1. art and entertainment
2. movies and tv
3. television

DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
of 130 million people, and made me want to learn
more about my African lineage and eventually
visit the continent, not once but nearly fifty times
in just five years.
In 1969 my parents bought me a Julia doll—the
first celebrity Barbie doll fashioned after an
African American woman in a non-stereotypical
role on TV. Watching Diahann Carroll portray a
black nurse raising her young son was so
exciting. I had to have that doll!
Before Julia, there were so few positive images
of African Americans on U.S. television. Her very
presence literally changed the color of TV
forever.
Of course, Carroll wasn’t the first black talent
to appear on the small screen. Ethel Waters came
on the scene in 1939. And in 1951, Amos & Andy
made the transition from radio to TV. The show
was popular but offensive to most blacks and
many race conscious whites.
Soon to follow were anthologies and shows like
The Nurses (1962-1965), East Side/West Side
(1963-1964), and The Defenders (1961-1965),
which offered recurring roles for blacks. I loved
watching re-runs of these classics!
But it wasn’t until 1971, when Lionel Jefferson
(Michael Evans), the young African American
next-door neighbor in All in The Family, became
a semi-regular on the show, that I was endeared
to creator, Norman Lear and his brilliant stream
of socially relevant sitcoms that followed.
It was Louis Gossett, Jr.’s Emmy-Award-winning
performance in Roots (1977), a story that had
never been told on TV, that caught the attention
By the eighties, a slew of programs and
personalities appeared. From Cosby and Oprah
through to the Tyler Perry era. We were
everywhere!
Today, a copious number of U.S. TV series,
characters, and plot lines are African American
influenced. The interest and exposure of these
personalities, shows, and characters has grown
exponentially and spread internationally. Many
of the classics are repeated in multiple
languages. And with reality TV comes an
unexpected boom. There’s no question that
African American content is a moneymaker!
This special section of DISBOOK shines a
spotlight on African American TV content by
highlighting programming with predominantly
African American casts, and paying homage to
the pioneers, superstars, creators, and the next
generation of power players blazing new trails.
With Africa’s insatiable appetite for African
American content, and African American’s
growing interest in co-producing and distributing
programming in Africa, this section offers a
timely bridge of the two mutually beneficial
interests. And on what better occasion, as
DISCOP Africa 2014 celebrates South Africa’s
20th year of democracy and 45 years of African
Americans in Television.
Shirley Neal, Guest Editor, African Americans
on television, is a TV producer and specialist
on the history of African American television –
snealonline@gmail.com
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
seventies
RS
P IO N E E
Black Legacy
The Beginnings of Real
“Color TV” in the U.S.
1968 - 1971
Julia
The first weekly
series to depict an
From the Projects to the Penthouse
African American
Creator/Host (The Flip Wilson Show
, 1970-1974), Flip Wilson.
Growing up, Wilson once said he
had been “so poor even the poor
looked down on me.” At it’s peak
, his show drew forty million peop
le
weekly and became the number
one variety show on air.
Credit: NBC/Photofest. ©NBC
woman in a nonstereotypical role
1970 - 1974
The Flip Wilson
Show
The first successful
variety series
with an AfricanAmerican star
1971
Soul Train
The longest running
first-run nationally
syndicated program
in American history
1972 - 1986
THE NORMAN
LEAR ERA: BLACK
SITCOMS
Sanford and Son
Good Times
Diahann Carroll as Julia Baker in Julia (1968-1971) often remarked
that she was troubled by the criticism the show received, “especially
the accusations that the series failed to offer a proper role model
to black children.” Credit: NBC/Photofest. ©NBC
The Jeffersons
Diff’rent Strokes
s highly successful and often,
Sitcom Pioneer, Norman Lear. Lear’
ge television history. By 1975,
chan
to
d
helpe
ms,
sitco
ial
controvers
hed programs, two of which
watc
most
ten
the
gst
four ranked amon
African American casts.
had
Son)
and
(The Jeffersons, and Sanford
Credit: Photofest
2
For many African Americans, the
purchase of their first TV set placed
them smack in the middle of the
civil rights struggle. By 1968, most
images in the news media featured
blacks in lunch counter protests,
store boycotts, and marching for
civil rights. Following the
assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and President Kennedy,
racial turmoil was at its peak.
