Race & Ethnicity On TV

[sweetcookieface]

Anyone watching Ramy? It’s a new Hulu show by stand-up comedian Ramy Youssef about a millennial first-generation Egyptian-American grappling with issues around faith, relationships, family, etc. The protagonist’s Muslim identity is a central part of the story, and the show captures a broad spectrum of the Muslim community: Ramy fasts, prays, and abstains from alcohol, but also sleeps around and parties; his uncle is judgmental, without actually adhering to any religious tenets; some of the Muslim female characters wear hijab, while others don’t - and those who do are normalized in a way that’s rarely seen on TV. I just watched an episode where Ramy’s younger sister starts dating a cute white guy at grad school, but when they get ready to have sex, his fetishism comes out in full force. (The sister, completely flustered, says “How about you just role play that I’m a white girl?”) 

The show Ramy most reminds me of is Atlanta - auteur-driven with a mix of comedy, drama, and surrealism. I found the first couple of episodes a bit heavy handed, with more obvious jokes, but it finds its footing a couple of episodes in. Pretty groundbreaking and enjoyable to boot. It has particular resonance for me as the daughter of Muslim immigrants (albeit one who’s never really practiced), but I think the show would appeal to a lot of people.

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, sweetcookieface said:

Anyone watching Ramy? It’s a new Hulu show by stand-up comedian Ramy Youssef about a millennial first-generation Egyptian-American grappling with issues around faith, relationships, family, etc. The protagonist’s Muslim identity is a central part of the story, and the show captures a broad spectrum of the Muslim community: Ramy fasts, prays, and abstains from alcohol, but also sleeps around and parties; his uncle is judgmental, without actually adhering to any religious tenets; some of the Muslim female characters wear hijab, while others don’t - and those who do are normalized in a way that’s rarely seen on TV. I just watched an episode where Ramy’s younger sister starts dating a cute white guy at grad school, but when they get ready to have sex, his fetishism comes out in full force. (The sister, completely flustered, says “How about you just role play that I’m a white girl?”) 

The show Ramy most reminds me of is Atlanta - auteur-driven with a mix of comedy, drama, and surrealism. I found the first couple of episodes a bit heavy handed, with more obvious jokes, but it finds its footing a couple of episodes in. Pretty groundbreaking and enjoyable to boot. It has particular resonance for me as the daughter of Muslim immigrants (albeit one who’s never really practiced), but I think the show would appeal to a lot of people.

Sounds really interesting- I will check it out!

[Dee]

Doctor Who's Martha Jones Deserves a Better Legacy Than the One She Got

Quote

No matter what she accomplished on her own, Martha's epitaph was already set in stone: She was the one who pined for the Doctor. The pair's difficult dynamic, though it made for plenty of memorable episodes, was harder to embrace than a buddy comedy or a romance that burned up a sun. That was the point. Her story challenged the narrow definition of love a female character could be satisfied with. Martha took a tired stereotype — she has her life together but can't hold down a relationship — and made it about a woman's self-respect.

Still, Doctor Who didn't do Martha justice when it came to the impact she had on the Doctor. Recognizing how he'd mistreated her only fueled the Doctor's guilt, not his urge to change. Her time in the TARDIS toughened Martha and turned her into a fighter, but rather than examine how she felt about that, the show took the Doctor's perspective, focusing on his fear that his personal Midas curse was to turn people into soldiers. Martha was too often an afterthought in her own story. She reminded audiences that the Doctor was fallible, but her season ended by painting him as the world's savior — a legend Martha herself stoked by traveling the world to tell his story — so his pedestal was too easily rebuilt.

When she first met the Doctor, Martha told him, "As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title." It took the series over a decade to understand that doctors have to listen. Doctor Who fumbled Martha's legacy in the short term, but she laid the groundwork for change down the line, easing the show toward a future where a female Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) could travel back in time with a Muslim Pakistani woman (Mandip Gill) and a black man (Tosin Cole) who acknowledged the racism and sexism at work in their lives but weren't defined by it. Martha walked the Earth so they could run. Martha did what she always did: She put in the work.

