Do you think we will ever see a successful sitcom with a black AND white cast? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

waichingliu81 · 06-12-2007, 04:46 PM

i was wondering what are the chances of a successful american sitcom with a main cast made of predominately black AND white (sitcom) actors and actresses airing on tv? do you think that we will ever see a sitcom of this type appearing on our screens in the future?

many american sitcoms- past and present- have been syndicated on air, produced and written and almost all of them are targeted towards two main audiences: blacks and whites. eg, blacks- the cosby show, good times, sanford and son, the fresh prince to name; whites- frasier, friends, seinfeld, bewitched, roseanne to name. these shows have a predominately white/black cast of actors

also, do you think this would be good for the sitcom genre, as a whole- or is this detrimental and will turn viewers off? of course, it's important that the interests of black, white and i'd even say asian audiences are catered for in the tv industry, especially in the sitcom market. but is having a cast of black and white actors together as characters in these shows, and thus further highlight and reflect america's multi-racial diversity in society today, the way forward? considering we are living in the 21st century

BensonFan · 06-12-2007, 06:45 PM

Diff'rent Strokes was pretty successful and I think it fits that description. As far as future shows, it's hard to say.

Dynomite · 06-12-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

i was wondering what are the chances of a successful american sitcom with a main cast made of predominately black AND white (sitcom) actors and actresses airing on tv? do you think that we will ever see a sitcom of this type appearing on our screens in the future?

many american sitcoms- past and present- have been syndicated on air, produced and written and almost all of them are targeted towards two main audiences: blacks and whites. eg, blacks- the cosby show, good times, sanford and son, the fresh prince to name; whites- frasier, friends, seinfeld, bewitched, roseanne to name. these shows have a predominately white/black cast of actors

also, do you think this would be good for the sitcom genre, as a whole- or is this detrimental and will turn viewers off? of course, it's important that the interests of black, white and i'd even say asian audiences are catered for in the tv industry, especially in the sitcom market. but is having a cast of black and white actors together as characters in these shows, and thus further highlight and reflect america's multi-racial diversity in society today, the way forward? considering we are living in the 21st century

I believe we will, in due time.

JulieSomoski · 06-12-2007, 06:54 PM

I believe this is a good way in which to have a successful sitcom these days. It'll bring many different audiences, and have a good mix of actors.

AB · 06-12-2007, 08:24 PM

I think its highly possible. Maybe when the networks decide to start adding more sitcoms to their line-up, we'll get to see one.

Mr. Television · 06-12-2007, 08:35 PM

I've never watched a sitcom based on the color of someone's skin. I'm white but the black sitcoms you mentioned Cosby, Good Times, Sanford and Fresh Prince where among my favorites while Frasier and Friends I couldn't stand. lol I think in time we might see one but the most important thing is that it's funny or it won't last.

coffield3 · 06-12-2007, 09:03 PM

I think thats the way foward thats what we need next!! 50/50 not one over another Im waiting here silently!

Magnum · 06-13-2007, 03:06 AM

I'm going to make some generalizations here. It might not apply to any person, but this applies to groups. Almost everyone will feel most comfortable around people who are similar. This is not just white or black. In almost every city there is a chinatown, polish section, mexican area, etc. People move to be closer to their own kind. It makes sense that people want to watch on television their own kind.

I do not believe there will ever be a sucessful sitcom on television where there is a black male married to a white female and they are the primary characters. I do believe there will be ensemble sitcoms with people of many races as minor characters. This is what worked on the Cosby show. There were white people, but they were very minor characters. Think about the following question. If 100 black people were put in front of a television and offered the choice of watching an episode of Cosby or an episode of Three's Company, how many would choose Cosby? If 100 white people were given the same choice, how many would choose Three's Company? There will be a definitive prefferance based on race. There will be a minority of Blacks who will want to watch Three's Company over Cosby, but it will be small and probably close to the white minority that would choose Cosby over Three's Company. The majority will choose their own race. Maybe an even better illustration would be the choice between Martin and Dukes of Hazzard.

This does not mean that white people dislike blacks or vice versa. It just means that people like watching their own kind more than different people. It is genetic.

Ant-Lox · 06-13-2007, 08:00 AM

I don't think people would want to create shows just based on the race of the actors. Maybe if it was a show based on the marragie of a mixed couple, then it might work though.

waichingliu81 · 06-13-2007, 09:31 AM

i mean with the way sitcoms have been in the last 15 years or so, maybe this radical change is just what this genre needs and to give it a kick up the backside it deserves. i would dearly love to see this idea taken into consideration and incorporated on tv and hopefully, if it becomes successful via the pilot or through numerous shows, it will take off.

although come to think of it, wasn't the sitcom Becker, starring ted danson another show that featured a black and white cast of actors in the lead roles?