Amidst the struggle, Nichelle
Nichols, a black actress portraying
Uhura on the TV series Star Trek
(1966-1969), along with white actor,
William Shatner as Capt. Kirk,
delivered TV’s first interracial kiss.
As the country continued to change,
so did the acceptance of African
Americans in positive roles on TV.
By the 1970s networks were looking to
broadcast programming that would
attract racially diverse audiences. Along
came Julia (1968-1972), the first
scripted show to star an African
American since Amos & Andy (1951-53)
and Beulah (1950-53). Creator, Hal
Kanter’s pilot script for Julia was
inspired by a speech given by NAACP
(National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People)
Director Roy Wilkins. It wasn’t until page
twelve of the script that it was revealed
that Julia Baker was black. It occurred
during a phone interview between Julia
and her soon to be employer. The
dialogue was as follows:
While the Evans’ family on the sitcom
Good Times (1974-1979), could never
seem to make their way out of the
tough Housing Projects in Chicago another Norman Lear creation The Jeffersons (1975-1985), moved
on up from Harlem, then Queens, to
Manhattan, into a “Dee-luxe” apartment
in the sky!” Both series were produced
during the “black is beautiful” era in
America, when African American
viewers were starved for images of
black families who were hard-working,
loving, caring, and raising their children
in two-parent homes.
The Jeffersons became one of the
longest running sitcoms in the history
of American television, just as The
Cosby Show (1984-1992) became one
of the most successful. The original
concept had Bill Cosby working as a
chauffeur. But his wife, Camille, nixed
the idea, wanting to defy pre-conceived
notions about the African American
family. The networks listened. Cosby
became Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. A hit
was born!
With the success of The Cosby Show,
NBC hoped to cash in on the hip-hop
craze blowing up the U.S. radio
airwaves. They took a leap of faith
casting young rap star Will Smith in the
title role of, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
(1990-1996.) After a rocky start, the
show became a major crossover hit
attracting the coveted young
demographic.
Julia: I’m colored. I’m a Negro.
Doctor: Have you always been a Negro,
or are you just trying to be fashionable?
In the non-scripted realm, variety
shows like The Flip Wilson Show
(1970-74) introduced aspects of black
and urban culture to mainstream TV
and proved to be more successful than
Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis,
Jr. who’d attempted to do the same
at an earlier, less accepting time.
Soon after, producer/writer, Norman
Lear, gambled that society would be
ready to accept his interracially mixed
situation comedies that dealt with
issues that were previously taboo for
TV audiences.
sley,
el Sanford, Sherman Hem
Shown from left to right: Isab
lly
racia
first
’s
The Jeffersons (1974-1985).
ision
telev
U.S.
g
s broke new ground featurin
and Mike Evans. The serie
s. Credit: CBS Photofest
acters in a primetime serie
char
lar
regu
as
le
coup
d
mixe
Development of family
sitcoms with predominantly
African American casts
experienced a decline in the
90s, but are making a
comeback today, with series
like The Soul Man (2012-),
Family Time (2012-), Mann &
Wife (2014-), and the muchhyped, Black-ish (2014-),
about an affluent African
American man, living in a
mostly-white neighborhood,
who desperately tries to keep
his wife and four kids rooted
in his idea of black culture.
Good Times (1974-1979).
Shown clockwise, from
left:
Ralph Carter, Jimmie
Walker, Bernadette Sta
nis, John Amos,
Esther Rolle. According
to demands by series
star, Esther
Rolle, Good Times was
to portray a “complete
black family,”
before she would com
mit to the project. Cre
dit: CBS Photofest
The Cosby Show (1984-1992). In developing The
Cosby Show, Bill Cosby (third from the left) insisted,
“No one was a minstrel. No one was a buffoon.
