If One on One is cancelled I'll know why

[emptynest5]

Not to be rude, but this show is a lost cause. with more and more hilarious black shows on like The Tracy Morgan Show, Bernie Mac, My Wife and Kids and Whoopi it is pretty hard for UPN programing to compete. Two UPN shows garnered image award nominations, but they are a long shot because of the steep and better competition. One on One is in the Tuesday night spot which is basically killing it by forcing it compete against Tracy Morgan which has better acting and storylines. I have not really watched Bernie Mac but I plan to do so. I think One on One could use the work of Norman Lear.

[marvin g]

Norman Lear is a has been. Debbie Allen is a better director and more in tune with African-American ideals, hence A Different World took off like gangbusters when she took over the helm!

[emptynest5]

I forgot about her, but Norman Lear is pretty good and has launched some other good tv writers, Susan Harris who did Soap, Golden Girls and Empty Nest, Linda Bloodworth of Evening Shade and Designing Women and Eric Monte who did Good Times and What's Happening plus countless others. Debbie Allen did do a pretty good job. Most black shows in the '70s came from Norman so he and Debbie and the three other writers I mentioned might be able to get this show going. without Norman Lear there would be no black shows.

[marvin g]

There would have been black show if the industry wasn't so racist! There were black shows on in the 50's. One was Beulah which was plain stereotypical. The other was Amos N Andy which was good and alot of black people like it but the uppity folk in the NAACP got it booted of the air. So the next black show didn't come on until the late 60's with Julia starring Diahann Carol and The Flip Wilson show and the first Bill Cosby Show followed a few years later. So Norman Lear was not a savior to black people and t.v!

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by marvin g
Norman Lear is a has been. Debbie Allen is a better director and more in tune with African-American ideals, hence A Different World took off like gangbusters when she took over the helm!

Debbie is so underrated it's criminal. She also directed episodes of Fame (the old series) as well as A Different World and did a great job in both cases. When I think of black sitcoms since ADW, Living Single and Fresh Prince were good, decent, dependable shows. For me, Moesha came closest to Different World in terms of me caring about the characters and really being interested in the storylines. I think Debbie Allen played a big part in making Different World the great show that it was and she needs to be doing something on some show.

[marvin g]

I agree 100% with you vashtu1999!! And she does need to be working on some sitcom! Oh yeah and she was excellent on "In The House" with LL Cool J! I was upset when she left that show!

[emptynest5]

Originally posted by marvin g
There would have been black show if the industry wasn't so racist! There were black shows on in the 50's. One was Beulah which was plain stereotypical. The other was Amos N Andy which was good and alot of black people like it but the uppity folk in the NAACP got it booted of the air. So the next black show didn't come on until the late 60's with Julia starring Diahann Carol and The Flip Wilson show and the first Bill Cosby Show followed a few years later. So Norman Lear was not a savior to black people and t.v! Norman Lear started a huge revolution and Amos and Andy and Beulah aren't good exmaples. True some black shows came before Norman, but he is still a writing great. One of his writers, Susan Harris wrote Benson and portrayed a black butler in a positive light. The Cosby Show or any other black show would not have been if Norman had not brave taken a step. He gave people courage to bring blacks to televison. Debbie would have not even had a chance without All in the Family breaking down the door. And that, Marvin G is the truth!

This is a writing team that would safe every show on UPN:
Norman Lear
Debbie Allen
Susan Harris
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Bud Yorkin
Allan Mannings
Mort Lachman

[marvin g]

Cosby was on t.v before any of Norman Lear's shows came on so that's not a good example. :) I don't deny that Norman lear had great shows but when you have black writers writing the show it brings more authenticity to the characters.

[emptynest5]

I was saying that Norman Lear gave black writers courage to write anything. and I was speaking of the most successful Cosby Show.