Yeah, we all know TeeVee Sux, but even I didn't realize things were this bad until I ran across this recent LA Times article.
"Everybody Hates Chris" is a show with a predominantly African American cast in an era when black-themed series appear to be at a crossroads. This season's departure of the CW's long-running "Girlfriends" leaves only two network shows in prime time -- both struggling on the CW --that revolve around black casts: "Everybody Hates Chris" and the "Girlfriends" spinoff "The Game."Before you ask, yeah, I realize this is all pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things[1]. But I guess this all just reinforces my oft noted assertion that "black TV" is a thing of the past. I told ya'll "Under One Roof" wouldn't make it to Memorial Day, but believe it or not, the show's still on. I wouldn't know personally, I only watched about 3 minutes of a single episode before I could no longer tolerate it. I hear "Lincoln Heights" is decent, but it looks like a tween' show. "Everybody Hates Chris" is great, but you wonder if it's going to lose steam, "Bernie Mac Show"-style as the kids get too old for their roles. "The Game" is just awful. Did anyone even watch "Girlfriends" after the canned Toni Childs? And don't even get me started on "Tyler Perry's House of Payne".
Meanwhile, on the cable side, the numbers are only slightly better. There's ABC Family's “Lincoln Heights," a one-hour drama about a black family, and TBS' "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," a highly rated sitcom. And last month, MyNetwork TV launched “Under One Roof," a comedy starring rapper Flavor Flav that was met with a chorus of negative reviews.
The issue of fewer African American stars and shows has provoked pointed concern from minority groups. In particular, Vic Bulluck, president of the Hollywood chapter of the NAACP, decries the further shrinking of television's historically limited racial diversity.
"We're very concerned about and disappointed at the lack of representation," said Bulluck. "It's something that we've been discussing with all the networks for a while, ever since the 'Bernie Mac' show left Fox. With 'Girlfriends' now leaving, the situation becomes a lot more urgent. The situation as it stands now is unacceptable."
However, lower numbers of primarily black shows may also signal something completely different -- a growing dissolution of the medium's color line. Instead of being ignored, blacks may have merely become more deeply integrated and accepted into mainstream culture, thus eliminating the need for segregated series.
Basically, the cubbard is pretty darned bare.
I can't say who's to blame for this, if anyone. The article goes on to argue that having blacks "integrated" into traditional TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy", "ER", those "CSI" shows, and my personal favorite, "Private Practice" is progress, as opposed to segregating them on unwatchable networks like CW/WB/UPN/WhateverIt'sCalled. I guess I can somewhat understand that logic, but I don't really agree with it.
While it's great to have black actors on mainstream shows like "Grey's", these folks are usually still just inconsequential "background" characters there to provide a loving support and a warm shoulder for the white characters around whom the shows usually revolve. Given the choice, I'd prolly take "What's Happenin'?" over that arrangement anyday.[2]
Question: Do you think the lack of "black" shows is a sign of progress or cause for concern?
Black-themed series come to a crossroads [LA Times]
[1] I mean, it's not like Black America couldn't stand a few more hours at the library and less time in front of Tell-A-Lie-Vision. I'm just sayin'.
[2] Speaking of which, how about this blast from the past...
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I think it's the lack of original ideas in programming that's more of a factor. Reality TV has soaked up so much airtime, it's hard to find a decent scripted half hour show now. My wifey, however loves that stuff. Between Flavor, Miss Rap Supreme, Bad Girls Club, College Hill and Real World, that's all she likes to watch.
It's cheaply produced, lightly scripted (Hulk Hogan admitted his reality show was scripted) and aimed at the lowest common denominator.
As for black shows, I don't know what a solution would be. I think comedian Paul Mooney said it best when asked about it: "White is the new Black." Usual "ghetto" stereotypical behavior that previously was exclusive to our folks has revealed itself in other cultures.
I recorded the episode of "Baisden After Dark" in which Mooney explains this. Ironically, that episode was about this very subject. I'll try to youtube it later, if it isn't already available.
EG
Ratings is the name of the game. Black shows don't get "well" ratings. Nowadays, You can't expect a show that pushes 4.5 million to stay on air for half a season.
