- Television just isn’t the same. Nowadays, you’re more likely to see a reality show starring a person of color than a scripted one. Many of us who grew up on Black family sitcoms like <em><strong>The Cosby Show</strong></em>, <em><strong>A Different World</strong></em> and <em><strong>The Jeffersons</strong></em>—which portrayed a positive side of the African American experience—may find most of what’s on the air now pales in comparison but there are a few gems in the crowd. More and more, some of Black Hollywood’s finest are taking their talents from the big screen to the small screen and there are emerging programs—both scripted and reality—that are more than catfights and scandals. As the <strong>2011 Fall TV Season</strong> gets ready to kick off, <strong>BlackEnterprise.com</strong> channel surfs through the network’s lineups to see what’s worth checking out—both new and returning—on your down time. <em>—Starrene Rhett</em>
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- <ul> <li><strong><em>Scandal</em> (ABC, TBD) </strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres mid-season 2012</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Kerry Washington, Columbus Short, Jeff Perry</li> </ul> From the creator and executive producers of <em>Grey's Anatomy</em> and Private Practice comes this new political drama. Olivia Pope (Washington) is a former media relations consultant to the president, who switches careers and opens her own firm dedicated to “cleaning up” other people’s problems. Each week, Pope and her team face another difficult assignment while juggling their own personal issues.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>America’s Next Top Model</em> (CW, Wednesdays 9pm EST) </strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 14</strong></li> <li><strong>Host: </strong> Tyra Banks</li> </ul> Banks is mixing things up for <em>ANTM</em> cycle 17, as she looks to the past for the future winner. This season will bring back 14 fan favorites who competed in past seasons but didn’t win. Returning contenders include Camille McDonald (cycle two), Bianca Golden (cycle 9) and the controversial transsexual model, Isis King (cycle 11).
- <ul> <li><em><strong>The X-Factor</strong></em><strong> (FOX, Wednesdays 8pm EST) </strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 21</strong></li> <li><strong>Panel:</strong> Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Jones</li> </ul> <em>American Idol</em> creator Cowell brings his UK hit to the US, and rejoins with former <em>Idol</em> judge Abdul. Also on the panel are Epic Records Chairman Reid, former Pussy Cat Doll Scherzinger and Jones as host. The premise of the talent competition show is to find the next superstar or group, which comes with a $5 million recording contract.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Charlie’s Angels</em> (ABC, Thursdays 8pm EST)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 22</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars: </strong> Annie Illonzeh, Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor</li> </ul> Pop culture’s most iconic crime-fighting trio of divas is back incarnate for the new millennium. Executive produced by Drew Barrymore, ABC’s 2011 version of <em>Charlie’s Angels</em> takes places in steamy Miami and is a fresh new take on the classic series. There’s even a woman of color (Illonzeh) playing one of the lead heroines.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Person of Interest</em> (CBS, 9pm EST )</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 22</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars: </strong> Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson</li> </ul> Produced by J.J. Abrams, <em>Person of Interest</em> is crime thriller about a missing and presumed dead ex-CIA agent who moves to New York City to fight crime with the help of a mysterious billionaire. Together they evade cameras that watch their every move and record every phone call in an action-packed series of adventures. Henson plays the agent assigned to track them down.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Dexter</em> (Showtime, Sundays 9pm EST)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres October 2</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Michael C. Hall, Mos Def</li> </ul> Now in its sixth season, Showtime’s top-rated serial killer series returns with a few new surprises. Namely, the inclusion of rapper/actor Mos Def, who plays Brother Sam, an ex-con who claims to have found religion but always seems to find himself in the middle of violence. With religion and faith being the driving forces of this season it should be interesting to see how the storyline unfolds.