New shows, new faces, new directions

Ebony, Oct, 2004 by Zondra Hughes

THERE'S a whole lot of drama going on in network television, and we're not talking about the soaps. There are three major battles going on behind the small screen--reality TV wars, ratings system wars and the 5-year-long battle for boardroom inclusion and on-air diversity.

But in the midst of all the brawling, some fresh new shows have been added to the fall lineup--and, as usual, some old favorites have been kicked off.

Here's a rundown of what's really been going on in network television.

ISSUE NO. 1: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS?

Diversity has been a fighting word ever since the big four networks--ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox--rolled out a lily-White primetime lineup back in 1999. Since then the networks have promised to add more minorities to prime-time shows and to the rank-and-file of its television executives.

And based on the networks' new offerings, things are looking better for African-Americans in front of the cameras.

When it comes to the number of Black-oriented shows on the prime-time schedule, nothing has changed--we lost one; we gained one. Last year, the big four networks offered one Black-oriented show, Whoopi (on NBC), which has since been cancelled. This year, Fox's Method & Red, a successful mid-summer release about two hip-hop moguls who stir up trouble and laughs in their quiet suburban neighborhood, is on the prime-time roster.

There is some progress to report concerning the number of shows with Blacks in leading or recurring roles.

Last year, the big four networks offered six new shows featuring Black actors in leading or recurring roles; this year, the offerings have doubled, with 12 such shows coming to television this fall.

* New Shows

On ABC, Malcolm David Kelley and Harold Perrineau are among a group of airplane passengers who are stranded on an island in the riveting series Lost. On the new drama Eyes, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (also seen on NYPD Blue) and Rick Worthy are private eyes who will do whatever it takes to make their clients' problems disappear; and James Pickens Jr., Isaiah Washington and Chandra Wilson are doctors-in-training at the nation's toughest surgical residency program in the drama Grey's Anatomy.

On CBS, a team of crime-solving forensic scientists takes on the Big Apple in CSI: NY, one of the most anticipated new series for the network, co-starring Hill Harper; and Malcolm-Jamal Warner is a former football player-turned-sports-show-host on the new sitcom Listen Up.

NBC: The talented Blair Underwood runs a terminal in turbulent times in the new drama named after the bustling Los Angeles International Airport, LAX; boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard teams with superstar Sylvester Stallone to find the next boxing superstar on The Contender, Orlando Jones lends his voice to the animated series Father of the Pride; Troy Winbush is an intense medical inspector on the new drama Medical Investigation; and Honolulu's Metro Police Department sets the scene in the new action-packed drama Hawaii, starring Sharif Atkins.

Fox: Omar Epps joins a brilliant team of doctors attempting to stave off a mad scientist in the new one-hour drama House; and some feisty boxers will duke it out on the new reality series The Next Great Champ.

Several of your favorite shows with Blacks in leading and recurring roles will also return to the small screen this fall.

On ABC, Alias, My Wife and Kids, NYPD Blue and Less Than Perfect are back. On CBS, CSI: Miami, Judging Amy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Cold Case have returned. On NBC, Las Vegas, Scrubs, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order, ER, and Third Watch are back; and on Fox, The BernieMac Show and Malcolm in the Middle have returned. (See the Prime-Tune Guide on page 132 for details.)

* UPN & The WB

UPN and the WB have stirred the pot this season with their new and returning shows.

On UPN, Taye Diggs is a hotshot attorney who's forced into sudden fatherhood in the drama Kevin Hill; and real-life couple Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker are giving love a second chance in Second Time Around. Returning favorites include All of Us; Girlfriends; Half & Half and the America's Top Model franchise.

Comedian Gary Anthony Williams portrays himself on The WB's new sitcom Blue Collar TV, a show that spotlights stand-up comics as they discuss their views on every day life. Returning are Steve Harvey's Big Time; and Dorian Gregory returns to protect three good witches on Charmed.

* Cable

This season, some big-screen names are involved in a host of groundbreaking shows on cable television.

On HBO, Halle Berry produces an all-star cast in Lackawanna Blues, a film that looks at the lives of African-Americans in the period just before desegregation. It features Macy Gray, Carmen Ejogo, Terrence Howard, Delroy Lindo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Henry Simmons, Jeffery Wright, Louis Gossett Jr. and several other notable stars.

Showtime: The Dave Chapelle Comedy Special, taped live from San Francisco. is sure to get some laughs; and the gritty and suspenseful series The Wire has returned.

The N! Network, the new Viacom network for 'tweens and teens, are presenting Miracle's Boys, a teen drama that follows the life of three orphaned Harlem brothers. Essie Chambers, executive director of development for the N! network, delivers some heavy, talent. The series, shot entirely in Harlem, was produced by Tonya Lewis Lee and directed by her husband, Spike Lee, and others.