I also think its actors taking these "exclusive" roles that limits how many shows you'll see. Tristan Wilds, who played Michael on The Wire, was just cast as the lead male role in the 90210 spin-off on the CW. I much as I really adore Tristan, I'm scared as all get out with him taking this role. Not because I have a problem with Wire actors moving on like others do, but because I don't want to see a dude who has some real talent in the game become some token piece on a white-washed TV show. Yeah, he has the lead but its like ... he's the black character on an all-white show, how much is he going to be in it?
What ever happened to Julia, Now that was a good show, Google it young-in. I'll give you a hint Diann Carroll
I'm not a big tv watcher, and reality tv has made me even less likely to just channel surf. In the small circle of shows that I do enjoy they all feature at least one black character, as a major player. I love the Law & Order series, all three shows do an excellent job of representing us, and not all of the criminals are black- they've found a happy medium. I also enjoy the Women's Murder Club; if you've read the books you'll know that two characters are black on the show but white in the books- to me that means they're trying.
I don't think we'll ever get back to the days of Cosby Show because the time is different and honestly I think the white folks enjoy shows featuring characters they're already familiar with Chris Rock being a prime example. So I'm straddling the fence on the one hand most shows are pretty well integrated, on the other it's never going to be same vibe we had going with Cosby and A Different World.
What most Black people have missed is that in order to progress we have to stop being the most dependent group in America and build our own (shows, programs, stations, etc.)There are enough Black filmmakers, directors, producers, etc. to create more shows than we ever need. The problem is that we don't support them and we cry when the middle aged white studio execs cut off our favorite shows. This is a sign of a powerless and impotent people.
We have to discipline ourselves to stop watching manure just because it has one or two black people on it. We are so attention starved in the fact that we need to desperately see ourselves reflected on TV. We need to cut the TV off and read more books or spend time doing other activities (walking in the park, family dinners at the dinner table, playing games, etc.). We are killing our young children by allowing TV to babysit them (as well as video games). And many of us are on our knees praying to God asking why our lives are so jacked up.
I agree with Uunik Talk. We have two Black channels that are very mediocre and we don't demand much from them. TVOne's kinda better but they're like a Black TBS.
We need to do our own thing and support it. And for God's sake, let the product be of quality cuz I don't plan to support the likes of State Property or Fat Beach.
It's like a cry for reflection in the media is a cry for acceptance by the mainstream. I'm just saying...
And I love The Game. You buggin, AB :-p
AB you done started something with me, you know that right?
Everytime someone says that hip-hop is dead I mutter "along with the black sitcom". I'm sure youve noticed the weird obsession I have with such things over at wwtd.
Really it's SO not a small thing - yeah we should be reading and not watching the boob tube in general, but if we don't watch televison or movies our great actors and writers won't have venues for their talents! We often forget about the whole picture when decrying what are considered the "lesser art forms" but entertainment is NOT a realm that we should be shying away from as far as consumption OR participation just because too many of us can't read. This is culture we're talking about here. Writing, music, acting, all of that is what makes "culture" and its so sad that we have less and less of one as time goes on.
One major culprit of the death of the black sitcom is the present dominance of reality tv. Television as a whole has declined and black tv has gone down with it. But black televison has had numerous markers of decline over the past 25 years that are mostly surrounding networks' attempts at replicating successful shows. For example, after Fresh Prince of Bel Air came Patti Labelle on Out All Night, LL Cool J on In The House, and a whole host of others that we're successful because they had no real reason to be. This happened with every semi-successful black show and the numbers said "black shows don't work."
Networks are also guilty of giving black shows terrible time slots that make high ratings hopeless. To combat this, along came Fox and the idea that black shows (Martin, Living Single) could in fact be popular. But no white people actually watched them
(according to the numbers), so Fox got out of that game and handed it over to UPN. UPN cornered the black tv market, and without competition you can wave bye-bye to the need for improvement.
Sigh...I could go on and on but yes, black tv is dead and I'm not sure what to do. Maybe this can be my PhD dissertation.
But we've advanced, have two black men on The Real World again! [/sarcasm]
Soul Food lasted five seasons on Showtime, and then we had The Wire as mentioned. I think there's an audience for quality black television, it's just that premium cable is more willing to take the financial risk. But then you come to the issue of accessibilty (whether people are really willing to spend that extra $10 a month) and promotion. Like one of my favorite shows Brotherhood got nearly zero promotion last year by Showtime, but I couldn't open a magazine without seeing a Dexter ad.
