"We The People with Gloria Allred" Builds On "America's Court's" Success, Launches Fall 2011 on NBC Stations

Entertainment Studios, Inc., (ES) has cut a major deal with NBC Owned Television Stations for its 28th and newest HD television court program: "We The People with Gloria Allred." The NBC owned stations include: New York's WNBC, Los Angeles' KNBC, Chicago's WMAQ, Dallas's KXAS, San Francisco's KNTV, San Diego's KNSD, and Hartford's WVIT.

"With the increasing success of our show "America's Court with Judge Ross" we are extremely proud to have Gloria Allred join our family and further demonstrate Entertainment Studios' unwavering commitment to be the number one provider of quality television content," said Byron Allen, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios.

"Quite often a Gloria Allred case is the lead story on the news across the nation. Gloria Allred is the perfect judge to be on a television court show which can serve as the ultimate news lead-in," said Allen. "In addition to being a lawyer, she is a great communicator with a heart. Viewers are drawn to her because they know she will be fearless, informative, and entertaining."

(Byron Allen on set with America's Court Judge Kevin Ross)

A former stand-up comedian who opened for acts including the legendary entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., Byron Allen, 50, has transformed a business started by he and his mother, Carolyn Folks, into an entertainment powerhouse. Founded in 1993, Entertainment Studios produces, distributes, and sells advertising for all its programs, making it the largest independent producer and distributor of first-run syndicated programming for broadcast television stations.

With offices in New York, Chicago, and Raleigh, the Los Angeles based company is also owner of seven 24-hour HD television networks. The latest of which is LEGACY.TV, a network that will be exclusively devoted to celebrating African American excellence.

Entertainment Studios entrance into the competitive daytime syndication arena began in 2010 with "America's Court with Judge Ross," featuring former Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kevin Ross. Ross also serves as a producer on the daily strip, entering its second season in additional U.S. and global markets beginning Monday, September 19, 2011.

In several cities, "We The People" will debut alongside "America's Court" as a solid viewing block of court, joining such mainstays as Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown and The People's Court.

Hey Hollywood, Where Are The Young Black Leading Men?

BROTHERS IN SHOW BUSINESS - THE NEXT GENERATION

Shortly after the Oscars ended Sunday, Samuel L. Jackson sent an e-mail to a Times reporter wondering why no black men had been chosen to present awards on the film world's biggest stage.

"It's obvious there's not ONE Black male actor in Hollywood that's able to read a teleprompter, or that's 'hip enuf,' for the new academy demographic!" Jackson wrote. "In the Hollywood I saw tonite, I don't exist nor does Denzel, Eddie, Will, Jamie, or even a young comer like Anthony Mackie!"

Jackson may be on to something, at least when it comes to the young comers.

There is still a sizable number of black actors in Hollywood with box-office clout and meaty roles, a point that will be underscored when the NAACP hands out its annual Image Awards in Los Angeles Friday night. Will Smith is the biggest movie star in the world, a title he's held now for several years, and Denzel Washington remains at the peak of his box-office powers.

But most of the prominent male black stars sit on the other side of 40. The best known of the next generation -- say, Derek Luke (36), Chiwetel Eijofor (33), Idris Elba (39) and Mackie (31) -- are not only less influential, they're not nearly as popular in their 30s as the previous crop was at their age. (Washington, for instance, had already won an Oscar and made "Glory," "Malcolm X" and "Philadelphia" before he hit the big 4-0.)

That's not because any of these actors aren't capable of pulling off a "Malcolm X" or a "Philadelphia," of course. It's because they're not given the chance. Mackie has one of the more substantive studio roles for a younger black actor in a while as Matt Damon's guardian angel in this weekend's "The Adjustment Bureau." But it's hardly the role of a lifetime.

"It's frustrating that the movies I want to make I haven't been able to make," Mackie told 24 Frames. "Orlando Bloom was given 15 opportunities after 'Lord of the Rings.' Black men are given no opportunities."

Race in Hollywood is a subject close to Mackie's heart. He's studiously avoided the "Who's Your Caddys" and "Big Momma's Houses" of the film world, going instead to indies such as "The Hurt Locker" and, almost as frequently, to the stage.

