Mad Tv Episode Guide

THERE'S a whole lot of drama going on in network television, and we're not talking about the soaps. There are three major battles going on behind the small screen--reality TV wars, ratings system wars and the 5-year-long battle for boardroom inclusion and on-air diversity.

But in the midst of all the brawling, some fresh new shows have been added to the fall lineup--and, as usual, some old favorites have been kicked off.

Here's a rundown of what's really been going on in network television.

ISSUE NO. 1: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS?

Diversity has been a fighting word ever since the big four networks--ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox--rolled out a lily-White primetime lineup back in 1999. Since then the networks have promised to add more minorities to prime-time shows and to the rank-and-file of its television executives.

And based on the networks' new offerings, things are looking better for African-Americans in front of the cameras.

When it comes to the number of Black-oriented shows on the prime-time schedule, nothing has changed--we lost one; we gained one. Last year, the big four networks offered one Black-oriented show, Whoopi (on NBC), which has since been cancelled. This year, Fox's Method & Red, a successful mid-summer release about two hip-hop moguls who stir up trouble and laughs in their quiet suburban neighborhood, is on the prime-time roster.

There is some progress to report concerning the number of shows with Blacks in leading or recurring roles.

Last year, the big four networks offered six new shows featuring Black actors in leading or recurring roles; this year, the offerings have doubled, with 12 such shows coming to television this fall.

* New Shows

On ABC, Malcolm David Kelley and Harold Perrineau are among a group of airplane passengers who are stranded on an island in the riveting series Lost. On the new drama Eyes, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (also seen on NYPD Blue) and Rick Worthy are private eyes who will do whatever it takes to make their clients' problems disappear; and James Pickens Jr., Isaiah Washington and Chandra Wilson are doctors-in-training at the nation's toughest surgical residency program in the drama Grey's Anatomy.

On CBS, a team of crime-solving forensic scientists takes on the Big Apple in CSI: NY, one of the most anticipated new series for the network, co-starring Hill Harper; and Malcolm-Jamal Warner is a former football player-turned-sports-show-host on the new sitcom Listen Up.

NBC: The talented Blair Underwood runs a terminal in turbulent times in the new drama named after the bustling Los Angeles International Airport, LAX; boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard teams with superstar Sylvester Stallone to find the next boxing superstar on The Contender, Orlando Jones lends his voice to the animated series Father of the Pride; Troy Winbush is an intense medical inspector on the new drama Medical Investigation; and Honolulu's Metro Police Department sets the scene in the new action-packed drama Hawaii, starring Sharif Atkins.

Fox: Omar Epps joins a brilliant team of doctors attempting to stave off a mad scientist in the new one-hour drama House; and some feisty boxers will duke it out on the new reality series The Next Great Champ.

Several of your favorite shows with Blacks in leading and recurring roles will also return to the small screen this fall.

On ABC, Alias, My Wife and Kids, NYPD Blue and Less Than Perfect are back. On CBS, CSI: Miami, Judging Amy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Cold Case have returned. On NBC, Las Vegas, Scrubs, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order, ER, and Third Watch are back; and on Fox, The BernieMac Show and Malcolm in the Middle have returned. (See the Prime-Tune Guide on page 132 for details.)

* UPN & The WB

UPN and the WB have stirred the pot this season with their new and returning shows.

On UPN, Taye Diggs is a hotshot attorney who's forced into sudden fatherhood in the drama Kevin Hill; and real-life couple Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker are giving love a second chance in Second Time Around. Returning favorites include All of Us; Girlfriends; Half & Half and the America's Top Model franchise.

Comedian Gary Anthony Williams portrays himself on The WB's new sitcom Blue Collar TV, a show that spotlights stand-up comics as they discuss their views on every day life. Returning are Steve Harvey's Big Time; and Dorian Gregory returns to protect three good witches on Charmed.

* Cable

This season, some big-screen names are involved in a host of groundbreaking shows on cable television.

On HBO, Halle Berry produces an all-star cast in Lackawanna Blues, a film that looks at the lives of African-Americans in the period just before desegregation. It features Macy Gray, Carmen Ejogo, Terrence Howard, Delroy Lindo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Henry Simmons, Jeffery Wright, Louis Gossett Jr. and several other notable stars.

