EARLY EDITION/CBS/1996-2000 *(Shanesia Davis-Williams/costar) Marissa Clark, a beautiful black but
blind receptionist who assists a young stockbroker with a magical
newspaper that reveals tomorrow's news today. Davis, who is sighted,
researched her role with the Chicago Guild of the Blind. Gary purchased Marissa a seeing-eye dog named
Spike from profits won in an OTB parlor playing the horses with paper's
information.
EARTH 2/NBC/1994-95
**(Sullivan Walker) Yale, a black cyborg serving a group of space station
personnel who fled the confinement of space station life to live on the
surface of a seemingly uninhabited planet G-889 (a.k.a. "Earth 2").
EAST SIDE/WEST SIDE/CBS/1963-64 **(Cicely Tyson) Jane Foster, a black secretary and assistant
to a New York City social worker working in the slums. This was the first
series to feature a black actress in a dramatic continuing role and
reportedly the first actress to wear an Afro hairstyle on a primetime
program)
EASY STREET/NBC/1986-87 *(Lee Weaver/co-star) Ricardo Williams, an elderly black
resident of Shady Grove retirement home who shared an apartment with a
white roommate. He later relocated to a Beverly Hills mansion when his
roommates' niece invited both of them to live with her and share her good
fortune.
EBONY/JET SHOWCASE/SYN/1983; 1985-93
*(Greg Gumbel) Half-hour weekly newsmagazine featuring interviews with
black entertainers, sports figures and business leaders. Other hosts
included Tom Joyner, Darryl Dennard and Debra Crable and Elliott Francis.
ED/NBC/2000+
**(Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) Eli Cartwright Goggins III, an
African-American in a wheelchair who becomes the newly hired supervising
manager of the Stuckeybowl Bowling Alley. To get the job, Eli lied that he
had all sorts of bowling alley experience. Ed Stevens, the owner of the
bowling alley investigated Eli's background and despite all the lies about
being qualified, Ed hired Eli because he liked Eli's confidence and
positive get-things-done attitude. The Eli character joined the
series in the fall of 2002.
THE
EDGE/FOX/1992-93
**(James Stephens III) James Stephen III, black comedian part of this
mostly white sketch comedy series filled with celebrity and commercial
satires.
ELDER MICHAUX/DUM/1948-49 *(Lightfoot Solomon Michaux ) Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, the
first black evangelist to regularly appear on network television on this
half-hour religion program broadcast from Washington, D.C.
EMPTY NEST/NBC/1988-95 **(Marsha Warfield) Dr. Maxine Douglas, black physician who
operated an inner city clinic in downtown Miami, Florida.
ENOS/CBS/1980-81 *(Samuel E. Wright/co-star) Officer Turk Adams, a tough, black
ghetto policeman assigned as a partner to Enos State, a gullible small
town southern white cop transplanted into the urban hustle Los Angeles.
EQUAL JUSTICE/ABC/1990-91 *(Joe Morton/co-star) Michael James, a black lawyer based in
Pittsburgh who was "a passionate advocate and a spellbinder of juries."
Lynn Whitfield had a recurring role as TV anchorwoman, Maggie Mayfield.
THE EQUALIZER/CBS/1985-89 **(Ron O’Neal) Lt. Isadore Smalls, black New York City police
detective (introduced during the 1986-87 season) who monitored the
activities of Robert McCall, an ex-CIA agent turned street vigilante.
ER/NBC/1994+
*(Eriq LaSalle/costar) Dr. Peter Benton, a brusque, perfectionist black
surgeon working at emergency room at Cook County General Hospital in
Chicago. Gloria Reuben also appeared as Jeanie Boulet, a black physician's
assistant diagnosed as HIV positive who continued to work despite her
condition. Michael Beach had a recurring role Jeanie Boulet’s husband who
had contracted the HIV virus and passed it on to her. Originally, Jeanie
Boulet, a married therapist, provided home care for Dr. Benton's ailing
mother and found herself falling in love with Benton. In the second
season, her character was promoted to a physician's assistant and soon
ended her romance with Benton. During the third season, Jeanie's
discovered she was HIV-positive. Also featured were Connie Marie Brazelton
as Nurse Conni Oligario; Deezer D. as Nurse Malik; Yvette Freeman as Nurse
Haleh Adams; Lisa Nicole Carson as an old friend of Dr. Benton's; and CCH
Pounder who appeared as Dr. Angela Hicks (Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder
was raised on a sugar plantation in Guyana). Michael Michele joined the
cast in the 1999 season as Dr. Cleo Finch, an independent, assertive
second-year resident. in emergency medicine and pediatrics.
ESSENCE/SYN/1984 *(Susan Taylor, Felipe Luciano) Weekly all black upscale
magazine-of-the-air program featuring styles, business, stars, and
politics. Program began on May 5, 1983 at WPIX, New York and was later
syndicated nationally.
EVENING SHADE/CBS/1990-94 **(Ossie Davis) Ponder Blue, the black philosophical owner of a
local rib joint and friend of white high school football coach living in
Evening Shade, Arkansas. Ossie Davis also narrated the series.
EXECUTIVE SUITE/CBS/1976-77 **(Percy Rodriguez) Malcolm Gibson, a black executive and
member of the board (the only black one) for the Los Angeles based
conglomerate, the Cardway Corporation. Also featured was Brenda Sykes as
Summer Johnson, the black roommate of secretary Gloria Dalessio,
EZ STREETS/CBS/1996 **(Carl Lumbly) Mayor Christian Davidson, black politician who
interacted with an undercover police investigation concerning corrupt
cops.
