NORFOLK, Va. — The beloved children’s show Schoolhouse Rock returns for a 50th anniversary special Wednesday at 8 p.m., right here on ABC.
The animated Saturday morning program taught kids about all sorts of subjects, thanks to catchy tunes that always seemed to stay with you.
Ahead of this week’s special, we’re going back to 1996 for a look at our own special series on the show reported on by former 13News Now anchor Sandra Parker.
“It wasn’t a hard sell,” said Parker. “I think everybody really loved and appreciated Schoolhouse Rock, and everyone remembered it.”
During her trip to New York, Parker met the show’s creators and learned how it all started: a small idea by an advertising executive to help his son learn multiplication.
“I talked to Bob Dorough, who wrote the very first one which was ‘Three is the Magic Number,’” said Parker.
Part of our 1996 special involved Parker putting the show to the test at Great Neck Middle School in Virginia Beach.
“They watched [Schoolhouse Rock] once a day for two weeks and we came back,” said Parker. “Their test scores were much higher.”
This time around, Ryan Seacrest will join a long list of celebrities for the show’s revival Wednesday, bringing all the catchy education and charm back for one special night.