Magnum · 06-13-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

i mean with the way sitcoms have been in the last 15 years or so, maybe this radical change is just what this genre needs and to give it a kick up the backside it deserves. i would dearly love to see this idea taken into consideration and incorporated on tv and hopefully, if it becomes successful via the pilot or through numerous shows, it will take off.

although come to think of it, wasn't the sitcom Becker, starring ted danson another show that featured a black and white cast of actors in the lead roles?

TV shows copy each other. Look at reality based television. There was nothing like it until Survivor. After a season every network had their own reality based show. Or look at the 1970's with the Private Eye Detective Police series. You had Rockford Files, Magnum PI, Kojack, Starsky and Hutch, CHiPs, Hawaii Five-O, and Simon and Simon. These are all shows that were on the air in the late 1970's. How many Private Eye shows are on the air today?

TV is a copycat business. If something becomes popular every network will imitate it. Nobody wants to be creative and try something new and different. If 1 sitcom becomes a hit we will have 20+ new sitcoms in less than a season.

There is also the question of money. Networks try to be cheap. Remember when Larry Hagman had to threaten to quit Dallas and the show went so far as to write episodes without Hagman? At the last second the network paid Hagman. Or how about Susan Summers getting the boot off Three's Company when she requested a raise. The reason networks love reality TV is because it is cheap. The talent is free. There are no stars who will ask for a million dollars an episode like the cast of Freinds.

Gemini_89 · 03-11-2016, 11:46 AM

Although these shows take place in a Prison, Oz and Orange is the New Black fits into that category.

Foggy · 03-11-2016, 02:08 PM

WELCOME BACK KOTTER was probably the best sitcom that had both Black and White and a different Ethnic group (Puerto Rican) as STARS

They were also a few shows that I can think of that had black and white as recurring stars. Some might be more comedy dramas as opposed to sitcoms(you decide)

ROOM 222 (1969-1974) Llody Haynes... Karen Valentine

Their was a sitcom back in 1968-1971 called JULIA where Diahann Carroll had the STARRING role with whites as supporting actors and acctessses.

ALL IN THE FAMILY introduced us to THE JEFFERSONS which lead to a spin-off of their own show.

Some drama's (1960's and 1980 or 1990's)

MANNIX Mike Conners, Gail Fisher
I SPY Bill Cosby, Robert Culp
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT Carroll O'Conner, Alan Autry...Howard Rollins, Crysral R. Fox..
MIAMI VICE Don Johnson, Philip Micheal Thomas

I know I gave more than sitcoms, but I am going by memory, so I'll stop.

MrCleveland · 03-11-2016, 02:59 PM

Didn't Gimme a Break! have a black and white cast?

I know that Nell Carter and Telma Hopkins were the main members of the show that were black, but their stories were most of the episode sometimes.

Bonniegirl · 03-11-2016, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foggy

WELCOME BACK KOTTER was probably the best sitcom that had both Black and White and a different Ethnic group (Puerto Rican) as STARS

They were also a few shows that I can think of that had black and white as recurring stars. Some might be more comedy dramas as opposed to sitcoms(you decide)

ROOM 222 (1969-1974) Llody Haynes... Karen Valentine

Their was a sitcom back in 1968-1971 called JULIA where Diahann Carroll had the STARRING role with whites as supporting actors and acctessses.

ALL IN THE FAMILY introduced us to THE JEFFERSONS which lead to a spin-off of their own show.

Some drama's (1960's and 1980 or 1990's)

MANNIX Mike Conners, Gail Fisher
I SPY Bill Cosby, Robert Culp
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT Carroll O'Conner, Alan Autry...Howard Rollins, Crysral R. Fox..
MIAMI VICE Don Johnson, Philip Micheal Thomas

I know I gave more than sitcoms, but I am going by memory, so I'll stop.

Yeah!! Totally !! I was just going to post In the heat of the night and Room 222!!

So many successful TV shows already have/had a Black and White cast!

More of a White cast than a Black cast ,but two that come to mind are King of Queens ,Doug a White guy and one of the main characters Deacon a Black guy was his best friend! Also on Mike and Molly. Mike's friend Carl is a prominent character in the show!

