Breaking the Color Barrier on Television

[milven]

This should be an interesting program. I can remember when the only black people that I saw on TV were butlers and maids. We have come a long way since then , but two recent racial related news events this week indicate that the journey to no prejudice in society still has a long way to go.

This program is on most PBS stations at 8 pm tonight



Pioneers of Television

Breaking Barriers

PBS

8:00 - 9:00PM

Rec [N/R] TVPG

The mid-'60s breakthroughs of black TV actors Diahann Carroll and Bill Cosby; Latinos Desi Arnaz and Edward James Olmos; Asian-American George Takei talks about his time in a Japanese internment camp.

[timmyfunk]

This is an excellent series that PBS has been running for a number of years. I need to get this on DVD.

[Jerry Oz]

Racial politics are still in full play on network television. Does anybody remember when Fox first started airing back in the '90s? Their one-night [[Sunday) schedule had "Roc", "Martin", and "In Living Color" for years and was quite popular. They established Fox as a viable player. Since then, they've had "Living Single" and "Jamie Foxx Show", but they don't currently have a show that has a black lead or ensemble. We're background characters and props for most networks. There are a few exceptions, of course. Shemar Moore has a significant role in "Criminal Minds" and LL Cool J co-leads "NCIS: Los Angeles". Many will mistake Mindy Kaling of "The Mindy Project" for black. God bless her, but she's not.

But scan the show listings and tell me if black viewers aren't taken for granted on all four networks. It amazes me the margins that we've been put into. When shows falter, the quickest way to pump life into them is to bring in a black friend who cracks a joke literally every time he opens his mouth. Look at "Mike and Molly" and "The Millers". It's as bad or worse for other minorities as you can see from Koopthrapali on "Big Bang Theory" and Han Lee of "Two Broke Girls". It's somehow okay to laugh at us now, not because the characters are funny, but because they're stereotypically portrayed. Not cool.

I've been patiently waiting for "Frank's Place" to come out on DVD. That was the best and most respectfully produced show with black folks that I can recall with the possible exception of "The Cosby Show".

[ralpht]

Jerry,
I was always disappointed the Frank's Place never got a wide audience. The show was excellent.

[soulster]

Hell, I never even heard of "Frank's Place". I'll have to look it up.

[marv2]

Hell, I never even heard of "Frank's Place". I'll have to look it up.

Oh it was a good, high quality show starring Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

[Lulu]

Full ep. is already up on pbs.com if you missed it!

http://video.pbs.org/program/pioneers-of-television/episodes/

They are really good about posting their programming on the web shortly after the air date unlike some **cough** **OWN** other networks!

[Jerry Oz]

Hell, I never even heard of "Frank's Place". I'll have to look it up.They've been trying to put it on DVD for years but because the show used many classic N'Awlins jazz, blues, and R&B songs in the soundtrack, they've been unable to move forward due to issues with royalties. All that I have of it is one episode that I recorded to show my Sunday school class. It was one of the most powerful episodes of any show that I've seen regarding race.

[mr_june]

They should do one on movies also. I'm a huge movie fan and am quite often saddened and disappointed to see hardly or no minorities in feature films from major studios. They still don't get it. It's very normal to see one token black guy or female amongst a cast of Caucasians.

[timmyfunk]

Racial politics are still in full play on network television. Does anybody remember when Fox first started airing back in the '90s? Their one-night [[Sunday) schedule had "Roc", "Martin", and "In Living Color" for years and was quite popular. They established Fox as a viable player. Since then, they've had "Living Single" and "Jamie Foxx Show", but they don't currently have a show that has a black lead or ensemble. We're background characters and props for most networks. There are a few exceptions, of course. Shemar Moore has a significant role in "Criminal Minds" and LL Cool J co-leads "NCIS: Los Angeles". Many will mistake Mindy Kaling of "The Mindy Project" for black. God bless her, but she's not.

But scan the show listings and tell me if black viewers aren't taken for granted on all four networks. It amazes me the margins that we've been put into. When shows falter, the quickest way to pump life into them is to bring in a black friend who cracks a joke literally every time he opens his mouth. Look at "Mike and Molly" and "The Millers". It's as bad or worse for other minorities as you can see from Koopthrapali on "Big Bang Theory" and Han Lee of "Two Broke Girls". It's somehow okay to laugh at us now, not because the characters are funny, but because they're stereotypically portrayed. Not cool.

I've been patiently waiting for "Frank's Place" to come out on DVD. That was the best and most respectfully produced show with black folks that I can recall with the possible exception of "The Cosby Show".

With the possible exception of Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Fox which has a black lead player [[Andre Braugher).

[timmyfunk]

They've been trying to put it on DVD for years but because the show used many classic N'Awlins jazz, blues, and R&B songs in the soundtrack, they've been unable to move forward due to issues with royalties. All that I have of it is one episode that I recorded to show my Sunday school class. It was one of the most powerful episodes of any show that I've seen regarding race.

Exactly the conversation that I had with Tim Reid when I attended the Chiller Theatre convention here in New Jersey. Music clearance issues have become a mammouth barrier in terms of certain TV shows getting released on DVD.

[timmyfunk]

Oh it was a good, high quality show starring Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

Truth be told, I liked Frank's Place far more than Cosby.

[soulster]

I hated The Cosby Show. It was so phony!

[Lulu]

I hated The Cosby Show. It was so phony!

In hindsight yes - gimme227! Am I the only one who thought those ladies were funny as hell?

[Jerry Oz]

I like the Cosby Show. Of course the family was not a realistic family, but I will take an idealistic family over one that is overly beset with stereotypical lssues that many of us didn't face every week. I prefer the problems faced by Cliff & Claire and George & Weezy over those that Florida & James dealt with.

[Jerry Oz]

Hell, I never even heard of "Frank's Place". I'll have to look it up.
Here is part one of the episode that I was talking about. I showed it to a co-worker and he felt compelled to have his daughter watch it for some of the themes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWHPlHdMwFc

[Jerry Oz]

And here is part 2. I wish CBS gave this show the chance that it gives others that don't immediately find an audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTK7FUfwT58

[soulster]

In hindsight yes - gimme227! Am I the only one who thought those ladies were funny as hell? I thought 227 was phony too. Neither show reflected anything close to reality.

[Jerry Oz]

I thought 227 was phony too. Neither show reflected anything close to reality.Yah, but few things on television do. Wouldn't you think that with America on a path wherein white folks will be in the minority within 30 years, there'd be some level of diversity in entertainment?

[marv2]

Does anyone remember the early 90's sitcom "Roc" that starred Charles S. Dutton? I enjoyed that show a lot . It presented a lot of social commentary and they sometimes broadcast the show "Live" like a stage play. Very good cast too.

[marv2]

Yah, but few things on television do. Wouldn't you think that with America on a path wherein white folks will be in the minority within 30 years, there'd be some level of diversity in entertainment?

You would think. Sometimes the programs would come off as fluff such as Tyler Perry's "House of Payne"
or too realistically violent such as HBO's " The Wire". I longed for the days of "Room 222" after watching "The Wire" , "Oz" and "The Sopranos" for several years! LOL!

[Jerry Oz]

Does anyone remember the early 90's sitcom "Roc" that starred Charles S. Dutton? I enjoyed that show a lot . It presented a lot of social commentary and they sometimes broadcast the show "Live" like a stage play. Very good cast too.I loved "Roc". That and "Frank's Place" were the two comedy series that spoke to me on a personal level. I honestly cannot say that nearly enough.