The humor won’t be slick one-liners everyone’s
used to.” Credit: NBC Photofest
EP IS OD ES
M OS T #
IL Y
FO R FA M
W IT H
SI TC OM S
IN AN TL Y
PR ED OM
AF RI CA N
CA ST S
AM ER IC AN
1978 - 1986
254 episodes
HOUSE OF PAYNE
1975 - 1985
253 episodes
THE JEFFERSONS
1989 – 1998
215 episodes
FAMILY MATTERS
1984 – 1992
202 episodes
THE COSBY SHOW
1978 - 1986
190 episodes
DIFF’RENT
STROKES
3
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
TV
PI ON EE RI NG
AF RI CA N
FIL MS FO R
TA LE NT
AM ER IC AN
1970
MY SWEET CHARLIE
Starring Al Freeman,
Jr., and Patty Duke
1971
BRIAN’S SONG
Starring Billy Dee
Williams, and
James Caan
1974
From Blaxploitation to
a new film sub-genre,
African Americans attract
mainstream audiences
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE
PITTMAN
Starring Cicely
Tyson
In the 70’s, just as the black exploitation
films, Shaft (1971), Superfly (1972),
Three the Hard Way (1974), Foxy Brown
(1974), Hammer (1972), Cleopatra Jones
(1973), and the leader of the pack,
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadass Song
(1971), were attracting urban audiences
and generating impressive box office
ticket sales, along came “Made-for-TVMovies” on network television. They
exposed black actors in serious roles,
not just to black audiences, but also
the mainstream.
First up, came My Sweet Charlie (1970),
set at a time when Civil Rights wounds
were still raw. It told the story of a
militant black fugitive accused of
murder, and a white pregnant girl,
running away from their respective
dtree (as John Shaft).
Shown on poster: Richard Roun
n theatrical releases like
itatio
explo
black
of
ss
succe
The
st of African American
intere
the
ned
spaw
Shaft (1971),
in Made-for-TV Movies.
as well as mainstream audiences,
(1971). African American
ms, James Caan in Brian’s Song
Shown from left: Billy Dee Willia
onship with white teammate
relati
his
t
a small mention abou
Hall of famer, Gayle Sayers wrote
wood’s
that excerpt that attracted Holly
was
It
.
Third
Am
I
phy,
iogra
Brian Piccolo, in his autob
the time. Credit: ABC/Photofest
at
rated
st
highe
the
of
one
attention, making the TV movie
4
Shown from left: Patty Duke, Al Freeman Jr. in My sweet Charlie
(1970). According to the film’s director, Lamont Johnson, “The
network was nervous about the film because we said the word,
“Nigger” several times and it was not approved in those days,
even though, we got all kinds of awards.” Credit: Photofest
situations, and ending up at the same
coastal beach house in Texas.
Although the film received heavy
acclaim, the most successful of the
Made-for-TV movies, in terms of
ratings, were based on true stories
rather than fiction. Brian’s Song (1971)
led the pack. At the time, it was the
fourth most-watched film ever on
television, and made instant stars of its
two leads, Billy Dee Williams and James
Caan. The film received eleven Emmy
nominations, and in an unlikely move,
earned a run in the theatres after it was
broadcast on network TV. The ratings
success of Brian’s Song dimmed four
years later, next to The Autobiography of
Miss Jane Pittman (1974), hailed by film
critic, Pauline Kael, as “quite possibly
the finest movie ever made for
American Television.”
By the end of the decade, films like
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings(1979)
and King (1978) emerged but never
quite drew the attention of mainstream
audiences. The genre died a slow death,
until resurrected in the late 90’s on
pay-cable TV, with films like Introducing
Dorothy Dandridge (1999), and The
Josephine Baker Story (1991), earning
major Hollywood accolades.
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
Black Legacy
ROOTS STATS
What He’s
Doing Now
Has a role in two
BUDGETS
new CBS-TV series,
› $7 Million USD
Extant, and Madam
for “Roots”
Secretary, as well
› $16.6 Million USD
for “Roots: The Next
Generations”
as the upcoming
The Saga of an American Family
A Surprise Success!
CBC/BET miniseries, The Book
of Negroes
commercially be
accepted. Network Chief,
Fred Silverman recalled,
“I was concerned about
the first episode with the
slave ship. And there
were brutal parts of that
show. And I figured we
might be better off to
play it in one burst – one
week – in late January.”
