Back in the “Must See TV” days, Thursday nights were king. Friends, Cheers, Seinfeld, and of course The Cosby Show, are just a few of the shows that became legends on that fated night, when the whole world would stop everything – just to crowd around their television sets.
In the words of Archie and Edith Bunker, “Those were the days!” And it looks like we’re experiencing a “Must See TV” revival of sorts.
You’d have to be living under a rock not to have caught wind of the Scandal fever that took over the nation this week. Fitz, Mellie, Hutch and the rest of the cast have become household names. The growing ranks of die-hard fans, known as “gladiator nation,” have effectively monopolized the Twitter-sphere. And Kerry Washington, television’s reigning “It Girl,” has even inspired a limited edition clothing line (for girls who want to look just like lead character Olivia Pope).
Whether you are a fan of the show or not, you have to admit its popularity is insane. Which is no small feat considering black women don’t get to star in their own dramas very often. In fact, Kerry Washington is the first female to lead a primetime network drama series since Teresa Graves starred in “Get Christy Love” in the early 70’s. That’s 40 years of sisters playing prostitutes, hood rats, sidekicks – and if they’re lucky, someone’s wife – but never the one in charge.
What makes this new era of black heroines even more special is who’s behind the camera. As of last night, everyone has been put on notice that Shonda Rhimes is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder, a woman of color has now been entrusted with all of ABC’s Thursday night line-up; three full hours of nothing but ShondaLand Productions programming. It was a takeover of shameless proportions, and I loved every second of it.
It’s one thing for a sister to be invited to the party, but it’s whole other thing to have her throwing it. And throw a party she did – with millions of enthusiastic viewers watching with bated breath and posting incessantly on Twitter and various other social media outlets.
Some might say, “So what? It’s just TV. None of this matters in the real world,” but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. What we consume – be it on television, in music or in the fashion world – dictates the new normal. Having shows with ensemble casts of varying ages, races and sexual orientations matters, because it humanizes groups that are often reduced into one-dimensional stereotypes (or ignored altogether).
Like I said during my live tweet with theGrio last night, everyone seems to get a shout out on these shows.
And perhaps that’s the mass appeal of ShondaLand; the “for us, by us” approach that gives marginalized folks a chance to see characters who actually look like them — doing sexy, outlandish things they would never dream of. It’s the perfect recipe for what Time critic James Poniewozik has dubbed “OMG TV.”
The Washington Post reports that when asked about her trademark inclusivity, Rhimes casually muses:
“There is no token system. We’re gonna cast the best actor for the part. And then our cast makes it feel real and true — they elevate everything.”
Hiring the best people for the job, regardless of race?
What a novel idea! *insert sarcasm*
I’m not sure any of us thought we’d see the day when a 44 year old, African-American mother of three would be heralded as one of the most powerful people in broadcast television. It spits in the face of the boys club we’ve all become used to, while debunking the industry myth that “White audiences don’t want to see black characters.”
Yet, here we are.
And at this point, I think it’s safe to say: Shonda Rhimes is the Beyonce of television; whether you love her or not – ignoring her is no longer an option.
Bravo sis.