Disappearing acts: all-Black casts are fading from the prime-time TV lineup

Ebony, Oct, 2006 by Lynette R. Holloway

Bulluck urges viewers to make their voices heard about concerns over the scheduling concerns and the disappearance of all-Black casts, pointing out that the airwaves are licensed by the federal government, which in turn regulates broadcasts networks.

Despite the setbacks, Bulluck sees a glimmer of hope in the casting of several shows, including CBS's wildly popular mid-season drama The Unit, which stars Dennis Haysbert as the lead actor amid a multicultural cast. "We should have more minority actors and actresses in lead roles," Bulluck says. "The Unit is not a drama about race. Haysbert is simply playing a character who happens to be Black, and he's the guy in charge. What we love about The Unit is we get to see Haysbert's character with his family."

Other African-American actors and actresses who stand out in a sea of multicultural casts include Khandi Alexander, who plays the role of a kindhearted pathologist on CSI: Miami. Shemar Moore, a longtime soap opera star, is making headlines in his role as a behavioral specialist on Criminal Minds, and so is Kimberly Elise, who plays a sharp-minded prosecutor in Close to Home.

Still, Debra Martin Chase warned that professionals in television and films need to be vigilant in these shifting times, and should put the onus on African-American filmmakers and TV producers to respond to the new challenges. "Television and motion pictures in general are in a state of transition," says Chase, who has produced or executive-produced a string of hits, including Courage Under Fire, The Preacher's Wife and Devil in a Blue Dress. On television, she served as the executive producer of The Cheetah Girls, one of the most successful Disney Channel original movies, and a sequel, The Cheetah Girls 2, is scheduled to air this fall. "So African-American filmmakers and television producers have to continually figure out how to fit into the evolving landscape and [determine] how we can continue to tell our stories in an accessible way that [commercial] buyers will buy and people will tune in to see."

2006 PRIME-TIME TV LINEUP

SUNDAY

7:00-7:30 p.m. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS * (CW) Chris Rock, Tichina Arnold, Tyler James Williams, Imani Hakim, Terry Crews, Tequan Richmond

7:30-8:00 p.m. ALL OF US * (CW) LisaRaye McCoy-Misick, Duane Martin, Khamani Griffin, Tony Rock

8:00-8:30 p.m. GIRLFRIENDS * (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Reggie Hayes

8:30-9:00 p.m. THE GAME * (CW) Pooch Hall, Brittany Daniel

9:00-10:00 p.m. AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (CW)

(Encore Presentation) Tyra Banks

9:00-10:00 p.m. COLD CASE (CBS) Thorn Barry, Tracie Thoms

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (NBC) Courtney B. Vance, Theresa Randle

(All times Eastern Standard Time)

10:00-11:00 p.m. WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS) Marianne Jean-Baptiste

THE WIRE (HBO) Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce, Clarke Peters, Robert Wisdom, Seth Gilliam, Frankie R. Faison, Corey Parker Robinson, Joilet F. Harris, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, J.D. Williams, Tray Chaney, Michael K. Williams, Andre Royo, Jamie Hector, Chad L. Coleman, Robert F. Chew, Michael Hyatt, Shamyl Brown, Hassan Johnson, Larry Gilliard Jr., Gbenga Akinnagbe, Glynn Turman, Cleo Reginald Pizana, Christopher Mann, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Maria Broom, Frederick Strother