Showtime: The Dave Chapelle Comedy Special, taped live from San Francisco. is sure to get some laughs; and the gritty and suspenseful series The Wire has returned.

The N! Network, the new Viacom network for 'tweens and teens, are presenting Miracle's Boys, a teen drama that follows the life of three orphaned Harlem brothers. Essie Chambers, executive director of development for the N! network, delivers some heavy, talent. The series, shot entirely in Harlem, was produced by Tonya Lewis Lee and directed by her husband, Spike Lee, and others.

On PBS, The Making of America, narrated by Morgan Freeman, promises to tell the "full story" of American slavery; Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise & Fall of Jack Johnson chronicles the life of the first African-American heavyweight champion; astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson searches for the recipes for life in Origins, a Nova Presentation; and Tavis Smiley returns to his late-night forum filled with news, issues and entertainment.

There are some new additions to established shows on Lifetime, Vivica A. Fox portrays special agent Nicole Scott on Missing; twin Tamera Mowry joins the cast of Strong Medicine; and Loretta Devine stars as M. Pearl McGuire, the supervisor of a fraud investigative team in Wild Card.

THE VERDICT

It appears that an exciting and diversified prime-time season is on the horizon this fall, but behind the cameras, specifically in the director's chair, network TV appears to be fading to White.

According to a recent study by the Directors Guild of America, 86 percent of network television directors are White men, and only 6 percent of network television directors are Black (males and females combined).

ISSUE NO. 2: 'DON'T COUNT US OUT'

Nielsen Media Research (founders of the Nielsen's ratings, the statistical bible of who is watching what) wants to implement a new high-tech system to measure local audiences by implementing electronic devices referred to as "people meters." (The current system involves television boxes and selected viewers keeping written diaries.) In a released statement, the company argues that the new system would provide more accurate data.

But television critics, including the News Corporation and the watchdog group Don't Count Me Out, have warned that the new system would undercount Black and Hispanic households. In one study, Black viewership reportedly dropped over 30 percent under the new data collection method when compared with the older system.

If their fears are true, being undercounted could produce a damning domino effect on the look of prime-time television.

For instance, lower television ratings from Blacks and Hispanics, could mean lower advertising revenue for the network. Lower advertising revenue, could mean reluctance for the network to renew, develop, market and advertise on programs geared for Blacks and Hispanics.

And at the tail end of this domino effect is the diversity debate. As they say, the only Color that really matters in Hollywood is green, and if a show is dying in the ratings, then it's not bringing in the advertising revenue and it will be cancelled, no matter how diverse it is.

The Verdict

The verdict is still out on this debate. Congress will have open hearings On the matter and Nielsen has appointed a panel of prominent community and industry leaders, in consultation with Congressman Charles B. Rangel, to help ensure "that its national and local samples are representative of the diverse TV viewing audience, especially people of color."

ISSUE NO. 3: IS REALITY TV KILLING OFF SCRIPTED SHOWS

Blacks are making waves on virtually every television network--falling in love on dating shows, winning record deals on talent shows, earning bragging rights on daredevil action shows, strutting their stuff on modeling shows and even getting hired and fired on a high-stakes employment show.

But is the unprecedented popularity of The Apprentice's Kwame and Omarosa, or American Idol's Ruben Studdard and Fantasia, or Tyra's gorgeous crew of America's Next Top Model really to blame for the untimely demise of a number of traditional scripted shows?

"I do think that in some corners in Hollywood reality television is perceived as a threat," explains Alisha Davis, co-anchor of the cable entertainment news show, E! News Live. "And the reality is that there are fewer writing jobs because you don't need writers for the reality shows. So it does have an impact, but obviously scripted programming is here to stay, and the two are co-existing right now."

Strong scripted shows, such as the Law & Order and CSI franchises are definitely doing well. But overall, as ratings for many reality television shows soared to new heights, the ratings for many scripted shows delved to new lows, and a bevy of last season's shows--many featuring African-American actors--have been cancelled.

