The UPN/WB merger’s impact on diversity
CVK
Interesting article from The San Francisco Chronicle about how the impending UPN and WB merger into the new network, CW, will impact diversity on TV:
UPN has been the only network to actively program for an African American audience. The network’s entire Monday night lineup… targets the demo, as they say. What’s more, three of the network’s four Thursday night comedies… do the same, with the fourth, “Love, Inc.,” using a multiethnic cast.
With the merger, however, 23 hours of programming — 13 from the WB and 10 from UPN — will get reduced to 13. Both “Eve” and “All of Us” have been canceled. “Everybody Hates Chris” has already been renewed, and those making educated guesses inside the two networks believe “Girlfriends” is about the only other likely renewal. If that holds, five shows geared for an African American audience would be gone, as would a sixth with an African American lead actress (Holly Robinson Peete on “Love, Inc.”)…
…There is, however, another factor at work here that has nothing to do with race. Some of the African American comedies simply aren’t good enough to survive a broader fight for fewer time slots. Until the past two seasons, UPN was not seen as a destination network for many in the creative community, and historically the network had critically panned series that often didn’t measure up to the competition. But UPN was able to sell to the demo something it wasn’t getting on other broadcast networks — series for, and by, African Americans. And based strictly on available audience in a niche market, these shows didn’t have to be out-of-the-box, crossover hits. Lower ratings, then, were acceptable. That will no longer be the case for any show on the CW, regardless of ethnic makeup…
We’ll see how it all plays out. All I can say is, they’d BETTER not cancel Veronica Mars or Girlfriends - those are two of my favorite shows. 
lemure wrote:
Well yes some of those comedies were awful, but honestly, so are a ton of shows on “white” networks. Its annoying that people of color can’t get away with being mediocre like white people can.
Posted 11 May 2006 at 4:54 pm ¶
Adrianna wrote:
I agree Veronica mars is genuis, and gilrfreind is awesome too!!!
Posted 11 May 2006 at 8:11 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
no…eve and all of us aren’t mediocre…the shows are god awful…they deserve to be canceled…sheesh…black folk don’t even watch them, and we’re desperate to see us on tv…watch grey’s anatomy instead…or even veronica mars…now girlfriends is the best too, but word on the street is that even though it’s one of the networks top rated shows, they won’t cough up pay increases for the actresses…the pay increases, which aren’t even that massive, and are standard on the networks for a hot show, are being pushed by kelsey grammer, the show’s producer…they want the women to each receive $300,000, instead of $200,000 an episode…and i hear the network is being cheap…but they are stupid if they drop this show, which has the only loyal following, besides veronica mars and the chris rock vehicle…i wonder if the cheapness is influenced in any way by the race of the stars…
Posted 12 May 2006 at 9:07 am ¶
Brad wrote:
Veronica Mars is a great show that does have some diversity in the cast. I think it would be a shame if Girlfriends is cancelled. I never watched any of the other shows since they were bad; however, as the article spells out, UPN did well by providing programming to an African American audience. Where will these viewers go to see programming on primetime that offers similar demographics, albeit with better writing?
Everyone is aware of lily white NBC’s Thursday night comedy line up was even though all of the shows took place in major US cities, none of the comedies (Friends, Frasier, etc.) featured any people of color in contract roles. Just as there no people of color in most of CBS’ Monday night comedies (How I Met Your Mother, etc.). Given the success of Grey’s Anatomy, which has done a FRICKIN’ awesome job of casting people of color, maybe more shows will feature positive leading or contract roles for people of color. Grey’s Anatomy has FOUR lead people of color and regularly has guest roles that feature people of color in non-stereotypical, positive light.
Last week, one of my favorite actors, John Cho, guest starred as Dr. Marshall Stone, a surgical intern at another hospital who was being treated. How many times have you seen a Korean-American play a strong dramatic guest shot like this that wasn’t about his “race” in some way? Before that, Natalie Cole guest starred as a women seriously ill whose husband cherished her and was trying to make her dreams happen before she died. Again, they were middle-aged, happily adjusted human beings. Or what about the mixed-race couple, the Asian man (!) married to a white wife, who is pregnant but diagnosed with cancer. They were humans. No one got hot and bothered about race.