Love this blog, I've been lurking for a month or so.
I think it is a shame that television is so bland. I find it amazing to consider that as there are more prominent, diverse, and interesting roles for GLBT characters in scripted television that there is less and less for black characters. I don't entirely fault the writers or the studios - because as ebonygentleman pointed out, WE always frown on the one black character as being "token" without giving the writers, producers, or actors the benefit of the doubt in being able to script an interesting and vital role.
I loved recently watching a "commitment ceremony" on ABC's Brothers and Sisters. I thought it was great and a tremendous milestone for the gay image on network television (just think - it was only 10 years after the very taboo kiss on Ellen). However, it's disappointing to not see this same breadth and depth of black experience on network television.
I keep hoping for an interesting black character, but at this point I'm thinking that it's such a minefield that the studios will shy away from it. Think about it - if they have too squeaky clean of a character (let's say that Katherine Mayfair on DH was black), we say that she's token. Or if Lynette's husband had had an affair with a black woman - well that would have set people off too. Realistically, families like the one in Brothers and Sisters aren't going to be around a lot of black people - so we were lucky to get Danny Glover in there for a while. Honestly, as much as I would like to "see myself" on TV, I can see that it's too much trouble. Especially when we're just a satisfied with the bad reality shows
Hi AB,
I agree with all you said, including your assessment of the handful of black shows out there now. EXCEPT: I don't think Lincoln Heights is just a "tween" show. I really enjoy it and I'm far from a tween! And thanks so much for that What's Happening mini-ep. Makes me wanna go home and whip out my S1 & S2 DVD collection.
With reality TV taking over, the whole sitcom genre is practically becoming obsolete. So is there any wonder that our shows are the first to go?
It shows that we we don't stand on our own very well. Here in Atlanta you pickup to Spanish speaking networks off the Air(No Cable Required). So that means advertisers think so highly of that network(UVN and something else) that they can offer it for FREE. I know that they also have Telemundo but all in all I believe their are about 5 or 6 channels. We have BET and TVone which are both fairly weak. It's bigger than that.
It's like Oprah Winfrey, she completely walks over her original base of people, blacks. Yeah she has Oxygen (LILY WhITE) and a few other stations I believe but nothing substantial for her base. Oprah is like the ghetto's black Jesus. If it's on Oprah then it's good. Oprah says eat more fiber.....Niggas go out and buy fiber one. Oprah says take aspirin before bed.....niggas start poppin' pills before bed. Do you see what happens to people when Oprah shows up at their house.....folks lose their damned mind.
I hope I am not over-simplifying it, but I think that overall, "they" just don't expect much from us, so they continuously feed us garbage TV. I think once we demonstrate consistently, a more discerning taste in media and entertainment, we will get bet quality.
Lord knows I didn't mean "bet" quality. i meant "better".
Actually, in Grey's the black actors are a very integral to the show and also the people in power on the show. Before Isaiah Washington made his remarks about gays, his character enjoyed quite a steamy and provocative storyline on the romantic and professional level. Grey’s is my favorite show with a plot to watch!
Heck, even your favorite of the integrated TV show, Private Practice is a spin-off of Grey's and I think that Shonda Rhimes is doing great as a black woman television writer. I mean other than her and Mara Brock Akil (creator of Girlfriends and The Game) no other black women even have their foot in the door. Rhimes is the only one enjoying both critical and public fame. I think she took a smart approach of integrating her show racially because let’s face it outside of our household when is life every just all black or all white, ok well maybe for some white folks, but you know as a black person that only exist when we go to those places. Just another added fact originally Patrick Dempsey’s role was written for a black man or should I say Washington read for that part first with other black actors.
I wish that Everybody was on a larger network its smart and funny and I hope that perhaps its notoriety will grow like Seinfeld, I don't think that CW is going to be dropping it anytime too soon. I think the issues transcend race and everyone does a great job in the show. I think it has few more years in it before its time for Chris to graduate.
I think the popularity of reality TV is what has killed the black TV as we know it. Who needs to watch a Martin or My Wife and Kids when they can laugh at the coonery on Flavor of Love 37 and the latest installment of New York’s adventures, I [would] love [for] New York [to sit down somewhere and get a real job]. Actually, I think the slow death of the sitcoms because of reality TV in general is responsible for the death of black TV. After all most black shows were/are of that genre.
