Everybody Hates Chris How cool is it that Chris Rock is giving all the black '70s stars he grew up with work on his TV show? At first I thought Jimmie "JJ" Walker might have landed himself a recurring role as Chris' grandpa, so I was bummed when he croaked before the first commercial break (although not half as bummed as he was, I bet). Still it was a sweet gig, even if he did look all weird and bloated. Ernest "Rog" Thomas was back, too (he was the slick coffin salesman), and corner-store owner Antonio "Huggy Bear" Fargas dropped by Chris' house to pay his respects after the funeral. Something I just noticed tonight (and yes, I am slow): The scenes shot in Bed-Stuy have a rap or s
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Black. White. Aaaah, good for Carmen... she's making progress. Last week she's calling a black woman a creature, and now look at her. She's marching into the heart of Los Angeles' black community as a white woman seeking acceptance. Pretty bold move, considering everyone on camera (and probably off) is shaking their heads and basically saying, "Yes, we know you'd like to buy the world a Coke and teach the world to sing... but it's not 1971 and you're just starting to get the melody...." Thankfully she has Dianne to set her straight. I like Dianne — so genuine and so, so patient. Did you catch that look on her face when Carmen revealed her true identity — it was like "What the...?" Yet there she is, walking down the streets of L.A.,
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Question: I was completely and totally engrossed by last week's premiere (March 8) of Black. White. on FX, demonstrating again that FX is taking real chances. First, do you have thoughts on this show? I think it's probably the coolest reality show out there. Second, is there any way to really track ratings (for us average folks) to get an idea of whether these kinds of shows are drawing an audience?
Answer: By cable standards, the premiere of Black. White. was a significant ratings success for FX, the most-watched cable program of that day, even outrating the Project Runway season finale. (Whether that will hold up is beyond me. FX got a lot of promotion for the show, including an Oprah segment.) I've seen four of the series' six hours and found it absorbing, irritating, fascinating, illuminating, frustrating. More "reality" than you usually get in a "reality" show, which is why I consider this show more of a documentary series than a true reality show. As I noted in a short review in
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Black. White."Beautiful black creature"... not a bad way to describe a racehorse, or maybe your neighbor's black Lab, but a human being you've just met? Poor Carmen. Even Bruno was shaking his head when she let loose with that one. You just know her intentions are golden — too bad her mouth keeps getting in the way. As for housemate and newfound nemesis Renee, I'm surprised she doesn't limp. I mean that chip on her shoulder must weigh like half a ton! Seriously, she needs to lighten up. First she accuses Carmen of being judgmental, and then, not 30 seconds later, she says, "That just tells me how to deal with you from now on until this project is over with." Yeah, good thing Renee isn't quick to judge. Renee showed more respect to that crazy-looking
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Wednesday was a ratings whopper for a pair of cablers. The premiere of Black. White. drew four million total viewers for FX (nearly triple the net's previous best for an unscripted series), while the Project Runway finale (tailing Black. White. in the 10 pm hour with 3.4 million viewers) became Bravo's highest-rated program ever.... Speaking of Bravo, it has inked a deal worth $15 million-plus to begin airing HBO's Six Feet Under this fall.
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