2014 TV Pilot Season Trend: More Black Actors

March 8th, 2014, 12:32 pm

2014 TV Pilot Season Trend: More Black Actors

Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson and Octavia Spencer are among those starring in pilots this season.

With Scandal ruling primetime and star Kerry Washington becoming an awards-season fixture, more pilots led by black actors are in the works this season.

Viola Davis has been tapped to star in Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers' How to Get Away With Murder at ABC, Romany Malco and Anthony Anderson will top the network's Kevin Hart and Kenya Barris comedy pilots, respectively. NBC hasThe Office's Craig Robinson and Deception's Meagan Good leading the call sheet in Mr. Robinson and sci-fi drama Babylon Fields, respectively.

At Fox, Lee Daniels' Empire pairs Hustle & Flowduo Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson as the backbone of a hip-hop label, Jada Pinkett Smith terrorizes Batman origin story Gotham, and Octavia Spencer heads the hospital drama Red Band Society. Of these, Robinson's comedy already has been picked up to series, whileGotham has a series commitment attached. Not to be outdone, CBS has Halle Berry starring in its summer sci-fi drama series Extant.

And that's only midway through casting season.

Noted Fox chief Kevin Reilly in January: "I see the shift in the way people are conceiving the roles [and] casting them."

source

Tagged: casting / auditions, race / racism, television

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Yas black excellence taking over and snatching the wigs of all the same recycled tired old ass vanilla shit that's been on for too long - I bet Halle, Octavia, and VIOLA are gonna slay come awards season

Edited at 2014-03-08 04:41 am (UTC)

mfte

Looking forward to Extant and HTGAWM.

Yes!!

I am soooooo here for watching queen viola on my tv screen.

idk I'm all for seeing Halle getting work and I know it's cliche and passe to feel this way but I honestly think tv is too low for her

and yes i've seen gothika and that shark movie she did..

....cbs tho? like at least mb some premium cable or smth for HRH Halle

idk I'm all for seeing Halle getting work and I know it's cliche and passe to feel this way but I honestly think tv is too low for her

She’s a natural born movie-star but the people who make movies don’t see it. :(

ikr? Bruce Willis and RDj wouldn't think of doing a cbs show because they don't have to. It's gross.

The tv scene is blowing up now imo. I see people talk more about shows than movies

She's black + has been in some bad movies/box office failures which means she's dead to Hollywood.

i hear you but tv is the new film. kevin spacey was one of the most prominently featured celebs oscar night and the biggest thing he's doing right now is making a TV show that doesn't even air on TV. mcconaughey WON the best actor oscar and what's he doing right now? TV.

i know it's CBS but people are even taking network shows more seriously.

eta: i don't mean she isn't too good for it (she's a great actress who has been unfairly pushed aside for some poor choices), just that it might be a vehicle for her to shine and regain some relevance because TV is respected and more influential these days.

Edited at 2014-03-08 04:58 am (UTC)

(no subject) -

bruxelles Expand

canuckgirl33 Expand

camillesaens Expand

jaimelannister Expand

milkradio Expand

frelling_tralk Expand

lol boo i like gothika idgaf

I saw them filming a pilot in Manhattan today. It debuts in April on ABC.

IT was called:

Black fish or
black soap or
black with
black magic.

I cant remember but I know the title has some black something in it.

Black Box?

yeah that might be it

I hate how much I love Scandal sometimes.

i embrace it. i love how much i hate it and i love how much i love it.

hope this trend continues! i feel like the internet has had a not insignificant impact on the embracing of POC. it gives everyday people the chance to voice their opinions about poor representation and more importantly gives them a forum to say that a big reason they like a show is because of minority representation. people can try to minimize it, but social media has a HUGE impact, black twitter actually has some influence. we have a couple of shows with awesome WOC as leads and people are supporting it, it does matter.

i am 1000% ready for viola davis/shonda rhimes. i never watched grey's but scandal, despite being ridiculous and infuriating, it's easily the most fun i have watching TV every week.

Edited at 2014-03-08 04:48 am (UTC)

social media was at the forefront of the success of shows like elementary and sleepy hollow, and at the forefront of the lone ranger's failure (it probably would have under performed on its own, but the internet made sure it didn't fail quietly). i think it's contributed more than just a little. people talk about people becoming more socially aware and considerate than they have been in the past and how the media can't get away with a lot of the blatant racism/sexism/homophobia/etc. that they could have just 10 years ago, and there's really nothing else to contribute that shift in mentality to than the internet. the white majority would have been content to turn a blind eye, and minority groups wouldn't have such an effective platform for discussion.

the media in general still sucks ofc, but there's been great strides as well. just look at the appropriative nonsense gwen stefani got away with less than 10 years ago vs. how no doubt had to pull a music video last year when the internet call out it's racism.

i didn't read your post, but i'm sure it's insightful etc but just commenting for nanalan omg LOL bless

ia, I think the internet and social media have really helped in a lot of ways. I mean, there's still a ways to go to get media where it "should" be at this point, but I'm glad for every step in the right direction.

Agreed. My first thought was "We really need to thank the internet for this".

Nailed it.

Social media is shaping all forms of media, for better or worse. Fortunately, the trend leans better and not worse.

It's fascinating how the internet is shaping television.

good

Viola and Octavia on my tv weekly? Um, yes please.

(no subject) - (Anonymous)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW OMFG. It's really disturbing to me how people aren't realising the shift in music, like (and I don't want to sound like a kooky conspiracist here) they're distracting us with progress in tv and film (hit shows/Lupita & 12YAS winning/etc) but we're being shoved out of music.

Nobody seems to think it's strange that Rihanna had a #2 hit single only 2 years after Beyonce made her solo debut but we have literally no young up-and-comer with a top 10 single or Grammy like Lorde & co. :\

(no subject) - (Anonymous) Expand

trainbikes Expand

Yeah it's worrying how no black artist topped the Billboard 100 chart last year =\ And with white people appropriating black style of music, dominating the Grammy awards.

I also don't think black people are represented very well in film. 2013 was an anomaly for black people in movies, IMO. When you look at what 2014 has to offer... it's not much. Sure you'll always have black people in supporting roles, but it's never anything substantial.

:( I didn't notice this but it does seem to be true.

Yeah that's really interesting it's like while we gain legitimacy in acting we lose it in music. Can't win I guess but I definitely hope the music thing last year is just a one off.

didn't give it much thought until i notice how bland (music wise) & offensive (imagery) i found the entire mainstream music scene was for 2013

this article pretty much sums it up:
Pop music’s race problem: How white artists profit from mocking hip-hop

Between "Royals," "Thrift Shop, & "Harlem Shake" 18 WEEKS of 2013's Billboard No. 1s have been about shaming or exploiting African-Americans

— Chris Weingarten (@1000TimesYes) November 19, 2013

even lily fucking allen's doing it:

Allen confirmed that her third studio album would be titled Sheezus, saying that it is "a little nod to Kanye West"

the fuck is wrong with all of them

i only see the viola davis series actually making it tbh

I think the Craig Robinson already has been ordered to series since they shot the pilot a while back and the Lee Daniels show about a music empire looks like it’ll make it too.

wow. hadn't heard about most of these.

hopefully this ~trend~ is the start of a movement, and that it helps opens the doors for other poc.

the viola davis one is filming at my school next wee /csb

I'm surprised Eve was not featured in the post. She has a show coming to ABC.

Probably because she only exec-produced it? I don't remember whether she acts in it or not.

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