There haven’t really been a lot of all black dramas on TV. There was that soap opera, Generations I think that was the name. Today’s TV landscape is made up of reality TV which offers multiple types of reality ie real world, love contest, talent contest, stars competing in talent contest, and serial dramas like the shows you mentioned above. I mean really think about how many sitcoms are out there black or white period and you will see why we are here.
I feel you on House of Payne to me it’s like watching my high school friends do a sitcom in the cafeteria but people LOVE it!! I don’t knock nobody’s hustle or taste in TV no matter how wack I think it is, because hell I watch some stuff I ain’t too proud to cop to myself!
The Game really isn't so bad! Really it isn't. I watched GF to the death out of respect as SBM!! Although I missed Jill Marie Jones [Toni Childs] something awful the whole time! *lol*
-OG
Another thought, I wonder if the popularity of "urban theater" has contributed to the decline in black tv shows, especially sitcoms. It seems like every week I hear of well-known talented actors (I'm looking at you Malik Yoba) starring in the next "A Good Woman Can't Resist a Trifling Man Without Jesus"- the musical.
Oh yeah and here's my question...what makes it black TV if its written by or conceptualized by a black person, stars mostly black people or is watched by mostly black people....just a thought. Maybe I'll blog about that!
-OG
I think it's a combination of things-lack of ownership, originality, and demand for quality programs. That said, the only shows I really watch on a regular (now that The Wire is off-RIP) are Lost and Big Love. Other than that it's PBS, C-SPAN, and news channels for me.
I won't lie, other than my sports channels, I hit up the History and Discovery channels. I love "How It's Made" and "American Eats." Plus, I was hooked on "Dirty Jobs" for a good minute....
EG
og - How could I forget about Grey's Anatomy???? Truth be told, after the strike, I haven't played catch up with TV. I'm slowly getting there. I watch all my TV over the internet (thank you ABC.com and NBC.com).
What I find is interesting is how often it seems like it wouldn't hurt to have a black character and they just don't. I loved Cashmere Mafia, and would have thought it was great if one of the characters had been black - just by happenstance. I think that's the best part.
I think what's interesting about Grey's Anatomy is that while yes, there are some not completely traditional black characters...for the men...Dr. Bailey is completely the expected asexual, mean, castrating woman. Yes, she's great at her job, and I'm sure it wasn't scripted that the actress (who I love) isn't necessarily the most glamorous person, but really???
I don't watch a lot of TV... and that's probably the point. TV viewership is down across the board, in all segments. It doesn't provide or create the shared cultural experience we think of when we consider TV, those of us who remember before the intarweb.
People are talking about the latest internet meme, or they're networking on twitter and myspace etc etc. What Happend On That TV Show Everybody Watches is not longer the big topic of conversation around the office... and so an alternate cultural unifier via TV is even less relevant.
Also, it's worth pointing out that Scrubs has a pair of black actors who have large rolls in every script. That's got to be some progress eh?
Initially I felt ambivalent about it. it definitely seems like progress on the surface, but are less starring roles & more scenery (secondary supporting) roles really an upgrade? The more I think about it, it seems like a lateral move at best. If we had lead roles in more of these melting pot shows, I would feel that progress has been made. Right now, it maybe slight regression.
Point blank, Living Single & Girlfriends were the highest rated shows among black people & they still got cancelled. If white people don't watch your show, then you're done. If you don't have a neilsen box in your house, then you're not being counted among viewership at all. How many black people do you know with neilsen boxes in their homes & be honest because I personally know of none.
I would like to offer a contribution to the badly needed discussion that needz to take place (regularly)!
I wrote a piece directed at the lack of Black media in general.
I know this may not be exactly relevant to TV showz, but it does fall under the umbrella of Media.
I hope you find insightful.
'I Am the Future of Black Media'
by M'Bwebe Ishangi
(LINK: http://www.daghettotymz.com/current/blackmedia/blackmedia.html)
(INTRO) "I am the future of Black Media!"... As egotistical as this may sound, it isn’t solely by choice. This is as much a statement of distress as it is desire. Plain and simple, Afrikanz across the globe do not have a voice that focuses on the values and needz of Afrikan people.
Bless...
--
M'Bwebe Ishangi
Da Ghetto Tymz magazine
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