Long Before Lioness, Morgan Freeman Was In Nearly 800 Episodes Of An Iconic '70s Kids Show

Morgan Freeman has had one of the longest, most distinguished careers in Hollywood. The Oscar winner has played myriad roles, from Batman's right-hand man to the president to God himself. He also plays Secretary of State Edwin Mullins on Taylor Sheridan's hit show "Lioness," which he says is different from any other show he's been on. But long before he played any of these grown-up roles, he broke into the business on one of the most popular children's television programs of the '70s.

From 1971 to 1977, "The Electric Company" was one of the shows that helped educate Generation X. With a blend of colorful characters, upbeat songs, recurring sketches, and a sense of humor, the show educated children on the finer points of grammar and reading. Aimed at kids who had outgrown "Sesame Street," the show become immensely popular and ran for 780 episodes. And for every one of those episodes, Freeman was there playing a wide range of characters.

Among his most popular recurring characters was the Mad Scientist, who tried reading words associated with his experiments. There was also Mel Mounds, a DJ who would introduce various songs, and Easy Reader, a groovy character who would sing and dance while reading sentences out loud. Those appearances were a far cry from his role on "Lioness," where he spends much of the show dealing with an undercover group of female CIA operatives, but they did lay the groundwork for his expansive and long-reaching career.

While Morgan Freeman is currently enjoying success on "Lioness," a show he's praised for its courageous writing, he was a relative unknown when he debuted on "The Electric Company." However, several of his castmates had already established themselves as big stars. Rita Moreno, who like Freeman also appeared in all 780 episodes, had won an Oscar for "West Side Story" 10 years before "The Electric Company" was released. 

"The Electric Company" also managed to attract top talent as guest stars. Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder, and Zero Mostel all lent their voices to the recurring animated feature "The Adventures of Letterman," and Mel Brooks voiced a cartoon character who would read words as he walked on-screen. Later on they even struck a deal with Marvel to bring another famous name to the show: Spider-Man. "Spidey Super Stories" used on-screen speech balloons to help children to read. Cast members would take turns narrating the segments, including Freeman, who has since become one of the world's most prominent narrators.

Even the writers' room was loaded with talent. Thad Mumford, who won an Emmy writing for "The Electric Company," would later go on to write for "M*A*S*H." Jeremy Stevens, meanwhile, would go on to write for several sitcoms including "Coach" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."