In 1975, Wade become the first African-American to host a television game show, with the premiere of "Musical Chairs". He starred in a stage production of "Guys and Dolls" in 1978, and hosted the talk show "Mid-Morning LA". In 1979, he co-starred with Della Reese in a production of "Same Time, Next Year". On TV he was seen in the soap operas "The Guiding Light" and "Search for Tomorrow", and was a familiar presence on such popular black-oriented sitcoms as "Sanford & Son", "The Jeffersons", "What's Happening!!" and "Good Times". His handsome face lit up the room and allowed his natural mannerism to take over the scene. In the late–1970s and early–1980s Wade began to concentrate on acting, and appeared in several of the so-called blaxploitation movies, including "Gordon's War".