by Tara Pringle Jefferson
Let me start off by saying I have a three-episode rule when it comes to TV shows. If there’s a show that gets great buzz or my friends can’t stop talking about it or I can’t log onto Twitter without the live tweets clogging my screen, then I will usually give it three episodes to catch my interest and get me excited too.
I personally get excited whenever there’s a new show that deals with married folk.
When I first heard about Basketball Wives (go ahead and call me naive) I thought I was going to get a glimpse of “the women behind the men,” the wives of these athletes and how they hold down the fort when their husbands are on the road for seven game stretches.
This is not what I got. (Granted the show is executive produced by Shaunie O’Neal, whose recent very public divorce from Shaquille O’Neal might not make her eager to showcase love in all its glory.) Instead I got a bunch of sad, bitter women who…do what exactly? Pick fights and show up at parties to start more fights? I don’t get it. Maybe the real wives were too busy being wives to allow themselves to take part in the foolishness. I think I gave it maybe two episodes and shut it off quick.
When The Game premiered after a two-year absence, I was excited to see what Melanie and Derwin’s married life would be like. How would they handle Melanie’s demanding career as a doctor with Derwin’s equally demanding career as a football player? Turns out – that wasn’t even a factor since Melanie postponed her residency. It was all about the drama and the baby mama on the side, not about their quest to live happily ever after. I’m on episode two and I don’t know how much longer I’ll watch.
But even when we do get a “positive” Black couple on the screen, the writing, set, casting, plotlines, etc., are usually subpar. While I admire Tyler Perry for bringing Meet The Browns and House of Payne to a major network, the quality is not there. They regularly churn out several episodes a week, while other mainstream shows produce only one during that same time frame. They’re efficient, all right, but at what cost to show quality?
I’m well aware that this dearth of positive marriages on the small screen is not only limited to African-American couples. Marriage in general gets the short stick on TV.
But maybe a show about regular ol’ folks, without the extra drama and baby on the side, would be too boring. Who wants to watch an hour-long drama about parents trying to figure out where to send their kid to school? Or watch a couple sit down to do the weekly budget? Yawnfest, for sure. But didn’t The Cosby Show do it? What about The Fresh Prince? Moesha? (LOL)
BMWK family, I know TV (entertainment in general) needs to be, well, entertaining. What do you say – would a regular ol’ marriage (set in either a drama or comedy) make a hit show? What’s your favorite show revolving around a couple and/or their family?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer, blogger and PR professional living in Ohio with her husband and two kids. She’s also Managing Editor of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for more insights on love and family.