"In the early 1990's, every black actor you know now was starting out and making movies. They were making more movies under Daddy Bush than we are under Obama, which is ridiculous," Mackie said.

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Beautiful '70s Era Actress Vonetta McGee Dead at 65

Vonetta McGee was no fan of the “blaxploitation” label that was attached to many of the films featuring black casts in the ’70s. The vivacious African American actress said the label was used “like racism, so you don’t have to think of the individual elements, just the whole. If you study propaganda, you understand how this works.”

McGee, a talent whose big-screen heyday during the blaxploitation era of the 1970s included leading roles in the horror film "Blacula" died at a hospital July 9 in Berkeley after experiencing cardiac arrest and being on life support for two days, said family spokeswoman Kelley Nayo.

Although McGee had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 17, Nayo said, her death was not related to the disease.

McGee was described as "one of the busiest and most beautiful black actresses" by Times movie reviewer Kevin Thomas in 1972, the year she appeared opposite Fred Williamson in the black action movie "Hammer," and had a starring role as the sexy femme fatale opposite Calvin Lockhart in the 1972 crime-drama "Melinda."

She went on to star with Richard Roundtree in "Shaft in Africa," (1973), and co-starred with actor and film producer Max Julian in "Thomasine & Bushrod" (1974). Julian and McGee actually dated for a number of years. In fact during that era, they were quite the Black Hollywood power couple.



McGee also appeared with Clint Eastwood in the 1975 action-thriller "The Eiger Sanction," prompting The Times' Thomas to write in his review: "Her parrying with Eastwood, verbally and otherwise, is enough to scorch the screen."

"I was pleased to see her get a role with Clint Eastwood," said Williamson, who knew McGee before they made "Hammer." "Not many black actors had that opportunity to be in a movie where color doesn't matter.

"Vonetta McGee was like a lot of actors and actresses at that time, like myself, Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams and Pam Grier, in that we had more talent than we were allowed to show because everything was perceived as a black project. Once they categorize you, your marketability becomes limited."

Although The Times reported that McGee "calls herself one of the lucky graduates of the black-film genre," she pointed out that there was a difference between someone like Diana Ross and other potentially marketable black actresses.

"She has had the luxury of a studio behind her," McGee said. "This is where a lot of us fell short. We all needed a certain amount of protection. But we were on our own."

Among McGee's other film credits are "The Lost Man," "Detroit 9000," "Brothers" (in which she played an activist based on Angela Davis), "Repo Man" and "To Sleep with Anger."



A ringer for current "it" actress Taraji P. Henson, McGee's career turned primarily to television in the 80's.

That included playing Sister Indigo on Robert Blake's short-lived 1985 dramatic series "Hell Town" and playing a social worker who takes a con man played by Jimmie Walker into her home in the syndicated 1987-88 sitcom "Bustin' Loose."

Often confused with Lonetta McKee, both of them having similar sounding first and last names and both being light-skinned black women, McGee also played a recurring role on "L.A. Law" and appeared in several episodes of "Cagney & Lacey" as the wife of detective Mark Petrie (played by Carl Lumbly).

With a penchant for dating the men she worked with, McGee and Lumbly were married in 1986 in real life and had a son, Brandon, in 1988.

Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee in San Francisco on Jan. 14, 1945, she was attending what is now San Francisco State when she got involved with a local acting group.

She launched her film career in 1968 in Italy, where she appeared in the spaghetti western "The Great Silence" and played the title role in the comedy "Faustina."

In addition to her husband and son, she is survived by her mother, Alma McGee; three brothers, Donald, Richard and Ronald McGee; and a sister, Alma McGee.

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Where Are The Black Television Shows???

Roles For Minority Actors Have Increased, Yet We're Still MIA

By John Consoli

ALSO READ: "Hollywood's White Summer: Where's the Diversity?"

The broadcast networks have made great strides in recent years by diversifying the faces we see on primetime TV, a momentum that carries into new and returning shows on the 2010-11 schedule.

But it’s a scattershot success. At the moment, the number of scripted, live-action shows on broadcast television with all-black (or predominantly minority, for that matter) casts is exactly zero.