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>For Better or Worse</em> (TBS, TBD)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres November</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Michael Jai White, Tasha Smith</li> </ul> <strong><a title="Tyler Perry Decoded: The Deals, the Brand, the Influence" href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/03/21/tyler-perry-decoded/">Tyler Perry</a></strong>’s latest sitcom venture is <em>For Better or Worse</em>. Based on the characters Marcus (White) and Angela (Smith) from his <em>Why Did I Get Married?</em> movie series, the half-hour series follows their tumultuous yet loving marriage. If the show’s anything like the movie, there’s bound to be over-the-top drama and plenty of chuckles.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Hell On Wheels</em> (AMC, TBD)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres fourth quarter</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Common</li> </ul> Set in 1865, this dramatic series takes place during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. A contemporary western about post-Civil War America, <em>Hell on Wheels</em>’ central character is a Cullen Bohannan (Mount), a Confederate soldier looking to avenge the death of his wife. Rapper-turned-actor Common also appears in the series as Elam, a newly freed slave who heads out West seeking work on the railroad. But as a half Black/half White man he has a hard time fitting in to either world.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Breakout Kings</em> (A&E, TBD)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres mid-season 2012</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> <a title="GALLERY: Bishop T.D. Jakes’ ‘Jumping the Broom’ Dallas Premiere" href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/05/03/jumping-the-broom/">Laz Alonso</a>, Dominick Lombardozzi, Malcolm Goodwin, Jimmi Simpson, Serinda Swan</li> </ul> After a successful first season, <em>Breakout Kings</em> returns for a second go-round. The series continues to follow two disgruntled US Marshals (Alonso and Lombardozzi) as they take a novel approach to their work by using former fugitives to catch criminals. Look for more action and intensity as the original scripted series looks to recreate its inaugural success.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>The Chew</em> (ABC, weekdays 1pm EST)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 26</strong></li> <li><strong>Hosts: </strong> Carla Hall, Mario Batali, Daphne Oz, Clinton Kelly, Michael Symon</li> </ul> ABC’s new lifestyle talk show will revolve around what everyone loves most⎯food! <em>Top Chef</em> winner and culinary entrepreneur Hall will join Batali, Oz, Symon and Kelly to discuss epicurean fabulousness like food trends, where to dine and how to host phenomenal dinner parties.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>The Playboy Club</em> (NBC, Mondays 10pm EST)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres September 19 </strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Naturi Naughton, Amber Heard, Eddie Cibrian</li> </ul> Set in 1960s Chicago, <em>The Playboy Club</em> is a drama centered around publishing entrepreneur Hugh Hefner’s seductive world of bunnies, mobsters, politicos and entertainers. Naughton co-stars as Bunny Brenda, a sassy and determined aspiring Play Mate, who plans to become the first African American centerfold. Viewers can expect stars of the era like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Tina Turner to make a visit to the infamous club as well.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Top Chef Just Desserts </em>(Bravo, Wednesdays 10pm EST) </strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres August 24</strong></li> <li><strong>Host: </strong> Gail Summers, Johnny Iuzzini, Hubert Keller, Dannielle Kyrillos</li> </ul> The culinary competition series that introduced the world to renowned chefs <strong><a title="7 Personalities Who Went from Reality TV Fame to Business Success" href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/03/03/7-personalities-who-went-from-reality-tv-fame-to-business-success/">Marcus Samuelsson</a></strong> and Carla Hall returns with a different spin. This time around, as the show’s title suggests, the focus is on “just desserts. Fourteen pastry chefs—including Virgin Island native Orlando Santos and Haitian-born Melissa Camacho—will compete to see if they have what it takes to win the title and be recognized as the best in their business.
- <ul> <li><strong><em>Reed Between the Lines</em> (BET, Tuesdays TBD)</strong></li> <li><strong>Premieres October 11</strong></li> <li><strong>Stars:</strong> Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tracee Ellis Ross</li> </ul> <em>Reed Between the Lines</em> is a new scripted series that follows Alex (Warner), an English professor, and Carla (Ross), a psychologist as they navigate life’s ups and downs. The couple are parents to teenage twins and an outspoken 7-year-old daughter and provides a glimpse of functional Black love and wit for viewers.
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