Instead of it being the
ratings disaster the
network feared, the
premiere episode of the
mini-series earned an
unprecedented 49
Rating. At At the end of
the eight-day run, an
estimated 140 million
viewers saw all or part
of the mini-series.
Producer, David Wolper
posited, “Roots was a
Left to right, Louis Gossett, Jr. as Fiddler, LeVar Burton as Kunte in Roots (1977). LeVar Burton was a student at The University of Southern
success because it was
California, who had no previous experience in front of the camera when he won the role of Kunta Kinte. Credit: ABC/Photofest. ©ABC
a family story that caught
people’s imagination.” The
Beginning
January
23,
1977,
a
diverse
series
brought
African American history
RATINGS
Premiere:
worldwide audience united for twelve
to life for the first time on television,
› 49 Rating
hours,
over
eight
days,
to
watch
TV
and inspired a whole movement of
(measured by
programming on an epic scale – Roots.
genealogical research among African
number of TV
homes in the
The
mini-series,
based
on
the
bestAmericans as they sought to find out
country)
› 57 Share (% of
selling novel by Alex Haley, traced the
about their personal pasts.
sets in use on a
struggles
of
the
author’s
family
from
its
given night)
life in Africa to its enslavement and
One of the few mini-series to rival
ultimate
freedom
in
America.
the success of Roots was its sequel,
accolades
Earned an
Roots: The Next Generations (1979).
unprecedented
The mini-series aired at a volatile time
The mini-series picked up where its
› 37 Emmy
in the country’s history, as race
predecessor left off, with Haley’s slave
nominations
› 9 Emmy Awards
relations were just starting to improve.
ancestors winning their freedom
In fact it almost didn’t air. Network
in the aftermath of the Civil War.
executives
and
advertisers
did
not
The success of both mini-series had
1
expect that a show with black heroes
lasting impact on the television
and white villains would be
industry.
His Life with Emmy and Oscar
The mini-series Roots attracted a
virtual who’s who of African American
dramatic talent, but it was Louis
Gossett, Jr., as Fiddler, who won the
Emmy Award for his performance.
As historian Donald Bogle describes,
“He deserved it! Fiddler plays his
fiddle, and he grins and smiles for
his white masters. But then when he’s
with the young Kunta Kinte alone,
he removes the mask, and he gives
him lessons on survival.”
For Gossett, “What was important to
me about the Fiddler character is that
he taught Kunta Kinte how to survive,
so that there would be a continuing of
his people and peace of mind, even in
times of crisis, such as slavery.”
First Gig
Age 17, cast
in Broadway
production of Take
A Giant Step
Why He’s
a Legend
First African
American male
to win a Supporting
Actor Academy
Award; 2 Emmys;
1 Golden Globe;
featured in over
362 titles including
Lou Gossett, Jr. holding Emmy Award (1977). “Receiving an Academy Award for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
has been a career highlight, but to be chosen to get the Emmy for my performance in Roots was the most
meaningful, and so significant, because Roots made a statement that stopped the world.” Credit: AP Photo
Skin Game, Travels
with My Aunt,
The Laughing
Policeman, The
Deep, Jaws 3-D,
Enemy Mine, the
Iron Eagle series,
and Toy Soldiers.
His Passion
He is primarily
dedicating the last
quadrant of his
life to an all-out
conscious offensive
against racism,
violence, ignorance
and social apathy,
6
through his Eracism
Foundation
7
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
Black Legacy
The decade of BET and
Oprah
Shown: Oprah Winfrey. “I knew
what a miraculous opportun
ity I
had been given, but I cert
ainly couldn’t have imagined
the
yellow brick road of blessing
s.”
1980, with the launch of a new cable
network – BET (Black Entertainment
Television). Founder, Robert Johnson
explains, “I was a lobbyist with the cable
industry at that time, and I felt that
there was a need for a programming
service that appealed to African
Americans on a consistent basis.”
Stars from BET’s Being Mary Jane (2014-). The series that premiered first on rival cable network, The CW in 2006,
before moving to BET in 2010, is the network’s first foray into one-hour scripted drama. Credit: Quantrell D. Colbert
l,
) Left to right, Coby Bel
Game (2013). (seated
Norwood.
