Critical Raves May Not Save ‘One Roof ‘ : Television: As CBS’ ratings-poor series about an African American family ends its run, the show’s executive producer calls for support.

The roof may be about to cave in on “Under One Roof.”

One of the rare network dramas in the last two decades to feature an all-black ensemble cast, “Under One Roof” received largely glowing reviews when it premiered last month on CBS. Critics paid particular tribute to the acting, writing and direction of the series, commending the creators, cast and CBS for depicting a black family in a positive light without the traditional TV trappings of slapstick or caustic one-liners.

But the high praise did not translate into high ratings for the show, which starred Joe Morton, Vanessa Bell Calloway and James Earl Jones as members of a blue-collar, multi-generational family living together in Seattle. Viewership dropped after the March 14 premiere and the series consistently finished third in its 8 p.m. Tuesday slot during its six-week run, which ended last Tuesday.

*

Now Thomas Carter, the executive producer of “Under One Roof,” is tensely playing the waiting game as CBS works out its fall schedule. The network hasn’t decided whether to bring the series back next season.

Although he believes the ratings would improve with more time and perhaps a different time slot, Carter said that without grass-roots support, “Under One Roof” has at best a slim chance of survival, and he acknowledged there is not much “buzz on the streets” about the show.

He expressed concern that black leaders--including the Congressional Black Caucus, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others who have voiced unhappiness with what they called the lack of quality African American programming on network television--have not been publicly supportive of “Under One Roof.”

“No, I haven’t gotten as vocal a response from the African American community as I would have hoped, especially with the precarious position that we’re in,” Carter said Thursday. “I would have liked to have had black viewers come out in droves. It’s surprising and a bit disappointing to me.”

Carter noted that the Congressional Black Caucus and Jackson blasted Fox last year when the network axed several black comedies from its schedule, including “Roc,” “South Central” and “The Sinbad Show.”

“I think it’s rather incredible and not understandable that they should be so supportive of those shows and not be heard at all on ‘Under One Roof,’ ” Carter said. “I do find it curious, because those were shows that were less well received critically and did not have as many positive creative images as we have.”

*

He was less surprised by the lack of “street buzz” about the series. “There’s nothing sensational about the show, in terms of its elements,” Carter said. “There’s nothing exploitative--no car chases, hot music or broad comedy. I always thought it was a show that would build and needs special care. I never expected it to be a runaway hit.”

Carter has said in previous interviews that the future of dramas featuring predominantly black casts could be in jeopardy if “Under One Roof” were perceived as a failure.

Spokesmen for Jackson and the Congressional Black Caucus said they should not be interpreted as being indifferent to “Under One Roof.”

“We’re trying to make calls to various groups to see what we can do,” said Eddie Wong of Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition’s Commission on Fairness in the Media. “People barely knew the show was there.”

Echoed Khalil Munir, administrative assistant and communications director for Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who was one of the staunchest critics of Fox last year: “Our lack of response is not a reflection of us thinking that the show lacks quality but an unawareness that its run might not be extended. Both I and the congressman watch the program and think it is stellar, both in the content and in the images presented.”

He added that “had we spoken with Mr. Carter, and if he had made his concerns known, we would have been right on top of this. It’s incumbent for anyone who has concerns to let us know. If there is any likelihood that this show will be taken off, we want to let the appropriate executives know that this is a program that black people have an investment in.”

*

Others voiced some doubts about the commitment of the African American community to a black drama, saying that audiences may be more content with the existing comedies than has been acknowledged.

According to comedian and writer Franklyn Ajaye, “I just don’t know if the African American community at large is clamoring for a black drama, or if it’s just a small group of creative black people. Everyone always talks about how great ‘Frank’s Place’ was, but it was not watched in the black community,” he said, referring to the comedy starring Tim Reid as the owner of a restaurant in New Orleans, which was critically acclaimed but virtually ignored by viewers when it aired on CBS in 1987 and 1988.

“So, when we meet with executives and say everyone wants a show like this, we don’t have a lot of ammunition. There’s no letter-writing campaigns, there’s no grass-roots movement. Everyone is watching ‘Martin.’ ”

Ajaye added that the quiet nature of “Under One Roof” may have been too subtle and not dramatic enough to grab viewers.

But one of the show’s writers, Valerie Woods, said viewers will respond when they realize that the show has been taken off the air: “There’s not an uproar until shows get canceled. Then people will definitely write. But I tell them to write right now .”

Carter compared the struggling series to another CBS drama, “Chicago Hope,” which was walloped when it went head-to-head with NBC’s “ER” early in the season but has prospered since being moved to Mondays at 10 p.m. He said “Under One Roof” would do better in a later time slot.

“It would be a real tragedy to let us go after six episodes,” Carter said. “ ‘Chicago Hope’ also got good notices but was not working in that time slot. They did not abandon that show, they continued to support it. I would ask them to give us the same show of support as ‘Chicago Hope.’ But, so far, they have been noncommittal.”

Executives at CBS, which finished the season in third place and is struggling, have made it known that they hope to draw more viewers next season with programming geared toward younger demographics. In response to Carter’s concerns, CBS spokeswoman Susan Tick would only say that no final decision has been made on the status of “Under One Roof.”