NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
What happened to not only the black shows, but where are the black leading actors? NBC, ABC, and CBS have all cancelled shows in the last few weeks, and some were led by either a black actor or actress. Not saying it’s racial but…
Found was coming off a huge first season, and the second season should have been better. However, the writers forgot they had a hit on their hands, and the storyline fell flat. Leading the way was Shanola Hampton (Gabi Mosley). While Found was not viewed as a black show, it was led by one. Now, it’s axed and fans are in an uproar.
The Irrational, led by a black male (Jesse L. Martin), was another show that had promise but fell flat. The dramas are gone, but what they are saying is that we can still make you laugh. No, black actors do have range, but the space given to grow is shrinking.
CBS decided to cut The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah. But on the brighter side, CBS did give it 5 years. It was only so much Robyn McCall could do in a Ty where every criminal has to know who she is. She can’t stay hidden forever. But still, that’s 3 high-profile shows led by African Americans who will not get a proper send-off.
With Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med all being renewed, yet again, as a fan, I have seen seasons that don’t match up to others. They had their chance to fail and redeem themselves. The same can be said for one of my favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy. A few awful seasons under their belt, and here they are getting ready for Season 22.
Three seasons is what a show needs to wrap up storylines. As a TV fanatic, I’m getting a bit heartbroken about wasting time on shows, only to see them get the ax halfway through the second or first season. The Cosby Show set the standard then came shows like A Different World and Living Single. For this new generation, they had All-American and All-American: Homecoming. While the original is still going strong, Homecoming was canceled without a true series finale.
We’re starting to see more of that across network TV, especially when it comes to black shows. They no longer get the proper send-off that even superhero shows get on The CW. This has to stop. The argument will be made that non-black shows are being cancelled as well, but when one is canceled, there are 3 more waiting in the wings to take its place. Black shows don’t have that liberty.
The main Network stations appear to be moving toward the unscripted shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette for Season 95 instead of searching for quality writers to keep their original shows going strong. Maybe if Dick Wolfe were to wrote in more African American actors in his shows, they will have a better shot on the small screen.
Disgusting! Why are all the black actor lead shows being cancelled? Me, I’m not black but I enjoy all shows regardless of race and I’m noticing a pattern here … Equalizer – gone, Found – gone, Irrational – gone, SWAT – gone. Booo on the networks. Rid the old running shows please!!