Panelists Predict a Better Future for Minority Roles

While acknowledging that “people of color” remain severely underrepresented in television roles, representatives from the three networks predict a brighter future for minority actors, possibly because of NBC’s newest daytime drama, “Generations.”

“Because of (“Generations,” which includes a core black family) you’re going to see blacks in dramatic roles. . . . The network is brave enough now,” said Judi Ann Mason, an associate head writer for the soap, during a Thursday session of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee Conference in Universal City.

“For the first time in my life, I can write the dramatic evolution of the black character,” said Mason, one of the first black writers to be hired on the staff of a daytime drama. In a little while nobody’s going to be able to say there are no black writers (or actors) around.”

Steve Wyman, producer/director of NBC’s daytime series “Days of Our Lives,” noted that regardless of whether the nearly 3-week-old “Generations” succeeds, it will set a precedent that will be copied. “There are certain ideas whose time has come,” Wyman said. “I’m not so worried . . . about what’s going to happen if “Generations” is canceled. It will get cannibalized as happens to all other shows. Minority opportunities are going to grow. The only question is how fast it’s going to happen.”

But panelist Cynthia Thompson, whose writing credits include “Love Boat,” “Head of the Class” and “Twilight Zone,” disagreed. “It’s going to make a tremendous difference whether ‘Generations’ does well. . . . (When a show does well) clones are made--(the proven format) is comfortable, it’s not too scary and the decision-making process isn’t so hard.”

Panel members Geanne Finney (ABC West Coast director of daytime programs) and Christopher Gorman (director of casting at CBS), both said their networks were making strong attempts to develop minority story lines.

“We are casting a blanket to find more talent,” Finney said. “We want not just a black family (but to) get out of the affluent house on the hill. (We want to do) stories that are blue collar and raw. And it very well might happen in the next year or two.”