7868-8170-4), written by Tom Yohe and George Newall, and including synopses, lyrics, and production notes about each of the shorts created to date, except "The Weather Show," which was the subject of pending litigation and so could not be included. "The Weather Show" was shown with all the other Science Rock episodes in 1979. The book was updated in 2023 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the show, with songs added from Money Rock.
• The Schoolhouse Rock Songbook (Cherry Lane Music), containing sheet music for 10 songs.
• Schoolhouse Rock! Soundtrack The 4-CD release withbonus tracks on each CD was released on June 18, 1996, byRhino Records.

The Best of Schoolhouse Rock (ISBN 1-56826-927-7) was released in 1998 jointly byAmerican Broadcasting Companies, Inc. andRhino Records.

A 1987 production of the series forVHS tapes released byGolden Book Video featuredCloris Leachman opening the collection and some songs with child dancers and singers. America Rock was called History Rock for this release. Three songs (namely "Three Ring Government," "The Good Eleven," and "Little Twelvetoes") were not included on the videos.^[11][21]

In 1995,ABC Video andImage Entertainment released two volumes ofSchoolhouse Rock! onLaserDisc,Schoolhouse Rock! Volume 1: Multiplication Rock and Grammar Rock (ID3245CC), andSchoolhouse Rock! Volume 2: America Rock and Science Rock (ID3383CC). For both volumes, the first side was in the CLV Extended Play format and the second was in the frame-accessible CAV format, and both contained CX-encoded analog and digital audio soundtracks. The "Grammar Rock" volume included the 1993 shorts "Busy Prepositions" and "The Tale of Mr. Morton."

In 1994, ABC/King Features sold exclusive licensing rights for apparel to Coastal Concepts, Inc. of Vista California, the first company to produceSchoolhouse Rock! apparel. Tom Yohe worked with contemporary artist Skya Nelson to create over 50 new designs and update theSchoolhouse Rock! image for a new market, which sold $1.1 million in its first year and exploded selling over $12 million the next year. A variety of bands working with Rhino Records were furnished with newly mintedSchoolhouse Rock! T-shirts for the music videos youth market. The licensing rights were expanded to include other manufacturers in 1996.

In 1995, ABC teamed withParamount Home Video and re-released four segments ofSchoolhouse Rock! on VHS with alternative covers and opening.

In 1997–1998, for the show's 25th anniversary,Walt Disney Home Video, which became a sister company to ABC after their purchase in 1996, released five segments on VHS, along with "Money Rock" being released in 1998. The other four releases in the 25th anniversary collection each ended with aSchoolhouse Rock! Rocks music video.

On August 27, 2002,Walt Disney Home Entertainment released a 2-DVD set to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the show. The set features 52 of the 53 episodes that had been produced up to that point, including three of the lost "Computer Rock" segments, with the exception of "Introduction." "The Weather Show" and "Presidential Minute" are found on the bonus disc, the former in modified form with the problematic lyric removed, and the latter viewable only upon completing the "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia Game. An abbreviated VHS, featuring 25 episodes (ranked on the tape in order of popularity) and "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College," was released at the same time.

In 2008, DVDs of the individualSchoolhouse Rock! series were released for classroom use.^[22]

On September 23, 2008,Schoolhouse Rock! Election Collection was released, including 14 songs about American history and the government and a "new to DVD" song.^[23]

On March 31, 2009,Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releasedSchoolhouse Rock! Earth, including 11 newly written and animated songs, as well as "Energy Blues."^[12]

On June 5, 2020, a majority of the shorts were made available for streaming onDisney+, with a disclaimer stating the shorts contain "outdated cultural depictions."

In 1996, the albumSchoolhouse Rock! Rocks was released byRhino Records, with fifteen covers ofSchoolhouse Rock songs including the theme. Covers by notable artists included "Three is a Magic Number" byBlind Melon, "No More Kings" byPavement, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" byWeen, "My Hero, Zero" byThe Lemonheads and "Verb: That's What's Happening" byMoby.

On August 18, 1998, Rhino also releasedSchoolhouse Rocks the Vote!: A Benefit for Rock the Vote, a tribute album containing covers and original songs in the style ofSchoolhouse Rock!, all with an electoral theme. It was released as a fundraiser forRock the Vote, an organization advocating for political awareness and voting among young people. Several well-known artists contributed tracks to the album, includingIsaac Hayes,Joan Osborne,The Sugarhill Gang andThe Roots, alongside originalSchoolhouse Rock! performers Bob Dorough, Essra Mohawk and Grady Tate.

A musical theatre adaptation of the show, titledSchoolhouse Rock Live!, premiered in 1993. It featured a collaboration between artists Scott Ferguson, Kyle Hall, George Keating, Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, and Kathy Mandry, utilizing some of the most famous songs of Newall and Yohe.^[24]

A follow-up production entitledSchoolhouse Rock Live, Too, written by the same team asSchoolhouse Rock Live!, premiered inChicago in 2000.

A musical television special celebrating 50 years ofSchoolhouse Rock! titledSchoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong aired on February 1, 2023.^[25]

• Look and Read (songs)
• The Metric Marvels

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