Word: bochco
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...think Steven Bochco was the Branch Rickey of American dramatic television. Ever since the announcement of City of Angels (CBS, Wednesdays, 8 p.m. E.T.), an urban-hospital drama with a mostly black cast, the powerful producer (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue) has been portrayed like the man who brought Jackie Robinson to the majors: the beneficent white guy who ushered minority talent onto the playing field of TV drama...
...since last July, when the N.A.A.C.P. threatened boycotts against ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC for underrepresenting people of color in prime time, many shows have plugged minorities into their lineups. City's true distinction is that Bochco has brought minorities into the front office. Not only is one of the show's three co-creators African American (Emmy Award-winning director Paris Barclay), but so is half the writing staff and 70% of the production crew. "I've been an actor for 30 years, and normally I'm the only black on a set," says Harold Sylvester, who writes...
Just because prejudice is unconscious doesn't mean it's excusable. If "an unmindful reflection of self" is the problem, as Bochco implies, it wouldn't be that hard to hire more people of color to create shows...
Perhaps if Bochco were the "token" in question, he would feel differently. I'm not an actor, and I don't pretend to understand that craft in particular, but my guess is that just as in any other line of work, actors like to think they've been chosen for their merits, not to offset someone's guilt or cover their bases...
...Bochco also said he thought any prejudice on television was "unthinking...