I love this show on so many levels.
BTW, does it ever drive any of you nuts when there is a person of color guest starring on a show and the background music suddenly becomes “ethnic”? Asian person guest-starring, ready the Chinese string instruments. African American on the show this week, time to play the soulful gospel. Ugh!
Posted 13 May 2006 at 1:02 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
Hahaha. I can smell your rage from here, Brad.
You know what? You really should go back and take a look at the introduction of Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: SVU. Wanna talk about stereotype-land! It was seriously disturbing. I’m glad they fixed him (well, he isn’t exactly “fixed” yet, but he’s better).
Also I saw an episode of “One Tree Hill,” and I was minutes away from vomiting. The token black high-schooler’s name was “Stretch” or “Freeze” or something equally stereotypical, and despite the show’s deeply suburban locale, this guy ended EVERY line with “dawg.” (I’m not kidding; every single one.)
They were in a hostage situation, by the way… and when someone pissed off the kid with the gun, guess whose job it was to punch his lights out.
Posted 13 May 2006 at 4:36 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
Come on Merq, Where’s your street cred?
Mtevc aka Shorty
Posted 13 May 2006 at 10:51 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
My bad, dawg
Posted 14 May 2006 at 12:50 am ¶
Keya wrote:
UPN shows Suck, except Girlfriends which is just okay.
Posted 14 May 2006 at 8:13 pm ¶
Andrew wrote:
VMars rocks! Seriously, it’s as a good a drama as LOST, 24, Prison Break, and any of the three Law & Orders. I’m glad they picked it up.
Oh, and Chris is definitely in my Thursday night comedy lineup. Yeah, yeah, I know, only NBC has the Thursday night comedy lineup with the awesome The Office and Earl, but for me, Chris is definitely one of the three. I’m glad it got renewed.
Also, how is Dr. George Huang a stereotype on Law & Order SVU? They did mention his Chinese background a few times, and they did feature him heavily in the “you’re a shame on this family/Chinatown episode” every cop show has to do, but other than that, he’s not really a stereotype, is he?
Posted 15 May 2006 at 11:57 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
watch his debut episode, and you’ll see what I mean.
Posted 16 May 2006 at 1:57 am ¶
culturist wrote:
white peaple suck.
Posted 17 May 2006 at 12:02 am ¶
BobHurtz wrote:
Culturist you need learn how to spell before you start insulting P-E-O-P-L-E.
Posted 19 May 2006 at 7:40 am ¶
culturist wrote:
just being honest and in my country it is spealt with an a.
Posted 19 May 2006 at 8:05 am ¶
culturist wrote:
spelt
Posted 19 May 2006 at 8:23 am ¶
Andrew wrote:
Okay, I just watched the episode, “Pique”, where they introduce George Huang. He definitly is VERY different in this episode, and I’m totally glad they fixed him for season 03 up to now.
I really don’t think that he fits the Asian-American stereotype though, otherwise he’d have a fake accent or something along those lines. He was definitely weird, though, and I think they were trying to make George into one of those weird, obsessive psychiatrists, rather than an Asian-American stereotype.
In fact, I’d say they were trying to make George into a Detective Bobby Goren-type (Law & Order CI) character rather than an Asian-American stereotype.
I am so glad that they fixed George though, I much prefer what he is today in SVU. 
Posted 21 May 2006 at 9:00 am ¶
ellenweber wrote:
You make a good case for the fact that when TV and other entertainment reflects and values all cultures — these shows will help to improve our chances for building community together… Or maybe it’s the other way around…. Not sure — but this post reminds us that we are poorer until we begin to use a tone of respect for those who differ from ourselves… and just reading the posts from so many angles can teach us…. Thanks for opening the discussion!
Posted 31 May 2006 at 5:42 pm ¶