[Jaded]

‘CBS Has a White Problem’: Executive Blasts Toxic Culture at Network in Explosive Letter

[Luckylyn]

I didn’t like that so much of Martha Jones’ story was crushing on the doctor and feeling like she was competing with the memory of Rose and I liked Rose which is apparently an unpopular opinion.  Other than that, Martha was a great companion.  I found her really likable and resourceful.  I think she got the best exit.  She left on her own terms and went on to have adventures with no horrible consequences to follow her.  The other exits for companions were more bittersweet or really tragic.  The show in general had an issue where they seemed to push that women companions who weren’t gay had to crush on the doctor.  They had to have some sort of romantic element even if it was one sided.  Even Amy whose backstory should have leant more to a brother/sister dynamic had a thing for the doctor to the point that the writers wanted viewers to wonder if he could have fathered her child.  I hated that so much.  That’s why I loved Donna cause she didn’t crush on him even a little.  

I don’t know what to make of Martha ending up with Mickey Smith though.  That seemed to be a let’s pair the only companions of color off thing that was just out of nowhere because the show had established that Martha was happily engaged to someone else in another episode.  It was jarring that suddenly she’s married to Mickey who she barely interacted with.   Mickey pined for Rose and Martha pined for the Doctor so decided to settle for each other?  Maybe it’s just because they wanted to reference the Smith and Jones thing from Martha’s first episode meeting the Doctor who was using an alias with the last name Smith.  So Martha ended up with her Smith in the end just not the one she first fell for?  I liked the characters but wasn’t thrilled with them getting together so randomly with no development. 

[Archery]

44 minutes ago, Luckylyn said:

I don’t know what to make of Martha ending up with Mickey Smith though.  That seemed to be a let’s pair the only companions of color off thing that was just out of nowhere because the show had established that Martha was happily engaged to someone else in another episode.  It was jarring that suddenly she’s married to Mickey who she barely interacted with.

I did roll my eyes at the "let's pair up our two black friends" aspect of it, but I always processed this as her getting together with one of the only other people in the world who knows what it was like to travel with the Doctor. 

I love the Martha season, and I love her "Yeah, I am awesome" exit. 

[Popples]

It burns me up how much Martha Jones does not get her respect. As for crushing on 10, don't forget when he first met her he did the cute little trick with his tie, shoved his tongue down her throat (so the Judoon could turn their alien detection scanners up a notch, but still), and saved everyone's life in the hospital. All of that in one day could make one a bit starry-eyed for him.

Then she spent her companion run being compared to Saint Rose and being treated like a straight-up rebound, working a menial job in a shop to support him in "Blink", being a maid in a super, openly racist early 20th-century boarding school in "Human Nature/Family of Blood", then finally walking the goddamn earth with her own two feet to tell everyone to clap if they believe in fairies so he could be Tinkerbell Jesus, and he came off so indifferent and ungrateful. Martha didn't get supernatural help like when Rose got to absorb the heart of the TARDIS and Donna got to be the "Doctor-Donna", but he downplays the hardship and sacrifice she (and her family) went through for him.

As for her getting paired up with Mickey, I've always felt like it was pairing up the rebound chick with the tin dog (as Mickey was someone else who was made to feel less than when he was on, and I'll admit it has a lot to do with why I don't like Rose).

There were many times I wish Martha could have companioned 11 or 12 during their runs because they would have at least appreciated her.

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Jaded said:

‘CBS Has a White Problem’: Executive Blasts Toxic Culture at Network in Explosive Letter

Wow. Sadly, not too surprising a read, given some of the shady crap we've heard happening at that network over the years, but still. Wow. 

Good on her for speaking out. 

[andromeda331]

13 hours ago, Jaded said:

‘CBS Has a White Problem’: Executive Blasts Toxic Culture at Network in Explosive Letter

I'm not surprised. But I'm glad she's speaking out. That takes guts. 

[DearEvette]

I recently binged Good Trouble, the spin off from The Fosters on FreeForm that follows Callie and Mariana as 20-somethings in California.  I stopped watching The Fosters after a bit because the angts factor was a bit high for my taste.  So I resisted even giving this a first look, fearing it would be much the same.

