Faced With Reality of Exclusion

Kim Fields is a veteran actress at 33 and co-star of two long-running series, “The Facts of Life” and “Living Single.” But Fields found that talent and a track record really didn’t matter as she made the rounds this year.

“At least they were polite before,” said Fields in describing her meetings with producers and network executives. “Now they’re just so blatant. I’ve been in these meetings where it’s been terrific. But they’ll say, ‘But we’re not having any blacks in the lead.’ ”

Margaret Cho has opted out of television until she can reenter on her own terms. In the meantime, Cho is using her experiences as the star of the 1994 ABC comedy series “All American Girl” as part of a one-woman show--”I’m the One That I Want”--currently playing off-Broadway. Among her memories are ones of producers fretting about the “fullness” of her face and their slim-fast plan of diets and trainers.

Cho’s ABC series was the first network show to depict an Asian-American family. There have been none since. In fact there are few attempts to even try constructing shows around Asian or Hispanic leads. Jeff Valdez, a writer and producer, once optioned what he calls a “Latino ‘Wonder Years,’ ” and took it to ABC. Although he initially received a positive reaction, Valdez was eventually told that the project was not going to move forward.

“We were told that a show with an all-Latino cast didn’t fit their agenda,” said Valdez, who said he found the rejection “incredulous.”

These are just some of the human stories that often get lost in the furor over the economic and social reasons behind the dearth of minorities in prime-time shows on the major networks.

It’s rarely easy for anyone trying to make it in Hollywood. There will always be more performers than roles, more writers than wanted or needed, more supply than demand--that’s a given. Then too, the nature of television makes it a difficult business for those in the creative community trying to survive a world framed by a constant churn of shows, fickle audiences, fearful advertisers and frantic executives.

Minorities in the acting and writing fields, though, have historically struggled to make inroads in the broadcasting medium, whose primary target audience continues to be the 70% comprised by white viewers. Many have found themselves pigeonholed--rarely considered for more than supporting roles on mainstream series, or a spot on the shrinking number of ethnically themed shows.

But trying to navigate the upcoming fall season turned into a particularly chilling experience.

“We all bought it before when the network people would tell us that they really did care about diversity,” Fields said. “But it was just double talk. They were just paying lip service to diversity. I want to tell them, ‘You would have been better to not say anything. If you do, live up to it.’ ”

Minority Writers, Actors Are Left Without Work

The lack of diversity within television has for several years almost slipped off the radar screen. But with the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox lineup of new shows featuring no minority leads and few in supporting roles, what had only been talked about in frustrated circles has now been pulled into the open.

While the human toll of that exclusion can’t be easily documented, it has become the hot topic this summer within show business circles. Minority writers are being dropped by their agents because they can’t get work. Ethnic actresses, who have been praised for their beauty and their talent, are finding that they are not in demand. Managers and agents are finding it hard to justify to their clients why they aren’t being called in for casting sessions or readings. Too many say the word they’re hearing is that the surest way to land a part on prime-time is to fit this description: “white, beautiful, male or female, can play 18-24.”

Debbie Allen, whose credits range from starring in the situation comedy “In the House” to choreographer of the Academy Awards to producer of the slavery drama “Amistad,” remembers challenging several TV executives at a Hollywood Radio and Television Society luncheon about the lack of minorities on screen and in the executive suites of studios and networks.

“At that time, all anyone could talk about was gay characters, and I said, ‘Well, what about black characters?’ I couldn’t get a real answer. It may have hurt me, but I had to stand up for what I thought.”

The tales of those being shut out are not necessarily new, but have taken on an added urgency as opportunities seem to be evaporating.

“There has to be a commitment to actually make television look like America,” said Cho’s manager, Karen Taussig. “It has to be a conscious push, or it just won’t happen, because the norm is what exists now, which does not include people of color.”

‘Ghettoized’ Subtext Pervades Networks

Nearly all of the 30 members of the Writers Guild of America Committee of Black Writers find themselves left to vie for the few staff jobs open to black writers--a spot on UPN’s “The Parkers,” the spinoff of “Moesha” about a black daughter and her mother attending the same college.

“Unemployment is going to shoot way up, because there are only so many of those jobs,” said Sharon D. Johnson, a screenwriter and head of the committee. “We can’t get on any other shows.”

Johnson said that black writers in particular are “ghettoized” on black shows, and get few chances on mainstream series. She has experienced that firsthand. A few seasons ago a “spec” script she wrote for “Frasier” got her an interview with the producer of a popular network comedy about a young boy coming of age and learning about the world around him. She felt especially optimistic because she had previously worked with the producer.

In the middle of the interview, Johnson said, the producer cut her off in midsentence and proclaimed, ‘You know what show you’d be perfect for? ‘Homeboys From Outer Space’ [a short-lived UPN comedy whose cast was black].”

