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Originally posted by Zitrone:

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Originally posted by whatsonpop:
Not running for office, just trying to understand how someone can be so narrow-minded. I sincerely don't believe that a show suceeds just because there is a white straight man in the lead.

Not only a white straight man, the public (or network executives, take your pick, but not me): it can also be a white straight woman. Although a man is probably safer for the ratings.

Recent top-rated TV series with a white lead character are rare, but here is a small list: GA, CSI, DH, House, Heroes, Lost, 24, The Office, Smallville... I could probably find more by looking at the top20 (or 50?) series with the highest audience.

But it's just a coincidence and "sucess is not dependent on the color of someone"...?

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Originally posted by Chimera:

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Originally posted by Zitrone:

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Originally posted by whatsonpop:
Not running for office, just trying to understand how someone can be so narrow-minded. I sincerely don't believe that a show suceeds just because there is a white straight man in the lead.

Not only a white straight man, the public (or network executives, take your pick, but not me): it can also be a white straight woman. Although a man is probably safer for the ratings.

Recent top-rated TV series with a white lead character are rare, but here is a small list: GA, CSI, DH, House, Heroes, Lost, 24, The Office, Smallville... I could probably find more by looking at the top20 (or 50?) series with the highest audience.

But it's just a coincidence and "sucess is not dependent on the color of someone"...?

It's interesting that you started with Grey's Anatomy, because that show at its peak (as the #1 show scripted show last season) had 3 major characters who happened to be black. Not only that, but those 3 characters happened to be in 3 of the most important positions on the show (the roles played by Chandra Wilson, Issaiah Washington and James Pickens Jr): Chief of Surgery, Chief Resident, and Chief of Heart Surgery. Furthermore, it is written and produced by Shonda Rhimes, who happens to be black. While Washington has since left, it had nothing to do with being black, but, ironically enough, for being prejudiced towards another group, gays, and specifically castmate TR Knight.

Nobody is saying that there aren't a lot of successful shows with white leads. But there are also plenty with minority leads, and there are a ton of failed shows with white leads. It has nothing to do with race -- as many here said, I'll watch a show based on its quality, period.

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Originally posted by robert:
The problem is not that people don't watch shows with black leads but the fact the networks don't produce such shows. Don't know why's that so i'm happy to hear ABC is planning a couple of such shows.
Certinly there are individuals who are not atracted by the idea of a black person leading a show or becoming a president but Thank God their number cannot determine the success of a TV show.

Oprah Winfrey is probably the biggest TV personality, Will Smith is the most succesfull actor right now, Tiger Woods is the most succesful sportsman, Obama may even become president so this discussion is a non-sens in my opinion

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Originally posted by Zitrone:
In three years, it could be 99% Asian!

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Originally posted by whatsonpop:
i agree completely Robert. With a smaller number of shows featuring blacks, there is a smaller chance for a breakout hit.

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Originally posted by Chimera:
Guess what -- Sandra Oh is asian-american, yet another prominent cast member on Grey's Anatomy. That cast is one of the most racially diverse casts on television, and it is also one of the most successful -- not because of the color of the cast, but because of the quality of the show.

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Originally posted by Zitrone:

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Originally posted by Chimera:
Guess what -- Sandra Oh is asian-american, yet another prominent cast member on Grey's Anatomy. That cast is one of the most racially diverse casts on television, and it is also one of the most successful -- not because of the color of the cast, but because of the quality of the show.

Guess what, it's not called "Yang's Anatomy" (nevermind the original *pun*, you get the idea). And Sandra Oh didn't get her spin-off.

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Originally posted by Zitrone:
It seems to me both of you just refuse to look at the facts, and instead repeat the same inspirational wisdoms you see on TV. The evidence is there every week, in the list of top-rated series; it doesn't get more obvious than that.

As for calling me a racist, I urge you never to read any social sciences studies. Academics are biased white-supremacists who continue to point out the differences between races in the US for education, health, jail sentences... Don't they know that today it doesn't matter at all if you're white or black?

And the same goes for network TV. The fact that 99% (100%?) of top-rated shows have white lead actors is just a surprisingly unlikely result of random chances. In three years, it could be 99% Asian!

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Originally posted by Obveeus:
You can either call it 'racism' by the networks/studios or you can call it that the networks/studios are just bowing to what they preceive that the viewers want. Personally, I think it is the latter. The networks/studios are monkey-see-money-do types. If a black led comedy aired next year and moved to the top of the Nielsen charts, you can be sure that the networks/studios would greenlight 10 more just like it for the following year. However, until something breaks through to take notice, it will be business as usual. Meanwhile, it is very hard for anything to break through when there are only a few black lead shows on air and the vast majority of the public declines to ever sample them to see if they are good.

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Originally posted by robert:

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Originally posted by Zitrone:
It seems to me both of you just refuse to look at the facts, and instead repeat the same inspirational wisdoms you see on TV. The evidence is there every week, in the list of top-rated series; it doesn't get more obvious than that.

As for calling me a racist, I urge you never to read any social sciences studies. Academics are biased white-supremacists who continue to point out the differences between races in the US for education, health, jail sentences... Don't they know that today it doesn't matter at all if you're white or black?

And the same goes for network TV. The fact that 99% (100%?) of top-rated shows have white lead actors is just a surprisingly unlikely result of random chances. In three years, it could be 99% Asian!

I'm not accusing you or anyone of racism, i just think that's a false problem. A show with black lead has the same chance of success as a show with white lead. That's all

quote:

Originally posted by Zitrone:
It seems to me both of you just refuse to look at the facts, and instead repeat the same inspirational wisdoms you see on TV. The evidence is there every week, in the list of top-rated series; it doesn't get more obvious than that.

As for calling me a racist, I urge you never to read any social sciences studies. Academics are biased white-supremacists who continue to point out the differences between races in the US for education, health, jail sentences... Don't they know that today it doesn't matter at all if you're white or black?

And the same goes for network TV. The fact that 99% (100%?) of top-rated shows have white lead actors is just a surprisingly unlikely result of random chances. In three years, it could be 99% Asian!

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Originally posted by whatsonpop:
I think if you spend a little time looking at the history of television, you will see clearly that there is a place for black-centered television. You are looking at the current landscape of television which is dominated by reality and fragmented by cable options. Now take off your white hood and watch some BET.