But I was so pleasantly surprised by not just the breadth of the diversity but the storytelling as well.  It has an ensemble cast that is very representative.  Mariana and Gael are Latino/a.  Gael is bisexual and has a trans sister.  Alice is Asian and a semi-closeted lesbian.  Malika is black.  Davia is plus size and Dennis is much older than everyone else.  There are also really good supporting characters, Mariana's boss is on the autistic spectrum and her work BFF is a SE Asian male.

The diversity could feel try-hard, but it really doesn't.  I don't get a whiff of tokenism and each character has their own storyline, romances and inner life/past so they don't exist just to support the main characters.

The progression of the various characters and storylines are well done.  And each character gets deeper character beats as the season wears on.

My biggest con is that even though I don't think the diversity amongst the characters feels  try hard, I do think the storylines err on the side of trying to hit so many current 'woke' issues all in one season: #MeToo, Black lives matter, women & minorities in the workplace issues, trans and LGBTQ rights, colorism, and depression.  So the effect is just a little too too much.

But even so it was a fun binge and I actually really enjoyed all the characters equally.

[Silver Raven]

Ava Duvernay and Greg Berlanti's new series is The Red Line.

It revolves around three families:

Interracial gay couple Noah Wyle and Corey Reynolds.  The tipping point in the show is the killing of African American Corey Reynolds's doctor character by a white cop. The couple have an adopted African American daughter who doesn't think her white father can identify with her angst over the death of the black father.

Emayatzy Corinealdi and Howard Charles as a black couple.  Her character is the gay couple's adopted daughter's biological mother.  She's running for city council .

Noel Fisher as the white cop who kills Corey Reynolds's character.

[Scarlett45]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

My biggest con is that even though I don't think the diversity amongst the characters feels  try hard, I do think the storylines err on the side of trying to hit so many current 'woke' issues all in one season: #MeToo, Black lives matter, women & minorities in the workplace issues, trans and LGBTQ rights, colorism, and depression.  So the effect is just a little too too much.

I concur. I love all of the character development and relationships in the series but it feels very “issue of the week”.....let’s give the characters a chance to breathe!

[tennisgurl]

9 hours ago, DearEvette said:

#MeToo, Black lives matter, women & minorities in the workplace issues, trans and LGBTQ rights, colorism, and depression. 

Yeah, thats exactly what The Fosters was like to, especially in the later seasons. It really felt like they had a checklist of every hot button Woke social issue they could find, and somehow worked it in, even adding whole new characters to get more stuff in "Now this new girl is an underage prostitute! Now this new character is unfairly jailed black teen! Now this new character has undocumented parents and her sister is on DACA!" It just got exhausting, like how much could possibly happen to this one family and the people in their vicinity?! It started to feel way too much. 

While Good Trouble does the same thing, its at least a bit more natural so far, with most of the issues dealt with actually featuring main, fully developed characters, who feel less like a check list of issues. They really seem like they are trying to tell diverse stories, which is really nice to see. 

[DearEvette]

45 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

While Good Trouble does the same thing, its at least a bit more natural so far, with most of the issues dealt with actually featuring main, fully developed characters, who feel less like a check list of issues. They really seem like they are trying to tell diverse stories, which is really nice to see

Exactly.  And you know what I especially loved — They gave Malika her own set of black bff girlfriends who are not part of the regular cast but are there to round out her life,  she hangs out with them.  The show allows her to interact with them differently than she does with the core ensemble.  Basically it is a visible code switch.

[possibilities]

I don't mind the issues that come up, because in my own life experience, those issues ARE real life. I get bored with shows that are all fluff about romantic agony and petty misunderstandings or other generic fare. If it was a medical drama, they would have disease of the week. Callie is a lawyer. There are going to be court cases; I'm glad they're making them more interesting and having Callie struggle with the complexity of her choices as she tries to navigate the system and figure out how she can best be of service when there are not easy answers.

My biggest problem with the show is actually that it keeps developing love triangles.