If you take into account reality series, "you might actually be able to make the case that there are more African-Americans on broadcast TV than ever before," longtime media agency research guru Steve Sternberg told TheWrap.

Just not all on the same screen.

"Black people are starved for shows which not only feature lots of black actors but that put black culture front and center in a way they enjoy," veteran TV critic Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, told TheWrap.

The irony is in the past three decades, when a lack of minorities on TV was a measurable problem, programs with an African-American focus were in abundance: “The Jeffersons,” “Sanford & Son,” “Good Times,” “The Cosby Show,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “A Different World,” “Family Matters,” “Martin,” “Living Single,” "The Hughleys," “The Bernie Mac Show,” “Everybody Hates Chris” … the list goes on and on.

Only NBC’s “Cosby” was a true crossover phenomenon – but each had a measure of success to illustrate that black shows have a place on the networks.

And ad-supported cable doesn't fare much better, with TBS – which premiered “Are We There Yet (cast photo below, right)” on Wednesday night – standing head and shoulders above everyone in the genre.

To its credit, Fox put on two new shows with all-black casts last year, the only network to do so. "Brothers," a live-action sitcom, failed in the ratings almost out of the gate and was quickly canceled. The animated "The Cleveland Show," which was renewed on Thursday for a third season just as it finished its first run, has been a success in part because it meshed inside Fox's Sunday animation block.

The show has averaged a solid 3.1 18-49 rating and 6.3 million viewers per episode, but was helped by its Seth McFarlane pedigree. And even in that show, some of the main voice actors, including the voice for lead character, are not black.

Fox has been able to cash in on "The Cleveland Show" where it couldn't with "Brothers." in part, because "Cleveland" airs within an animation block and the pieces flow well into and out of each other. “Brothers” did not have as compatible a lead-in or lead-out.

So why not put an all-black sitcom within a white sitcom block?

"They probably don't think a black-cast comedy would fit in with the audience flow of white-cast comedies, but I'd like to see more black-cast comedies," says Sternberg, who spent years doing show research and analyzing the programming landscape for media agency Magna.

Again, not to single out Fox, it did air "The Bernie Mac Show" for several years when many of the other broadcast networks were not airing any shows with primarily black casts.

Keep reading...

Folks Who Get It - Watch "Five Deep Breaths", The Short That Got Morehouse College Filmmaker Seith Mann Noticed

Seith Mann, 37, is an acclaimed African-American film and television director. The Morehouse College Alum directed the award-winning Five Deep Breaths and has gone on to direct for The Wire, Hung, Heros and Grey's Anatomy.



Part 2, under the hood.



Keep your eye on this black talent. We'll see you at the Oscars Mr. Seith Mann!

LisaRaye Reality Series: A Diamond Tries Moving Past The Rough

TV One’s new docu-series The Real McCoy airing tonight has a gorgeous subject as it’s focal point, as if LisaRaye really needs any introduction.

No one can deny the outspoken film and television actress oozes sex appeal. An over-the-top Chi-town native who loves getting her picture taken, LisaRaye McCoy knows she has it going on.

With her killer gams and perfect eye sockets that can make practically any man hand over his platinum credit card (don’t call her a golddigger – she is way past that now) this former First Lady of Turks and Caicos is officially “back to business” and taking names. Let the shenanigans begin.

But first, the diva who burst on the scene more than a decade ago as the stripper Diamond in Ice Cube’s The Players Club must smooth out some seriously rough edges.

There’s all that post-divorce drama from Premier Michael Misick and the monies still owed to her; the realization that her now 19-year daughter Kai is almost a grown woman; caring for her ailing mother; being supportive of her incarcerated sister, rapper Da Brat; and dealing with her own personal life, which includes fighting for acting gigs in Hollywood as an over-40 African American woman.

If you are a big LisaRaye fan, you’re likely to rate the series an 8 out of 10. TV One follows Lisa Raye and her colorful cast of friends through the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta with an ease and style that is clearly a step above ghetto fabulous.

