THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 19, 1996 TAG: 9608170068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: 84 lines
LL Cool J lives! When NBC said it wasn't renewing ``In the House,'' the United Paramount Network brought rapper Cool J's sitcom back from the dead by scheduling it on Mondays at 8 p.m.
The back-to-back episodes of ``In the House'' on WGNT tonight are re-runs - relics from the NBC schedule. Next Monday at 8, UPN begins airing new episodes of ``In the House,'' with major changes.
Debbie Allen has left the cast to work in films. She played a tenant in the digs owned by Cool J's character, a pro jock named Marion Hill. Alfonso Ribeiro, late of ``The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,'' is now aboard.
Five of UPN's six new shows - ``In the House,'' ``Malcolm & Eddie,'' ``Goode Behavior,'' ``Sparks'' and ``Homeboys in Outer Space'' - are black sitcoms, or ``ethnic-themed shows'' if you prefer networkspeak.
With a schedule like that, UPN opens itself up to critics who say the network made a ghetto of its prime time schedule, aiming only for a young, black urban audience.
UPN executives knew the criticism was coming and were ready for it. Lucy Salhany, UPN's president and chief operating officer, said she resents the ``ghetto-izing'' of her network.
``Does anyone refer to NBC's Thursday night lineup between 8 and 10 as two hours of white programming? Why are people so obsessed with the fact our comedies have African-Americans starring in them? Comedy is comedy. These are funny shows. That is why we picked them.''
There's nothing wrong with Sulhany and Michael Sullivan, the president of UPN Entertainment, scheduling shows in which African-Americans Cool J, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Robin Givens and Sherman Hemsley head up the casts.
The trouble is the underlying theme of some of the shows, which is that black males are not much more than jive-talking, allergic-to-hard work, oversexed, demeaning-to-women, pathetic losers who aren't too bright.
A line of dialogue from ``Homeboys in Outer Space: ``As big and ugly as you are, brother-in-law, my sister is bigger and uglier.''
In ``Malcolm & Eddie,'' it seems that every other scene involves the heroes leering at busty women. On ``Sparks,'' a sitcom about brothers in the same law practice, Givens' breasts and ``cute little butt'' come up for discussion.
``Comedies with urban-market appeal,'' Sullivan calls them. `` `Homeboys' is a broad, silly show. I don't see it as insulting and degrading.''
Black America deserves better.
And make no mistake about it, there is a distinct black TV audience that is separate from the white audience out there. Newsweek, quoting a study called ``Special Report: Black Television,'' reports that only two network presentations (``ER'' and ``Monday Night Football'') appear on the lists of the top 20 shows for both whites and blacks.
``ER'' is No. 1 among white viewers, ``New York Undercover'' tops with African-American audiences. Blacks are rejecting ``Friends,'' and whites are reaching for the remote control when ``Living Single'' comes on.
(If you want to sample UPN's new programming, check out ``UPN's Fall Preview'' Tuesday night at 8:30 on WGNT. Warner and Brandy Norwood of ``Moesha'' are the co-hosts).
LL Cool J - short for ``Ladies Love Cool James,'' he said - was a tad upset when NBC did not include ``In the House'' on its fall schedule. NBC wanted to keep it on the bench as a mid-season replacement.
``I'm not sure NBC understood me or my music,'' he told the TV press.
With that said, Cool J (real name James Todd Smith of St. Albans, N.Y., father of three) sounded happy to be with UPN. ``The network has embraced us,'' he said.
As for this ``ghetto-izing'' talk, Cool J rejected it, as does the UPN brass. ``Our show is not just for the blacks or the whites. It's a show for everyone. All people will enjoy what we do. But we are primarily catering to all who are cool, all who listen to cool music.''
While UPN is blistered in some quarters for narrowing its programming into a black, young and urban format, others in broadcasting say the Sulhany-Sullivan schedule is smart programming. Three years ago, there were 12 shows on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox with minorities in the casts.
Last year, there were six.
The two new networks saw an opening and filled it.
Newcomers UPN and Warner Brothers (WVBT in Hampton Roads), with two black shows on the Monday night schedule, including a new one starring Steve Harvey starting Aug. 25, see ethnic programming as a quick way to establish an audience and an identity.
``We're busy building a network,'' said Sulhany.
She ordered changes in ``Homeboys in Outer Space'' after seeing the pilot. That's something. ILLUSTRATION: UPN color photo
LL Cool J... by CNB