[arc]

Quote

The shallow portrayal of Asian-Americans in Hollywood over the years had effectively narrowed the pool of actors that could play the part of Sahm; a clear indictment of the lack of diversity and Asian representation in the industry. Early stages of the casting process saw Asian-American actors enter the room expecting to do one-liners, just like any other project they had auditioned for throughout their careers. “I remember pulling them aside and saying, ‘hey man, you’re going to have to up your game. If you want to be a lead, you have to be off book,’” Lin recalls.

https://www.newsweek.com/warrior-breathes-life-bruce-lees-vision-san-franciscos-chinatown-1384270

Three episodes in, I’m quite invested in the way “Warrior” actually takes on racial dynamics. I had low expectations going in but it’s not terrible.

[jhlipton]

22 minutes ago, arc said:

https://www.newsweek.com/warrior-breathes-life-bruce-lees-vision-san-franciscos-chinatown-1384270

"set during the ... second half of the late 1800s" 

Good grief.  Why not just say "set during the 1880s and 1890s"?  That's a lot more clear!

[Trini]

I didn't watch Suits, but I'm concerned that the spin-off centered on Jessica Pearson (played by Afro-Latina, Gina Torres) has (as far as I can tell) only one minority EP, and none of them women.

Quote

Series Premiere Wednesday, July 17 at 10/9c

PEARSON centers around the world of recently disbarred NYC powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) as she adjusts to down and dirty Chicago politics. Newly appointed as Chicago Mayor Bobby Novak's (Morgan Spector) right hand fixer, Jessica is quickly embroiled in a crooked and dangerous new world where every action has far-reaching consequences. With her compulsion to win, Jessica is forced to reconcile her unstoppable drive with her desire to do the right thing - two things very much at odds.

This new ensemble drama hails from UCP and is executive produced by SUITS creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh alongside executive producer and showrunner Daniel Arkin. Doug Liman, David Bartis and Gene Klein of Hypnotic (SUITS, IMPULSE), and Kevin Bray and Chris Downey, also serve as executive producers. Additional cast includes: Bethany Joy Lenz ("One Tree Hill"), Simon Kassianides ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."), Eli Goree ("Riverdale"), Isabel Arraiza ("The Oath") and Chantel Riley (WYNONNA EARP).

[Trini]

Profile of Daniel Dae Kim; discusses his career and Asian representation on TV: https://charactermedia.com/how-is-daniel-dae-kim-using-his-power-as-an-executive-producer-to-promote-visibility-for-other-asian-americans-asian-american-executive-producer-korean-american-actor/

Quote

The life of an actor is nomadic, but if you can get a steady gig on a TV series, it’s the closest thing to a regular 9-to-5 job you can get to in the business. In retrospect, Kim is pragmatic about his role on “Hawaii Five-0″—what it was, what it wasn’t and what it would never be.

“When you’re on a broadcast network TV show, it’s important to fully understand what you’re getting yourself into,” Kim says. “Many of them have a distinct brand identity and don’t generally veer from it. You may think because of what a producer or executive may tell you that it’s going to be different, but there’s a very real chance it won’t. It’s really just a question of what an individual actor wants from that job in terms of their career, and whether that aligns with the expectations of the network.”

For Kim, it was an opportunity to leverage the steady gig and think holistically about his career. When it came time to renegotiate his contract for “Hawaii Five-0,” his specific terms included an opportunity to direct on the show, and the formation of his very own production company, 3AD, laying major groundwork for the next stage of his career.

In 2017, after seven seasons, both Kim and co-star Grace Park parted ways with “Hawaii Five-0” over a much-publicized contract dispute. CBS claimed that the actors were offered “large and significant salary increases,” but Kim and Park stood firm, seeking pay parity with series stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. It was a deal breaker.

“The path to equality is rarely easy,” Kim told fans on Facebook. “But I hope you can be excited for the future. I am.” With “The Good Doctor,” the first show produced under the 3AD banner, which premiered in September of the same year, the future was already here. It instantly became the most-watched new show on television.

[DearEvette]

So CBS released some trailers for their new shows coming this fall and one them is a drama called All Rise starring .... GASP... Simone Missick....a black woman. 

They have a couple of others with POC leads, EVIL starring Mike Colter.  And a comedy called Bob Hearts Abishola which seems very Mike and Molly-ish (I never actually saw a single episode of Mike and Molly, but this is what I imagine it was like).