Julie Friedgen, president of the Latino Writers Committee of the Writers Guild, said there has traditionally been a reluctance to hire Latino writers.

“Once these executives see a Latino name on a script, they just automatically assume that they can only write Latino,” said Friedgen. “And if the script is not set in a Latino environment, they just assume the writer really can’t know about it, and can bring nothing to the show. It’s crazy.”

Said one former TV executive: “The unfortunate truth is that if you’re white and can write a joke on a hit show, you can get a multimillion-dollar deal. If you’re black, all you can get is another gig on a black show.”

That was played out very publicly a few years ago when the major studios, who produce most network TV shows, got in a bidding war for young comedy writers--many with virtually no experience. Almost daily the Hollywood trade papers tracked the multimillion-dollar multi-series deals that were being done. Not a single minority writer got such a top-tier deal.

One of the Lucky Few

Blair Underwood is not complaining. He knows he is one of the lucky ones.

The actor, who first came to prominence in “L.A. Law” in the 1980s, will star in the upcoming Steven Bochco drama for CBS, “City of Angels,” about an inner-city hospital. He has been in several feature films, and starred in the short-lived ABC police drama “High Incident.”

Still, Underwood said, it is a surreal time for minority actors in television.

“I look around me and see so many incredibly talented people not working,” said Underwood. “It’s truly disheartening.”

James McDaniel, who plays Lt. Arthur Fancy on “NYPD Blue,” says he also has heard the rumblings of his frustrated actor friends.

“I’ve been hearing how rough it is out there,” he said. “It’s been a hard pilot season for a lot of people. Nothing is happening with the agents. There’s nothing to dig up, since the demographics of the new shows are very young and very pale.”

Nina Pakula, an agent with Pakula/King and Associates, said: “It’s the first time I’ve really seen it to this degree. Everyone is obsessed with white youth. I represent a number of younger black and Latino clients. But there’s nothing for them.”

One of Pakula’s clients, Tracey Cherelle Jones, is a prime example: “Tracy can play 18-25, she’s done movies of the week and episodic [TV series] and features, and there’s nothing I can send her out on.”

Latino actress Constance Marie starred in the 1997 short-lived NBC sitcom “Union Square.” Although the series helped open doors for her, Marie, who has a recurring role on CBS’ “Early Edition,” added that she often loses roles to “non-ethnic actresses. It’s also sad that the hot demographic now is so young, but they’re also ignoring that the young demographic is diverse.”

Hattie Winston, who co-stars as the office manager in CBS’ medical comedy “Becker,” said, “My agent has said to me when I’ve wanted to go for certain roles, ‘They are not seeing any black people for this.’ It just seems like the industry is sending a message that blacks have become obsolete.”

Fields, for one, is finding more opportunity behind the camera. She has already directed several episodes of the Nickelodeon series “Kenan and Kel” and is involved with directing and producing other projects.

But the problem goes beyond livelihood, according to Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, director of the media center for the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston, pointing to a recent poll by the children’s advocacy organization Children Now. The results indicated that minority kids were being directly influenced by the images of their culture on screen, and that they felt that minorities were largely invisible, particularly Latinos and Asians.

“Television really does need to do a better job in this area,” said Poussaint, who for eight years was a script consultant on NBC’s landmark “The Cosby Show.”

Added Tina Pieraccini, professor of communication studies at State University of New York at Oswego: “The bigger danger is that new generations grow up not seeing any diversity, and that really has an impact on young viewers. It helps create [cultural] isolationism.”

In recent weeks, several networks have scrambled to add minority characters to their casts in response to the criticism emanating from both the press and lobbying groups. McDaniel of “NYPD Blue” predicts the attention being given to the lack of diversity this season will trigger a turnaround.

“Maybe with all of what’s going on, a new standard will be set,” he said. “Sometimes I think it means that it will happen with ‘us’ banding together--whoever ‘us’ is, and doing it well until we do become part of the mainstream.”

And Friedgen of the Latino Writers Committee said she and her colleagues are tired of whining about the lack of opportunity. The group is taking a more proactive approach to raise consciousness, recently holding a “think tank” and inviting several TV executives to meet and talk in an informal atmosphere.

Edward James Olmos, who has a development deal with ABC, also believes opportunities for minorities may be reversed by the criticism.

“We’ve hit the bottom,” said Olmos, who said that the network so far has not developed any of his projects. “But I’m going to keep on trying until we get it.’

As Poussaint assesses it: “Some of these network people have the attitude that they’ll just tough this out. They just don’t care enough. They think this will blow over. But I don’t think so.”

Sunday in Calendar: Howard Rosenberg writes about the diversity issue.

To read the entire TV’s Diversity Dilemma series on the Internet, go to https://www.calendarlive.com/tvdiversity.