NBC’s highly anticipated new drama debuted early this year on January 7, 2013. Meagan Good plays Joanna Locasto, a detective who is sent on an extended undercover mission into a wealthy household to identify and incriminate her best friend’s murderer. Though the show doesn’t base Joanna’s identity in her Blackness, there are subtle references to the reality of her race, … [Read more...] about TV Culture: “Deception” and the Rise of Black Actresses
TV Culture: Casting Terror in ‘Homeland’
Showtime’s highly acclaimed drama, Homeland, has rocked the television industry for two suspenseful seasons. The show tells the story of Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody after he returns home from eight years of captivity in Iraq. Carrie Mathison, an ambitious CIA officer, suspects he might be plotting an attack on America and the main tension stems from this unraveling mystery … [Read more...] about TV Culture: Casting Terror in ‘Homeland’
TV Culture: How Scandalous Is “Scandal”?
Warning: Recent spoilers from Scandal included. I am a devout fan of Shonda Rhimes’ latest hit drama, Scandal, and have been involved in many debates surrounding Kerry Washington’s role as Olivia Pope. As the first African American woman to play lead on a primetime television show since 1974, many believe that her character further perpetuates stereotypes about Black women … [Read more...] about TV Culture: How Scandalous Is “Scandal”?
TV Culture: Rookie Blue’s Good Shot of Reality
In its third season, ABC's police drama, Rookie Blue, raised the stakes through a compelling narrative that mirrors recent racial tension in America. In "A Good Shoot," (Season 3, Episode 3) one of the show's most lighthearted characters, Dov Epstein, shoots and kills a Black teenage boy who may or may not have been armed, prompting the community to question whether the … [Read more...] about TV Culture: Rookie Blue’s Good Shot of Reality
TV Culture: Does the TV Industry Need Affirmative Action?
Over the past year, there has been much talk of color-blind casting, and the lack thereof, in primetime television. While Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal, is praised for not considering race when casting a show, Lena Dunham, creator of the new hit HBO series, Girls, was harshly criticized for turning a blind eye to her colorless cast. … [Read more...] about TV Culture: Does the TV Industry Need Affirmative Action?