But Honestly watching the trailer for All Rise I kept checking to make sure I was actually on CBS' site because the show looks positively ABC-ish.  I'll check it out of course because I love her and the show actually is something I'd normally watch... on ABC.

Here's the trailer:

[Scarlett45]

Has anyone else see the ad for mixed-ish in Facebook?!! It’s hilarious!

and they actually hired biracial actors-yay.

https://www.facebook.com/283585929245249/posts/291101681827007?s=20404413&v=e&sfns=mo

[topanga]

13 hours ago, DearEvette said:

So CBS released some trailers for their new shows coming this fall and one them is a drama called All Rise starring .... GASP... Simone Missick....a black woman. 

That looks really good. And you’re right. It has the look and tone of an ABC drama. Will definitely give it a watch. 

[Bastet]

19 hours ago, DearEvette said:

But Honestly watching the trailer for All Rise I kept checking to make sure I was actually on CBS' site because the show looks positively ABC-ish.  I'll check it out of course because I love her and the show actually is something I'd normally watch... on ABC.

Wow, you're right; if you'd shown me the trailer with no identifying information and then asked me to guess which network it was on, I'd have guessed ABC.  In fact, I'd have probably said, "ABC?  I certainly know it's not CBS." 

I have a hard time watching shows set in the legal profession (my profession) because I'm prone to distraction, or even irritation, by the inevitable inaccuracies, but that is one seriously good trailer; I'm going to have to check it out.

[proserpina65]

On ‎04‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 6:54 PM, jhlipton said:

And on FXX, they have... what do they have on FXX?  You're the Worst just finished; Archer and The Family Guy moved from FX.  I think if The Shield ran today, it would run on FXX.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I think?

[DearEvette]

17 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Has anyone else see the ad for mixed-ish in Facebook?!! It’s hilarious!

and they actually hired biracial actors-yay.

https://www.facebook.com/283585929245249/posts/291101681827007?s=20404413&v=e&sfns=mo

I frickin LOVED that trailer.  Those kids look excellent.

What is really surprising me, though is all the commentary surrounding this show.  If you ever though for a minute (like actually nobody really would think it) that race was not a complex issue, read some commentary around the optics of the show.  You have these Hoteps going on and on and on about tv being for the white man and this show is an agenda blah blah blah.  You have fans of blackish who dislike the casting of Tika Sumpter as Bow's mother, you have non-biracial folks who think it is being naive about blackness, you have people who don't think it gets communes right, you have people who hate the title, and you randos who don't want another 'retro' ABC family comedy.    Good lord, it just looks like a funny family comedy! 

Edited May 16, 2019 by DearEvette

[Joimiaroxeu]

My only issue with Mixed-ish is also with Tika Sumpter. I'm a long-time fan of hers back to her days on One Life to Live. I even watched that awful soap she's on on OWN for a few seasons until it became more awful than I could stand. I'm always glad to see dark-skinned Black women and girls get cast. However, I feel like the woman who looks like Tika probably wouldn't have ended up looking like Anna Deavere Smith in a few decades. IMO, her casting seems a tad disrespectful to Anna in a reverse colorism kind of way.

[Sparger Springs]

On 5/15/2019 at 9:23 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Has anyone else see the ad for mixed-ish in Facebook?!! It’s hilarious!

and they actually hired biracial actors-yay.

https://www.facebook.com/283585929245249/posts/291101681827007?s=20404413&v=e&sfns=mo

They always hire biracial actors or actressess. There is nothing unique about that.

[Sparger Springs]

47 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

My only issue with Mixed-ish is also with Tika Sumpter. I'm a long-time fan of hers back to her days on One Life to Live. I even watched that awful soap she's on on OWN for a few seasons until it became more awful than I could stand. I'm always glad to see dark-skinned Black women and girls get cast. However, I feel like the woman who looks like Tika probably wouldn't have ended up looking like Anna Deavere Smith in a few decades. IMO, her casting seems a tad disrespectful to Anna in a reverse colorism kind of way.

Its like they don't care. Anna Deveare Smith was a bad choice for Bow's mom and now they are trying to fix it retrocatively.