06-12-2007, 04:46 PM	#1
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	Do you think we will ever see a successful sitcom with a black AND white cast? i was wondering what are the chances of a successful american sitcom with a main cast made of predominately black AND white (sitcom) actors and actresses airing on tv? do you think that we will ever see a sitcom of this type appearing on our screens in the future? many american sitcoms- past and present- have been syndicated on air, produced and written and almost all of them are targeted towards two main audiences: blacks and whites. eg, blacks- the cosby show, good times, sanford and son, the fresh prince to name; whites- frasier, friends, seinfeld, bewitched, roseanne to name. these shows have a predominately white/black cast of actors also, do you think this would be good for the sitcom genre, as a whole- or is this detrimental and will turn viewers off? of course, it's important that the interests of black, white and i'd even say asian audiences are catered for in the tv industry, especially in the sitcom market. but is having a cast of black and white actors together as characters in these shows, and thus further highlight and reflect america's multi-racial diversity in society today, the way forward? considering we are living in the 21st century

06-12-2007, 06:45 PM	#2
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Diff'rent Strokes was pretty successful and I think it fits that description. As far as future shows, it's hard to say.
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06-12-2007, 06:54 PM	#4
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	I believe this is a good way in which to have a successful sitcom these days. It'll bring many different audiences, and have a good mix of actors.
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06-12-2007, 08:35 PM	#6
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	I've never watched a sitcom based on the color of someone's skin. I'm white but the black sitcoms you mentioned Cosby, Good Times, Sanford and Fresh Prince where among my favorites while Frasier and Friends I couldn't stand. lol I think in time we might see one but the most important thing is that it's funny or it won't last.
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06-13-2007, 08:00 AM	#9
Ant-Lox Cloud Watcher Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,824	I don't think people would want to create shows just based on the race of the actors. Maybe if it was a show based on the marragie of a mixed couple, then it might work though.
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06-12-2007, 08:24 PM	#5
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,428	I think its highly possible. Maybe when the networks decide to start adding more sitcoms to their line-up, we'll get to see one.

06-12-2007, 09:03 PM	#7
coffield3 <3 Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 23, 2006 Location: England Posts: 7,379	I think thats the way foward thats what we need next!! 50/50 not one over another Im waiting here silently!

06-13-2007, 03:06 AM	#8
Magnum Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 120	I'm going to make some generalizations here. It might not apply to any person, but this applies to groups. Almost everyone will feel most comfortable around people who are similar. This is not just white or black. In almost every city there is a chinatown, polish section, mexican area, etc. People move to be closer to their own kind. It makes sense that people want to watch on television their own kind. I do not believe there will ever be a sucessful sitcom on television where there is a black male married to a white female and they are the primary characters. I do believe there will be ensemble sitcoms with people of many races as minor characters. This is what worked on the Cosby show. There were white people, but they were very minor characters. Think about the following question. If 100 black people were put in front of a television and offered the choice of watching an episode of Cosby or an episode of Three's Company, how many would choose Cosby? If 100 white people were given the same choice, how many would choose Three's Company? There will be a definitive prefferance based on race. There will be a minority of Blacks who will want to watch Three's Company over Cosby, but it will be small and probably close to the white minority that would choose Cosby over Three's Company. The majority will choose their own race. Maybe an even better illustration would be the choice between Martin and Dukes of Hazzard. This does not mean that white people dislike blacks or vice versa. It just means that people like watching their own kind more than different people. It is genetic.

06-13-2007, 09:31 AM	#10
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	i mean with the way sitcoms have been in the last 15 years or so, maybe this radical change is just what this genre needs and to give it a kick up the backside it deserves. i would dearly love to see this idea taken into consideration and incorporated on tv and hopefully, if it becomes successful via the pilot or through numerous shows, it will take off. although come to think of it, wasn't the sitcom Becker, starring ted danson another show that featured a black and white cast of actors in the lead roles?

03-11-2016, 11:46 AM	#12
Gemini_89 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 09, 2009 Location: Unknown Posts: 1,294	Although these shows take place in a Prison, Oz and Orange is the New Black fits into that category.

03-11-2016, 02:08 PM	#13
Foggy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2014 Posts: 3,423	WELCOME BACK KOTTER was probably the best sitcom that had both Black and White and a different Ethnic group (Puerto Rican) as STARS They were also a few shows that I can think of that had black and white as recurring stars. Some might be more comedy dramas as opposed to sitcoms(you decide) ROOM 222 (1969-1974) Llody Haynes... Karen Valentine Their was a sitcom back in 1968-1971 called JULIA where Diahann Carroll had the STARRING role with whites as supporting actors and acctessses. ALL IN THE FAMILY introduced us to THE JEFFERSONS which lead to a spin-off of their own show. Some drama's (1960's and 1980 or 1990's) MANNIX Mike Conners, Gail Fisher I SPY Bill Cosby, Robert Culp IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT Carroll O'Conner, Alan Autry...Howard Rollins, Crysral R. Fox.. MIAMI VICE Don Johnson, Philip Micheal Thomas I know I gave more than sitcoms, but I am going by memory, so I'll stop.

03-11-2016, 02:59 PM	#14
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,232	Didn't Gimme a Break! have a black and white cast? I know that Nell Carter and Telma Hopkins were the main members of the show that were black, but their stories were most of the episode sometimes.
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