Stars from BET’s The
ndy
Bra
n,
inso
Rob
nding) Wendy Raquel
Hosea Chanchez. (sta
March 2014 Season 7
viewers tuning in for the
With nearly 7 million
ranks as #1 in over all
ly
ent
sist
con
es
the seri
premiere of The Game,
ll D. Colbert
ntre
Qua
dit:
en 18-49. Cre
cable networks for wom
African Americans were heavily
involved in politics in the 1980s.
Civil Rights activist, Reverend
Jesse Jackson, even made a run
for the Presidency. AIDS was the
new medical fear; waterbeds,
shoulder pads and the Rubik’s
Cube were trending; and on
television, we saw more African
Americans in regular roles on
dramatic series like Miami Vice
(1984-1989), Dynasty (19811989), Hill Street Blues (19811987), and The A-Team (19831987), than in any previous
decade.
Popular African American-themed
sitcoms like, 227 (1985-1990),
A Different World (1987-1993), Family
Matters (1989-1998) and of course,
The Cosby Show (1984-1992), also
premiered with impressive ratings. But
the really big news came on January 25,
8
In it’s nascent years, the cable network
ran mostly music videos and only
broadcast for two hours per week. The
network now reaches over 90 million
households and boasts of some of the
highest rated programming on TV with
series like Being Mary Jane (2014- ),
The Game (2006), and Real Husbands
of Hollywood (2013-). After selling his
stake in 2000 to Viacom for $3 billion,
Johnson shared his greatest
disappointment. “In the early days of
BET, I was on an airplane and reading
an article about this young woman who
was sort of beginning to shake up the
world of talk shows out of Baltimore. It
was Oprah Winfrey. And I remember
putting a call in to a Chicago station she
was on – WBBM. By that time they had
locked her up in a contract and we
couldn’t get near her. That was the one
show and one talent that would’ve been
the “good get!”
Oprah Winfrey hit the national airwaves
in 1986. The syndicated talk show aired
nationally for 25 seasons. Produced
and hosted by Winfrey, it remains the
highest-rated talk show in American
television history. Today her Oprah
Winfrey Cable Network (OWN) is a direct
competitor of BET.
duced
Coles. Created and pro
Latifah, Kim Fields, Kim
fessional
Erika Alexander, Queen
:
pro
left
ng,
you
from
le,
wn
sing
r
Sho
fou
3-1998):
sed on the lives of
Living Single Cast (199
turned actress,
Bowser, the show focu
es), a hip hop pioneer,
w-runner, Yvette Lee
Latifah (Khadijah Jam
en
by African American sho
Que
.
York
New
n,
en living in Brookly
yright Fox
African American wom
dit: FOX/Photofest. Cop
dicated talk show. Cre
now hosts her own syn
Living Single
in Living Color
By the 1990’s, with President Bill
Clinton appointing more African
Americans in his cabinet than any other
president before him, the question of
race started to fade. By executive order
he established a “One America in the
21st Century” initiative that encouraged
the country to embrace diversity.
Network television did its part.
Throughout the decade, more African
Americans were being featured in
starring roles on mainstream shows
like, I’ll Fly Away (1991-1993), Equal
Justice (1990-1991), and ER (1994
-2009); plus, on a growing number of
ethnically themed shows like Martin
(1992-1997), Moesha (1996-2001) and
Roc (1991-1994), where they could
express their cultural identities, openly
and creatively. Two standout series
launched the careers of two ensemble
players who went on to receive
Academy Award nods.
In 2005, Jamie Foxx became the first
African American actor to receive two
acting nominations in the same year,
and won a Best Actor Oscar for his role
in Ray (2004) about musician Ray
Charles. National audiences first came
to appreciate his talents
in the sketch comedy series,
In Living Color (1990-1994).
The program also made stars
out of actors, Jim Carrey,
Damon Wayans, David Alan
Grier, and a young “Fly Girl”
dancer named Jennifer
Lopez (J-Lo).