[Joimiaroxeu]

How or why was Anna Deavere Smith was a bad choice for Bow's mom? I thought the casting was fine though a basic broadcast sitcom is probably way below her skillset.

With Mixed-ish they appear to be playing up Bo and her siblings biracial status more than they do on Black-ish, hence the more strongly visible differences in their parents' skin tones. On Black-ish I bet they just wanted an actress of a certain age who wasn't much darker than Bo who would also be believable as having been a hippie in their younger days.

[Neurochick]

16 hours ago, Sparger Springs said:

They always hire biracial actors or actressess. There is nothing unique about that.

It's starting to become unusual when they hire actors who actually have two black parents.

[Irlandesa]

On 5/15/2019 at 5:32 PM, DearEvette said:

But Honestly watching the trailer for All Rise I kept checking to make sure I was actually on CBS' site because the show looks positively ABC-ish.  I'll check it out of course because I love her and the show actually is something I'd normally watch... on ABC.

That description made me watch the trailer and I'm in.  Maybe next year when my mother asks me if I'm watching anything new to see if we're watching the same thing, which basically means "are you watching anything new on CBS", I'll be able to name a show she will have heard of.

[talktoomuch]

Are y'all telling me that show in that trailer All Rise is going to be on CBS? CBS CBS? Not CBS Streaming? That show?

Well, I'll be. That show looks compelling. And diverse. And well-acted. And possibly well-written. I'm completely shocked. 

Thank goodness you posted it here @DearEvette. I never would have known to look for it.

[Minneapple]

Saw the trailer for All Rise. Wow! It looks really good. I'm in.

[arc]

Warrior on Cinemax really goes in on 19th century racism (with some rather obvious parallels to now, too). It's worth watching. (Even though the sex/nudity on the show feels exploitative. =( )

Edited May 29, 2019 by arc

[In2You]

On 5/16/2019 at 11:49 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

How or why was Anna Deavere Smith was a bad choice for Bow's mom? I thought the casting was fine though a basic broadcast sitcom is probably way below her skillset.

With Mixed-ish they appear to be playing up Bo and her siblings biracial status more than they do on Black-ish, hence the more strongly visible differences in their parents' skin tones. On Black-ish I bet they just wanted an actress of a certain age who wasn't much darker than Bo who would also be believable as having been a hippie in their younger days.

Shes lighter than two of her mixed children on Blackish. How could a woman looking like that have kids with a white man who look like Bow and Johan? And a casual viewer can mistake her for a white woman woman. The actress took a DNA test and shes actually almost 50/50 black qnd white and her white features are very pronounced. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by In2You

[In2You]

On 5/17/2019 at 2:23 PM, Neurochick said:

It's starting to become unusual when they hire actors who actually have two black parents.

Yep, and I've noticed many people are sick(and rightly so) of biracial actors getting all the roles. Its even a little rare when you see a young actor who is light-skinned with two black parents on tv or in a movie. People thought Storm Reid was biracial because only young biracial actress have been getting these major movie opportunities. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by In2You

[Trini]

3 hours ago, paulvdb said:

‘Mixed-Ish’: Mark-Paul Gosselaar Joins ‘Black-Ish’ Spinoff On ABC In Recasting

He will play Bow's father

I don't know what it means, but it's kind of interesting that this is the third time in the past few years (after Pitch, and The Passage) that Gosselaar has been paired with a black, female co-star for a series.

[Ms Blue Jay]

8 hours ago, Trini said:

I don't know what it means, but it's kind of interesting that this is the third time in the past few years (after Pitch, and The Passage) that Gosselaar has been paired with a black, female co-star for a series.

And of course, he had that brief period of time way back when where he was with Lisa Turtle 😉😉😉😉

I think it just means that MPG is awesome.  Something I've always thought!

Edited June 20, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Sparger Springs]

16 hours ago, Trini said:

I don't know what it means, but it's kind of interesting that this is the third time in the past few years (after Pitch, and The Passage) that Gosselaar has been paired with a black, female co-star for a series.

Means the show is going to get cancelled after one season. He is the  Ted McGinley of this decade.

[PepSinger]

Aw. I just want Mark-Paul Gosselaar to have a successful series. I will watch Mixed-ish. Loved the promo.

