CW and African American shows.

[GoldenAgeHero]

For as long as i can remember UPN was always the channal with African Americans shows, that we're all stereotypical, nothing of real quality. Everybody hates chris is probably the first real quality African American based show. and CW is continuing that legacy. they still have crap shows, girlfriends, black version of Sex and the city(crap show),cuts(cancelled), etc. am i the only that feels like this?

 

[wiegeabo]

The CW is UPN and the WB joined together. They combined shows from both networks to make the new one. So, of course they'd still be airing the UPN shows with the highest ratings. It's just that these shows came over from the UPN's effort to become more 'urban' (read African American females, not making that up).

 

[SLYspyder]

chris and girlfriends are great shows

 

[PyroChamber]

I don't understand why all the black shows have to be on the same night.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

chris and girlfriends are great shows

no its not.

 

[SapphirePrima]

UPN always had black sictoms. Not shows. I really stopped watching them after The Parkers/Moesha ended. I don't like Girlfriends either. It's really stupid. I do enjoy Everybody Hates Chris.

 

[Kaboom]

what is a black show?

does america's next top model count?

 

[Matt]

I don't understand why all the black shows have to be on the same night.

Because obviously black people can only stop eating fried chicken and drinking malt liquor once a week to watch TV Translation; TV Executives = white old men who have no idea how to reach out to the demographic. Hell, most black people don't even watch **** like Girlfriends.

 

[SapphirePrima]

what is a black show?

does america's next top model count?

It is a show aimed at mainly African Americans. And no that's aimed at Women in general.

 

[JLBats]

Well, CW does have several characters on other shows that are excellent, more realistic portrayals of black America.

Wallace Fennel is a very realistic character, and he's more likely to poke fun at the current stereotype of the "gangsta life" then embrace it. His mother was also involved in one of the few genuinely good interracial couplings on TV for the past two years.

 

[Kaboom]

Well, CW does have several characters on other shows that are excellent, more realistic portrayals of black America..

i promise im not trying to sound biased/racist in any way...this has always been a topic of interest for me that i've never been comfortable discussing because people get offended and i promise im not intending to offend anyone.

but what is a "realistic"
i was always of the belief that the most realistc is when the character's color is simply ignored. shouldn't good tv be good tv regardless? is omar epps on House a realistic portrayal?

or does catering to a black audience on a black tv show (again these are not descriptions i'm making up but used by the initial poster) necessarily mean playing into stereotypes. like is white chicks or booty call considered a black movie more so than say inside man, where denzel plays a cop who happens to be black.

i really am genuinely curious and in no way mean to offend anyone.

 

[JLBats]

i promise im not trying to sound biased/racist in any way...this has always been a topic of interest for me that i've never been comfortable discussing because people get offended and i promise im not intending to offend anyone.

but what is a "realistic"
i was always of the belief that the most realistc is when the character's color is simply ignored. shouldn't good tv be good tv regardless? is omar epps on House a realistic portrayal?

or does catering to a black audience on a black tv show (again these are not descriptions i'm making up but used by the initial poster) necessarily mean playing into stereotypes. like is white chicks or booty call considered a black movie more so than say inside man, where denzel plays a cop who happens to be black.

i really am genuinely curious and in no way mean to offend anyone.

By realistic, I mean actually making them fully dimensional characters. It's not that race doesn't play a role. Because, frankly, it does. But a lot of the time you see these shows JUST playing up the stereotype.

 

[Triadkd]

While it has gone downhill girlfriends used to be a good show.

 

[Kaboom]

By realistic, I mean actually making them fully dimensional characters. It's not that race doesn't play a role. Because, frankly, it does. But a lot of the time you see these shows JUST playing up the stereotype.

thats why i think Omar Epps' role on House is so well done, i'm just trying to figure out if i'm way off base or not.

 

[GL1]

...or does catering to a black audience on a black tv show (again these are not descriptions i'm making up but used by the initial poster) necessarily mean playing into stereotypes. like is white chicks or booty call considered a black movie more so than say inside man, where denzel plays a cop who happens to be black.

i really am genuinely curious and in no way mean to offend anyone.

Fair questions asked fairly. My reply:

When I talk about a "black show" I'm referring to a show with a mainl African American cast. Everybody Hates Chris. It's aimed at everyone, but the show is about an African American kid, in an African American home (and an African American school?). Plain and simple. Now the themes and audience are much broader than African America, but the premise of the show is steeped in the African American experience, specifically, Chris Rock's.

There is no need to play into a stereotype to do a black show, however, it is very hard to do black comedy without at least making fun of the stereotypes that plague African Americans so impudently.

Inside Man, or House are not "black shows" they have black characters, perhaps purposefully or not, we don't know. But they are not entirely black shows. I believe that some may believe that black characters are only useful for black audiences, but I know better, and apparently, so do the people on House MD.

As for CW's UPN aspects, It's been a long time since those Moesha days and UPN has tossed it's black family friendly pedigree which is what allowed it to be established. I'm not surprised that CW is light on blackness, not at all. I'd be surprised if it was.

But Wallace owns Moesha's whole cast, honestly, and he's only onscreen for what, ten minutes a week? And Chris Rock? or Girlfriends? Chris Rock... Girlfriends... Hmmm...

