It’s Time for Honest Portrayals

When Neal H. Moritz, the executive producer of the fall Fox series “Manchester Prep,” about a private academy in New York City, was asked why all the preppies in the show were white (“A White, White World on TV’s Fall Schedule,” by Greg Braxton, May 28), he blithely said that they best

fit the story he and his colleagues were trying to tell. But what story is that? That only rich, white kids go to exclusive, prep academies in the United States? This ignores the fact that the number of blacks and other minorities enrolled at exclusively private academies has climbed in recent years.

Tying the blinders tight on reality strikes me as nothing but a self-serving excuse for the blatant ethnic cleansing in network TV. Not one of the 26 new comedies and dramas that will debut on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox this fall has an African American or other minority character in a leading role; only a paltry few feature African Americans in supporting roles.

This is even more galling when one considers the success of “Homicide,” “ER,” “Law & Order,” “Ally McBeal,” “The Practice,” “The Hughleys” and, of course, “Cosby,” all of which feature African Americans in leading or prominent supporting roles.

The only exception to TV whitening is the new series scheduled for CBS in January from producer Steven Bochco that centers on life in an inner-city hospital; it will have a predominantly African American cast. Even with this series, I’ll bet that TV executives will have their eyes glued more nervously than usual on the ratings to see if the show is an instant hit. If it isn’t, they’ll argue that with the ruthless pressure from advertisers and rival network competitors to produce those hits, they can’t afford to keep poorly rated shows on the air for the sake of racial or gender correctness.

But no one is asking them to. If a TV series is well-written and laced with crackling performances, there

is absolutely no reason why viewers wouldn’t tune in to it week after week. And even if they don’t immediately, if the series receives critical acclaim and positive viewer comments, why not give it a chance? When “Hill Street Blues” limped along with low ratings in 1981, NBC executives saw the potential of the show and stuck with it until it eventually caught on. Today’s network officials should do the same with a black drama series that has the potential to attract a big audience. The highly acclaimed “Frank’s Place” (1987-88) and “413 Hope St.” (1997-98) were shows that, with the right push, might have been turned into ratings successes.

Now what about the notion that whites will watch blacks in a comedy series but not in a drama series? A little history refresher course is in order here. For decades, whites have packed concert halls, stadiums and theaters to cheer black artists, hail black sports figures, applaud black divas, tout the works of black writers, poets and playwrights. In the 1970s, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” racked up high ratings and much critical praise; “Roots” is still the most watched TV miniseries ever. In more recent days, HBO’s “Miss Evers’ Boys,” TNT’s “Passing Glory” and Showtime’s “Linc’s” attracted a solid viewing audience. So did NBC’s “The Temptations” and CBS’ “Mama Flora’s Family.”

But why wouldn’t they? Most blacks don’t fit the media-stereotyped crime- and violence-prone image. More blacks than ever have higher incomes and are in business, trades and the professions. They are sick and tired of seeing themselves portrayed on TV as clowns, criminals, pimps, whores, welfare queens and crack moms.

What TV executives also continue to ignore is that African American households are nearly obsessive TV watchers. According to a TN Media survey, blacks watched 40% more TV than non-blacks in the final quarter of 1998. That adds up to 70 hours a week of TV viewing, compared to about 50 hours for non-blacks. So the audience is there.

The message, then, is that African American TV viewers deserve and crave more films, more TV roles and, yes, more dramatic series that present an honest picture of all aspects of black life. CBS has taken the plunge with its upcoming series; now will the other networks have the courage to jump in with a dramatic series of their own that presents a serious view of black life?

Until they do, I won’t watch any of their shows.

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“African American TV viewers deserve and crave more films, more TV roles and, yes, more dramatic series that present an honest picture of all aspects of black life.”

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of “The Crisis in Black and Black” (Middle Passage Press, 1998). He can be contacted at ehutchi344@aol.com.