The Verdict

Only time will tell if reality television is a passing fancy or a dominant new genre to be reckoned with. What's clear, however, is that the genre has reeled in massive audiences on minimal budgets--an average scripted drama could cost up to $2 million per episode to produce, whereas a hit reality show can cost about $500,000 per episode to produce and such savings have executives scrambling to produce the next boldest, strangest, craziest, sexiest and zaniest show to keep them laughing all the way to the bank.

JOHNATHAN RODGERS

President & CEO of TVOne

Changing The Face Of Network Television

JOHNATHAN ROBGERS, president and CEO of TVOne, wants to deliver exciting programming that will distinguish itself from the tired cliches that have dominated prime-time television for decades. "I want TVOne to be a television home base for African-American adults," he says. "I want this to be a network where you can find positive, informative programming that is not only about you, bat is also about subjects that interest you and are produced by people who are just like you."

Rodgers values the African-American experience and perspective that TVOne will bring to its characters and shows. "We see African-Americans fulfilling all the roles of all the programs both positive and negative, bat when we portray African-Americans. we avoid stereotypes, we avoid the lowest common denominator," he explains. "We show the full breath and vitality of our culture as opposed to narrowing it down to a stereotypical view of who we are as a people."

Rodgers' track record in the TV industry includes a successful stint at the Discovery Networks' Discovery Channel, where the launching of several successful shows, including Animal Planet and Trading Spaces, led to 11 prime-time Emmy Awards and stellar ratings.

Prior to joining Discovery Networks, Rodgers lead a successful 20-year career with CBS Inc, where he held various executive positions. He attributes his success in network television to a programming formula that includes giving the people what they want, and giving an audience what it has been missing.

And today he's eager to spread the news about TVOne's new prime-time lineup.

"One of the shows that I'm most proud of is a dating show called Get the Hook Up," he beams. "It's a show where Black women win. Black women will always get the date on this show. You watch shows like The Bachelor and yon see us on at the beginning of the show, but you know that we're going to be voted off before the commercial comes on. But this time, we win. I love that!"

Other highlights of TVOne's fall schedule include Make over Manor, a makeover show geared for African-American women; Celebrity Bid Whist, TvOne's answer to the popular Celebrity Poker reality show, and Divine Restoration, where TVOne rebuilds small churches and tells the history of that church and its parishioners.

Rodgers (married to TV producer Royal Kennedy) is confident that TVOne will be No. 1 with African-Americans.

ROBERT TOWNSEND

President of The Black Family Channel

Bringing Black Talent To The Forefront

AS a comedian, actor, producer, writer, movie star and star maker, Robert Townsend has just about done it all. And now as the new president of the MBC Network's new cable television station, the Black Family Channel, the talented Mr. Townsend is ready to do more.

In the process of entertaining the masses, Townsend has discovered quite a few talents as well, including Dave Chappelle, Chris Tucker and Damon Wayans. Recently, he conducted a cross-country talent hunt for fresh faces to add in front of the cameras and behind-the-scenes of the new Black Family Channel.

"We've seen actors, actresses, spoken-word artists, writers, directors; everyone has come through the door," Townsend says in a mixed display of total exhaustion and sheer excitement. "I'm creating something totally different that has never been done before on television, but it's time. I'm just taking a page from what Berry Gordy did with Motown ... and now I'm the first one to do this on television."

Approximately 200 talented discoveries will help Townsend's vision of what he hopes the Black Family Channel is to become--a one-stop-shop of entertainment for the entire Black family. "There is something for the kids, teenagers adults and senior citizens," he says.

The Black Family Channel's current lineup appears to be on the right track in terms of diversified programming, including a special show on schedule for the hard-to-please at-risk teenager. "Thug Angelz is a one-hour drama about the guardian angels for drug dealers and the mafia and how they try to turn them to God," he says. "The show is best described as Touched By An Angel meets The Sopranos. We're trying to reach those kids out there who are watching nothing but music videos and don't have any alternative [programming] for their spiritual growth. So with Thug Angelz, the storyline is going to be really edgy, but it will have a real strong moral and spiritual overtone."

Although Townsend believes that network TV is making some progress in terms of its programming and profiling of African-Americans in prime-time television, he adds there is room for improvement and that he's ready to do the work.

"Now that I'm running a network," he says, "I'm going to put images out there with people of color on a new level."