[scarynikki12]

If Mixed-ish succeeds I'll be happy MPG's bad luck is over but I will also do a MASSIVE pout because I wanted all that success to go to The Passage.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, scarynikki12 said:

If Mixed-ish succeeds I'll be happy MPG's bad luck is over but I will also do a MASSIVE pout because I wanted all that success to go to The Passage Pitch.

What @scarynikki12's quote would say if I were writing it.

 

[scarynikki12]

At least there are rumors that Pitch may return (supposedly NBC was/is considering it in light of This Is Us' success). All I can hope for with The Passage is that Ridley Scott (who still has the rights as far as I know) loves the books as much as I do and either convinces a network to give it another go, reboots the series fresh, or turns them into movies like he originally planned. Then they risk the quality going down as the season we did get was easily one of the best adaptations I've ever seen.

[shoregirl]

26 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

What @scarynikki12's quote would say if I were writing it.

 

Same.. I loved him in Pitch...and Pitch in general. I'm still mad Fox didn't give it more of a chance.

I think those rumors of the Pitch revival exist just to get my hopes up .

Edited June 21, 2019 by shoregirl

[Haleth]

I loved both Pitch and The Passage and recommended both numerous times... until they got cancelled.  Ugh.  

[topanga]

9 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

At least there are rumors that Pitch may return (supposedly NBC was/is considering it in light of This Is Us' success). All I can hope for with The Passage is that Ridley Scott (who still has the rights as far as I know) loves the books as much as I do and either convinces a network to give it another go, reboots the series fresh, or turns them into movies like he originally planned. Then they risk the quality going down as the season we did get was easily one of the best adaptations I've ever seen.

9 hours ago, shoregirl said:

Same.. I loved him in Pitch...and Pitch in general. I'm still mad Fox didn't give it more of a chance.

I think those rumors of the Pitch revival exist just to get my hopes up .

You and me both. At least give us a movie where the Padres make the playoffs and there's a steamy Ginny-Lawson hook up. 

I could scour the Internet for some Pitch fan-fiction, but eh. The writing's not always great. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by topanga

[jhlipton]

I had planned on giving All Rise and Pearson a pass, but I'll take a look at both.  I had no idea that Gina FREAKING Torres was playing Pearson -- that makes it worth a look-see any time.  

[DearEvette]

In January it was announced that one of the first projects Shonda Rhimes would do in her move from ABC to Netflix was an adaptation of a romance novel series by author Julia Quinn that follows a family known as the Bridgertons set during the early 1800s in Regency England.

This was met with much rejoicing by a lot of romance reader fans.  Not so much by some others as a) the author has made some problematic statements about diversity and inclusion in romance at a time when a lot of romancelandia is pushing hard for diversity and inclusions and b) the books are about as white as white can be.

But the cast was announced yesterday and it was a lot more diverse than the books are.  In fact the main hero, a Duke, in the first book is going to be a black actor.  So that led to... a LOT.  Not as much sturm und drang as the announcement of Halle Bailey being Ariel in the new live action Little Mermaid, but a milder version. 

I read the books and If I had the money and power to bring any romance novel series to Netlfix with an eye toward giving it a prestige treatment, it would not have been this one by any means.  But the casting is interesting and I'll definitely give it a look.  I also like that they went ahead and unabashedly made Queen Charlotte black.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

In January it was announced that one of the first projects Shonda Rhimes would do in her move from ABC to Netflix was an adaptation of a romance novel series by author Julia Quinn that follows a family known as the Bridgertons set during the early 1800s in Regency England.

It doesn't sound like my cup of tea but I wish Shonda well. Hopefully it'll turn out better than her attempt at a Romeo and Juliet follow-up. IMO, that was a hot mess.

[topanga]

19 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I read the books and If I had the money and power to bring any romance novel series to Netlfix with an eye toward giving it a prestige treatment, it would not have been this one by any means.  But the casting is interesting and I'll definitely give it a look.  I also like that they went ahead and unabashedly made Queen Charlotte black.

I would've liked to see her bring Jasmine Guillory's contemporary romance novels to the screen. Her novels already feature a diverse cast of characters.