Before receiving her Academy
Award nomination for Best
Actress in 2003 for her role
in Chicago, Queen Latifah
was an ensemble actress
in the BFF (best friends for
life) series, Living Single
(1993-1998) – said to be the
Sex in the City of its time.
Throughout the era,
networks were also
embracing African
In Living Color Cast:(Left to right)
: (top row) Marc Wilmore, Jim Carre
American talent behind the
y, AnneMarie Johnson, Jay Leggett (midd
le row) T’Keyah “Crystal” Keym.h,
Jamie
Foxx, Carol Rosenthal (bottom row)
scenes, as producers (Tim
Tommy Davidson, Alexandra Went
worth,
David Alan Grier.
Reid), directors (Thomas
Carter), and show runners
(Yvette Lee Bowser), often through their
own production companies – this, in an
effort to produce more programming
that reflected black life. And with
African Americans spending more time
watching television, “Black” was not
1
only beautiful – but also fashionable
and profitable.
9
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
Black Legacy
Princess Banton
HOW SHE DID IT
African American Women calling
the shots and running the shows
a medical drama, City of
Angels (2000) with a
predominantly black cast
was televised.
It wasn’t long until Shonda
Rhimes came on the scene
and developed Grey’s
Anatomy (2005-), and
characters like the real
Olivia Pope in her TV drama
Scandal (2012-), along with
Private Practice (2007-2013),
and later, How to Get Away
with Murder (2014) - making
her the most successful
African American woman
show runner in primetime
TV history.
Princess Banton: creator of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” series.
The new millennium for African
Americans in film and television
brought new hope for the future. Denzel
Washington, Halle Berry, Forest
Whitaker, and Jennifer Hudson were
winning and being nominated for
Academy Awards. The Beulah’s, Huggy
Bears, and Dyno-mites of the 60s, 70s,
and 80s, were replaced on TV shows
where black characters were upwardly
mobile professionals. For the first time,
10
There were other black
female visionaries in the
new millennium making
their marks as creators and
showrunners like Mara Brock Akil (The
Game, Girlfriends), Felicia Henderson,
(Soul Food), Yvette Lee Bowser (Half &
Half, Living Single, The Soul Man) - the
list goes on. They all had impressive
college degrees from Stanford, UCLA,
Northwestern, USC; a passion for
television; and celebrity mentors who
helped them along the way.
All but one - Princess Banton.
She never went to college.
She never went to film school.
She knew nothing about
producing for TV when she
pitched her first show idea
that ultimately became The
Real Housewives of Atlanta
- the most successful U.S.
TV reality series with a
predominantly African
American cast.
“
I was an underwriter for an
insurance company in Toronto
before moving to Atlanta with
my orthodontist husband
and quickly became a part
of a black socialite circle.
I thought a show about these
fun, fabulous, opinionated
women would be interesting.
I called it, “Ladies of the A.”
Fast forward three weeks:
I met NeNe Leakes. She was
only my second interview.
I literally walked in her house
with my $100 cameraman
who was also my editor,
assistant, and PA, and
started interviewing her.
She was great and agreed
to introduce me to some
of her friends. We shot a
presentation tape. I took it
to True Entertainment, who
then took it to Bravo (cable
network). They wanted to
re-brand it as part of their
“Real Housewives” franchise,
and the rest is history.
”
African Americans making their
mark in “Pain for Profit” TV
One proven reality of “Reality TV”? The
genre is one of the most successful in
the U.S. today. As one TV critic theorized,
a reality show is a success when, “It
allows ordinary people to become so
important that millions will want to
watch them.” But with success can come
controversy, namely criticism over
stereotyping, mudslinging, and
authenticity, that plagues many reality
shows today, particularly those with
predominantly or exclusively African
American casts.
Bad press aside, the “pain for profits”
formula on shows like Love & Hip Hop
(2011-), Braxton Family Values (2011),
Basketball Wives (2010-), and the Queen
of them all, The Real Housewives of
Atlanta (2008-) draw big audiences, 85%
of whom are African American. The Real
Housewives of Atlanta series alone
pulled in more than 4.5 million viewers
in February 2014. This is good news for
advertisers who aggressively cater to this
niche demographic with a buying power
in the neighborhood of $1.2 trillion USD.