2004 Prime-Time TV Lineup

SUNDAY

8:00 p.m.

* COLD CASE (CBS)

Them Barry

8:00 p.m.

* CHARMED (THE WB)

Dorian Gregory

9:00 p.m.

* LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (NBC)

Courtney B. Vance

9:00 p.m.

* MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (FOX)

Craig Lamar Traylor

MONDAY

8:00 p.m.

* HOUSE (FOX)

Omar Epps

8:00 p.m.

* ONE ON ONE * (UPN)

Flex Alexander, Kyla Pratt

8:30 p.m.

* LISTEN UP (CBS)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

8:30 p.m.

* HALF & HALF *

Essence Atkins, Rachel True, Telma Hopkins, Valarie Pettiford, Chico Benyman

9:00 p.m.

* GIRLFRIENDS * (UPN)

Tracee Ellis Ross, Persia White, Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, Reggie Hayes

9:30 p.m.

* SECOND TIME AROUND * (UPN)

Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Brian White, Melissa De Sousa, Danielle Nicolet

10:00 p.m.

* CSI: MIAMI (CBS)

Khandi Alexander

10:00 p.m.

* LAX (NBC)

Blair Underwood

TUESDAY

8:00 p.m.

* MY WIFE & KIDS * (ABC)

Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell-Martin, George 0. Gore II, Jennifer Freeman, Parker McKenna Posey, Noah Gray-Cabey, Andrew McFarlane and Brooklyn Sudano

8:00 p.m.

* THE CONTENDER (NBC)

Sugar Ray Leonard

8:00 p.m.

* ALL OF US * (UPN)

LisaRaye, Duane Martin,

Elise Neal, Khamani

Griffin, Tony Rock

8:30 p.m.

* EVE * (UPN)

Eve, Jason George,

Natalie Desselle, Brian

Hooks

9:00 p.m.

* GILMORE GIRLS (THE WB)

Yanic Truesdale

9:00 p.m.

* FATHER OF THE PRIDE (NBC)

Animated series: Orlando Jones (voice-over)

10:00 p.m.

* NYPD BLUE (ABC)

Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and Henry Simmons

10:00 p.m.

* JUDGING AMY (CBS)

Richard T. Jones

10:00 p.m.

* LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)

Ice-T

WEDNESDAY

8:00 p.m.

* LOST (ABC)

Malcolm David Kelley and Harold Perrineau

8:00 p.m.

* HAWAII (NBC)

Sharif Atkins

8:00 p.m.

* SMALLVILLE (THE WB)

Sam Jones III

8:00 p.m.

* AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (UPN)

Tyra Banks

9:00 p.m.

* KEVIN HILL (UPN)

Taye Diggs, Michael Michele

9:00 p.m.

* THE BERNIE MAC

SHOW * (FOX)

Bernie Mac, Kellita Smith, Camille Winbush, Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis

9:00 p.m.

* THE WEST WING (NBC)

Dule Hill

9:30 p.m.

* METHOD & RED * (FOX)

Method Man and Redman

10:00 p.m.

* CSI: NY

Hill Harper

10:00 p.m.

* LAW & ORDER (NBC)

Jesse L. Martin, S. Epatha Merkerson

THURSDAY

8:00 p.m.

* BLUE COLLAR TV (THE WB)

Gary Anthony Williams

8:00 p.m.

* STEVE HARVEY'S BIG TIME * (THE WB)

Steve Harvey

8:30 p.m.

* SCRUBS (NBC)

Donald Faison

9:00 p.m.

* CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS)

Gary Dourdan

9:00 p.m.

* LAS VEGAS (NBC)

Marsha Thomason, James Lesure

9:00 p.m.

* WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (THE WB)

Wesley Jonathan

10:00 p.m.

* WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS)

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

10:00 p.m.

* ER (NBC)

Mekhi Phifer

FRIDAY

9:00 p.m.

* JAG (CBS)

Scott Lawrence

9:30 p.m.

* LESS THAN PERFECT (ABC)

Sherri Shepherd

10:00 p.m.

* MEDICAL INVESTIGATION (NBC)

Troy Winbush

* Denotes a Black-oriented series. All times Eastern Standard Time (EST).

COPYRIGHT 2004 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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