{
  "id": 20098015,
  "title": "Long Before Lioness, Morgan Freeman Was In Nearly 800 Episodes Of An Iconic '70s Kids Show",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/long-before-lioness-morgan-freeman-was-in-nearly-800-episodes-of-an",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-15T01:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2303826/lioness-morgan-freeman-70s-kids-show-the-electric-company/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Morgan Freeman's illustrious Hollywood career began in the 1970s on the popular children's television program, The Electric Company. Running from 1971 to 1977, the show featured 780 episodes that educated children on grammar, reading, and more. Freeman played a range of characters during his tenure, including the Mad Scientist, Mel Mounds, and Easy Reader. Despite his current fame as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins on Lioness, Freeman was a relatively unknown actor when he first appeared on The Electric Company.\n\nThe Electric Company attracted top talent as both regular cast members and guest stars. Rita Moreno, who also appeared in every episode, had already won an Oscar for West Side Story a decade prior. Other notable voices included Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder, and Zero Mostel, who lent their talents to the animated feature The Adventures of Letterman and the cartoon character who read words on-screen. Marvel even joined the show, bringing Spider-Man through Spidey Super Stories, which used speech balloons to help children learn to read.\n\nThe show's writers' room was also filled with talent. Thad Mumford, an Emmy-winning writer for The Electric Company, went on to write for M*A*S*H. Jeremy Stevens, another writer, would later work on several sitcoms, including Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond. Freeman's early roles on The Electric Company provided a foundation for his extensive and enduring career in Hollywood.",
  "summary": "One of Hollywood's most legendary actors, Morgan Freeman was relatively unknown when he starred on an educational kids show in the 1970s.",
  "key_points": [
    "Morgan Freeman started career on The Electric Company in 1971",
    "Played multiple characters including Mad Scientist and Easy Reader",
    "Show educated children on grammar and reading with 780 episodes"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}