Proven moneymakers for the networks
who carry them, reality series are also
cash cows for many of the relatively
unknown African American stars who’ve
gained instant fame as a result of “acting
out” on them. Leading the pack, NeNe
Leakes (The Real Housewives of Atlanta),
reportedly pulled in $1 million USD, plus
bonuses for just one season. Omarosa, a
second generation Nigerian, who U.S.
The cast of Basketball
Wives (2010-). Even tho
ugh the title clearly stat
a group of women who
es Basketball “Wives
have all been someho
,” the series is about
w romantically linked
or not. Credit: VH1 ©20
to professional basketb
14 Viacom Media Net
all players – married
works
viewers met on the first season of
Donald Trump’s The Apprentice,
embraced fame over financial gain, and
now labels herself solely as a “Reality TV
personality,” ahead of her more
respected ministerial title she received
when formally ordained in 2012.
And while the format has created stars
out of unknowns, it has brought shame
to some, and made big talents even
more bankable, as with the BET cable
series, The Real Husbands of Hollywood
(2013-), a parody of the “Real
Housewives” franchise successfully
airing on the U.S.-based Bravo cable
network. The brainchild of actor/
comedian, Kevin Hart, “Real Husbands”
was born out of a sketch Hart created
for the 2011 BET Awards. Today, it’s the
network’s number-one reality series
among adults 18-to-49, and has
brought together an impressive
“rotating” ensemble cast that has
included R&B favorites, Bobby Brown,
Nelly, Robin Thicke, actor, Boris Kodjoe,
Nick Cannon, and J.B. Smoove. The most
obvious reality about the role of African
Americans in “Reality TV?”
Expect to see even more.
From left to right, Kevin Hart
, Boris Kodjoe, Nelly,
in Real Husbands of Hollywo
od. According to creator,
Kevin Hart, “We have a scrip
t - an outline, but we
mostly improv. We fake the
drama.” Credit: BET/
Viacom Media Networks
1
11
DISBOOK #5 | NOVEMBER 2014
Black Legacy
t of his film
(left) on the se
ts Cicely Tyson
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Tyler Perry
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The “Tyler-Perry Effect” and other
new business models inspired by African
American creative entrepreneurs
Gate Films
RE PO RT CA RD
Launch of
African American
Majority-Owned
Networks
From as far back as the late 1950s, in
order to license an off-network series
for syndication, one had to produce
85-100 episodes. But without the
episodes in the can, they couldn’t strike
a syndication deal with a broadcaster.
That was the model.
1980
BET (Owned first
by Robert Johnson,
who sold to Viacom
in 2001)
2004
TV One (Owned
by Cathy Hughes’
Radio One, and
Comcast)
2005
The Africa
Channel
(Independently
Owned)
2011
OWN (Owned
by Oprah Winfrey’s
Harpo Productions,
and Discovery
Communications)
2011
Soul of the
South
(Independently
Owned)
2011
Bounce TV
(Broadcast network
co-founded by
Ambassador
Andrew Young,
and Martin Luther
King, III)
2012
Aspire (Owned
by Magic Johnson
and Comcast)
In 2006, film director Tyler Perry broke
the mold. In a historic move -- with only
ten episodes completed of his family
comedy, House of Payne (2006 – 2012)
-- Perry entered into a $200 million deal
to produce a total of 100 episodes of
the series. And so, began the “Tyler
Perry-effect” in television.
Since then, Perry has produced and
licensed five additional series to TBS
and OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network),
mostly situation comedies, and soaps
including Meet the Browns (2009-2011),
The Haves and Have Not’s (2013-), Love
Thy Neighbor (2013-), For Better or
Worse (2011; 2013-), and his latest If
Loving You is Wrong (2014-).
efficient production budgets, but has
made him a millionaire several times
over.
