-
'Roots' Cast: Then and Now
When ABC first aired Roots, the 1977 miniseries based on the best-selling novel by Alex Haley, the network worried no one would watch. Instead, the eight-night epic became one of the most watched dramas in history. Nearly 100 million viewers, about half the country at the time, saw the final episode. The impact on the…
-
Golden Globes 2012: 5 Memorable Moments
The glitz-and-glamour season kicked into high gear Sunday when the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were handed out in Beverly Hills, Calif. British comedian Ricky Gervais handled hosting duties for a third time. After his scorched-earth performance last year, when he torched everyone from Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association…
-
In Memoriam: The Ones We Lost in 2011
Horton was a founding member and lead singer of the Marvelettes, the first girl group signed to Berry Gordy’s fledgling label, Motown Records. The group’s 1961 hit “Please Mr. Postman” gave Motown its first No. 1 song and paved the way for the label’s other girl groups — the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas.…
-
Top Black Moments: American Music Awards
Dick Clark created the American Music Awards as a response to the Grammys, which are chosen by the industry; the AMAs are determined by the music-buying public. The first show aired in 1974 and featured awards in three categories: pop/rock, soul/R&B and country. The first favorite soul/R&B male, female and group were Stevie Wonder, Roberta…
-
A Rapper's Blueprint to Megastardom
Like many rappers, Common has a lot of irons in the fire. He’s been promoting his new memoir, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which recently landed on the New York Times best-seller list. He’s set to star as a freed slave in AMC’s new Western drama, Hell on Wheels, which begins Nov. 6. He’s…
-
What's Wrong With Inspirational Black TV?
BET’s new show Reed Between the Lines really wants to be The Cosby Show for a new generation. I, for one, am OK with that. After all, The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992, was a groundbreaking series that changed the face of television. It opened the door for other shows such as…
-
Pat Buchanan Makes Racist Claims in New Book
Political website Talking Points Memo has the lowlights from a new book by conservative Pat Buchanan, in which the MSNBC pundit makes some fairly racist claims about the decline of America civilization. In his book Suicide of a Superpower, Buchanan places the blame squarely on the shoulders of diversity efforts and multiculturalism. A few excerpts:…
-
Fall Music: What's Next in Hip-Hop and R&B?
This year has seen the release of major albums from the worlds of hip-hop and R&B — from neo-soul sister Jill Scott (The Light of the Sun) to rap kings Jay-Z and Kanye West (Watch the Throne). As 2011 heads into the twilight, here are a few more big names with albums on the horizon.…
-
2011 Emmy Awards: No Surprises There
The 63rd annual Emmy Awards aired Sunday, and though Glee’s Jane Lynch served as host, it failed to hit many high notes. There was a little drama before the ceremony even started, when 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin asked to be removed from the pretaped opening sketch after Fox killed a joke about the phone-hacking…
-
Fall TV Roundup: Glimmers of Diversity
Fall may be a season of change, but when the five broadcast networks unveil their 27 new series over the next several weeks, you won’t see any scripted shows with predominantly African-American casts. That’s not exactly change we can believe in. To be fair, the networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW —…