 

[mastermindjcg]

The now defunct UPN and WB nteworks had always been a sanctuary for the most s***ty sitcom writers, regardless of what color they were, and now, they can be found on the CW, at least the ones who have the craftiest agents repping them. What I want to know is where is Robert Townsend when you REALLY need him?

-so sayeth the mastermind-

 

[Kaboom]

Fair questions asked fairly. My reply:

When I talk about a "black show" I'm referring to a show with a mainl African American cast. Everybody Hates Chris. It's aimed at everyone, but the show is about an African American kid, in an African American home (and an African American school?). Plain and simple. Now the themes and audience are much broader than African America, but the premise of the show is steeped in the African American experience, specifically, Chris Rock's.

There is no need to play into a stereotype to do a black show, however, it is very hard to do black comedy without at least making fun of the stereotypes that plague African Americans so impudently.

Inside Man, or House are not "black shows" they have black characters, perhaps purposefully or not, we don't know. But they are not entirely black shows. I believe that some may believe that black characters are only useful for black audiences, but I know better, and apparently, so do the people on House MD.

As for CW's UPN aspects, It's been a long time since those Moesha days and UPN has tossed it's black family friendly pedigree which is what allowed it to be established. I'm not surprised that CW is light on blackness, not at all. I'd be surprised if it was.

But Wallace owns Moesha's whole cast, honestly, and he's only onscreen for what, ten minutes a week? And Chris Rock? or Girlfriends? Chris Rock... Girlfriends... Hmmm...

so maybe the problem is all in the advertising?i will admit that i have never seen an episode of everybody hates chris, or girlfriends. but i will also admit that grpowing up Family Matters was one of my favorite shows that i watched religiously. and i always tried to watch Fresh prince bc willl smith is the man.i will also agree that network tv has a dearth of "black" casts tv shows. could it be that maybe the "black" show either a) targets that spoecific segment of the population, rather than being cross-cultural; or b) even if themes are cross-culltural, isn't marketd as such?

 

[KenK]

For as long as i can remember UPN was always the channal with African Americans shows, that we're all stereotypical, nothing of real quality. Everybody hates chris is probably the first real quality African American based show.

How many black shows have you watched to come to this conclusion?!?!?

and CW is continuing that legacy. they still have crap shows, girlfriends, black version of Sex and the city(crap show),cuts(cancelled), etc. am i the only that feels like this?

I hate that people insist on comparing Girlfriends to Sex and the City, which, like Friends, would have us believe that black people don't live in New York. Yeah, it was four different women as friends, but I'd say their primary concern was just living their lives, not trying to nab a man. Not to mention a lot of social and racial issues that should be addressed. As for stereotypical, I see, more than anything, a diverse group of individuals with varying backgrounds, and some I could relate to.

All of Us, plenty people, of all races, can relate to the situations as far as divorced individuals raising their child together.

 

[tzarinna]

I'm sadly just getting into Everybody Hates Chris.
I'll still watch Girlfriends reruns because I do love the show,I also liked Half and Half because I am Mona.

Can someone tell me why Jill Marie Jones (Toni) has left the show?

 

[wiegeabo]

For as long as i can remember UPN was always the channal with African Americans shows, that we're all stereotypical, nothing of real quality. Everybody hates chris is probably the first real quality African American based show. and CW is continuing that legacy. they still have crap shows, girlfriends, black version of Sex and the city(crap show),cuts(cancelled), etc. am i the only that feels like this?

I remember when UPN started it was primarily a sci-fi network with shows like Voyager, 7 Days, and The Sentinel. It was like that for 3 years or so.

 

[Warhammer]

The good black shows ended when Martin, Steve Harvey, and Jamie Foxx ended. Everybody Hates Chris is the only quality show now.

Girlfriends and all that other s*** sucks.

 

[juggster-rules]

why do they put dennis the mennace on black family channel and hes not black.

 

[batman7289]

i aint trying to sound racist but most blacks dont have cable. so upn-cw is like the best channel for them to watch. dont hate me over my comment please.

 

[KenK]

i aint trying to sound racist but most blacks dont have cable. so upn-cw is like the best channel for them to watch. dont hate me over my comment please.

Sorry, but that's just an ignorant comment, and it DOES sound racist!! It's actually one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life!! Especially when statistics show that as a whole, blacks don't really care what they're watching on television, as long as they're watching it. On average, we watch more television than all racial minorities COMBINED!! Even for blacks with cable (since it's such a new-fangled concept to us po' people, only the uppity negroes have it), our options for minority programming are just as sparse compared to network television. BET? Yeah, I love watching twelve continuous hours of booty-shakin' videos every freakin' day!! TV One? Like there's a repeat of Good Times or Martin I haven't already seen!! Black Starz? They'll justify showing ANY movie on that channel, as long as there's at least one black person in the cast!

 

[Primal Slayer]

UPN had great comedies, Girlfriends is a great show and is real enough then any other show with a prominate white cast. And they have to be good enough to survive on air for 7 years. The actress who played Toni left the show because she felt that it was her time and wanted to do other things.

Its just as good as Living Single was back in the early 90s.