In 2011 after merging with NBC
Universal, cable conglomerate
Comcast, entered into an agreement
with the FCC (Federal Communications
Commission) to launch ten “minorityowned” cable networks over the course
of eight years. Two African American
entrepreneurs immediately stepped up
to take advantage of the opportunity:
Basketball legend, Magic Johnson’s
faith and family-based, Aspire network
premiered in 2012. In 2013, music icon,
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt network,
launched with a focus on musicoriented programming. Both networks
primarily target African American
audiences.
New ideas, new distribution models,
and new ownership paradigms make
distribution a thriving business for
creative African American
entrepreneurs and visionaries.
Another African American creative
entrepreneur shaking up the
tried and true television
distribution landscape is standup comic, turned media mogul,
Byron Allen.
The self-proclaimed, “Walmart of
TV,” through his Entertainment
Studios, licenses programs to
local broadcasters on a nonexclusive basis, and at no cost,
but holds back a portion of the
commercial inventory to sell
himself. His successful business
model not only covers his cost-
s Hattie;
: Patrice Lovely as Mis
Neighbor (2013- ) L-R
as Will.
las
oug
A scene from Love Thy
ai D
da and Th
ndra C. Johnson as Lin
Tony Grant as Philip; Ke
frey Network
Credit: OWN: Oprah Win
Insights on what African
broadcasters seek from African
American Producers and Vice Versa
In the past ten years the African
Renaissance has taken off. Audiences
in Africa want to see more content with
an African flavor. Likewise, broadcasters
in the U.S. have an appetite for more
content coming out of Africa as a
means of differentiation, and in hopes
of identifying the next “big hit.”
To better understand the needs and
demands of selling to Africa or the U.S.
– ask a programmer! Ida McNair, Head
of International TV Programme Sales
for SABC – the public broadcaster in
South Africa, had this advice for African
American Producers interested in
selling to African programmers:
Of course, all good stories have a
universal dimension, which is why we
can relate to storylines from other
countries, but we can relate much more
to films that wrestle with our own
idiosyncrasies. Although African
American programs have in general
good production values and are sought
after by some African broadcasters, the
trend for content that relates more
directly to our local audiences can’t be
underestimated. In general the
African Renaissance content that
reflects the culture and storylines
that we as Africans can relate to,
has a high appeal to our audiences.
In the past African American content
has been popular in South Africa and
not just with speakers of a variety of
African languages, but also the general
public. This has opened great
Bob Reid (left)
makes a point
about a shot
Delmwa Desi
to Discovery
Kura, while sh
+234 Director
ooting the se
George Kura
ries pilot for
and Producer
Discovery Le
arning Allianc
e.
opportunities for business relations
between American production houses
and their counterpart in South Africa for
joint business ventures. It could be great
to combine the local African flavor, good
production values and ultimately
high budgets.
In zeroing in on specific TV genres that
work well in Africa, McNair cited African
American sitcoms in general, and
singled out two in particular: My Wife
and Kids (2001-2005), starring comedian
Damon Wayans as the loving husband
and modern-day patriarch who rules
his household with a unique and distinct
parenting style; and Everybody Hates
Chris (2005-2009), inspired by the
teenage experiences of comedian, Chris
Rock, while growing up in the BedfordStuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn,
New York in the early-mid 1980s.
On the other side of the coin, Bob Reid,
a former U.S. cable television executive
now developing, producing and selling
content through his BTR Media Works,
Inc., had this to offer African producers
interested in producing for the U.S.
market:
The key is to develop content with the
target market in mind. Not the entire
U.S. market of some 500 plus channels,
but specific networks, or groups of
networks that feature the kind of
programming you have a good track
record producing.
Also, play to your strengths.
A network Head of Programming or
Production is much more likely to
take a chance with a new producer
seeking to replicate a formula that
producer has done successfully in
their home country, than they are to
hire someone to produce a series
totally outside their demonstrated
area of expertise.
Lastly, in the U.S. market, it’s easier
to sell by showing, rather than telling.
Have a short, well-produced video
featuring key elements of the story or
idea. If you’re new to the network, the
video you present will speak volumes
about your ability as a producer.
Even if the networks hate your idea,
if your presentation video is well
done, you’ll make a favorable
impression that will leave the door
open for you to present new ideas in
the future.
2013
REVOLT (Owned by
Sean Combs and
12
Comcast)
13