The non-controversial debut episode has McCoy out promoting "the brand" on the Stevie Wonder owned radio station KJLH, experiencing make-up issues, showing up late to her own rain drenched party to daughter Kai’s disdain, and setting the stage for what’s to come in future outings.

Along for the ride is her gay assistant/cousin Quincy and a slew of celebrities and famous folk that the former All About Us star enchants in her signature white attire.

The best thing about the show, however is the flamboyant stylist Joe eXclusive, who looks a hot mess in the series and in real life, yet clearly has an eye for fashion and the clothes and accessories that bring out the very best of LisaRaye.

At the premiere for The Real McCoy in downtown LA at the hip Standard Hotel, 300 friends and well wishers came out to show McCoy a whole lot of love.

They included singer Brandy and her actor brother Ray J, actress Paula Jai Parker, legendary singer Freda Payne, Love That Girl creator and scribe Bentley Evans, comedienne’s Ajai Sanders, Kym Whitley, Joe Torry, Tommy Davidson and Michael Colylar, actor Christain Keys, actress Tatiana Ali, celebrity models Melyssa Ford and Tocarro, actress Golden Brooks, and newly single Lance Gross, who hosted the premiere party along with Uptown Magazine.

Hoping to hit paydirt with a 2nd season, The Real McCoy is light on conflict that has become standard fare in other series of a similar flavor. While it promises to unveil more about the meltdown and subsequent come-up of McCoy, the jury is still out whether this “unvarnished” look of Black Hollywood can find a viewing audience that's willing to go along for the ride.

Sure, we get a glimpse into the men, the money, the clothes, the hair, and the style that is Lisa Raye. Tears and all.

The question is, does this once bright jewel still have her sparkle and brilliance? McCoy is prepared to find out. Stay tuned!

“LisaRaye: The Real McCoy” premieres April 8, at 9pm on TV One. Thanks to Tosha Whitten-Griggs and Tonie Washington for taking care of 3BAAS Media Group.

Breaking News: Writer, Producer and Undercover Black Man Blogger David Mills Dead At 48

By Kevin Ross, CEO of 3BAAS Media Group

Acclaimed writer and fellow blogger David Mills has died of a brain aneurysm.

WOW! This is devastating.

I absolutely loved reading his blog Undercover Black Man over the last few years. After getting to know David through exchanging emails, I actually interviewed the scribe on my Blogtalkradio show last August. We even laughed how Deadline's Nikki Finke scooped everyone on the news about his upcoming HBO series. He was such a nice guy and creative genius!

On Monday March 29, David posted a clip of his new cable show "Treme", excitedly claiming that it would be airing in two weeks. He would be dead the following day.

"He was very quiet and introverted, but spoke volumes when he wrote," New Orleans actor Wendell Pierce, who starred in The Wire and will also appear in Treme, said of Mills.

"He challenged us as actors and he challenged Americans when it came to matters of race. He was one of the more talented people working in TV. He made it much more than just empty entertainment."

Pierce said Mills collapsed suddenly on set Tuesday during a conversation with colleagues. The cast and crew held a memorial for Mills on the set Wednesday morning, he added. Ironically, when I actually interviewed David in May 2009, he talked about the need to quit smoking, lose weight, and get healthy for the rigors of writing and producing the show.

“The Wire”,” NYPD Blue”, "Picket Fences", “Homicide” and “ER” all have this man's imprimatur on them. One of a small number of working African American writers in Hollywood, Mills also created the NBC 2003 series “Kingpin,” about a Mexican drug cartel.

Most notably, David co-wrote and co-produced “The Corner,” adapted from David Simon’s book about drug abuse and poverty in Baltimore, which won three Emmys.



Before writing for television, David Mills worked as a journalist and gained national attention for a 1992 interview with the hip-hop performer Sister Souljah in The Washington Post, in which she said, “If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?”

When the Rainbow Coalition later invited Sister Souljah to speak at its convention, the group was criticized by Gov. Bill Clinton, then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, who cited Mills’s interview.

His latest project "Treme" is about jazz, culture and the folks trying to rebuild their lives in a post-Katrina New Orleans. The series is named after the Creole neighborhood known for its rich, irrepressible musical history. Mills was not only a writer on the project, but co-executive producer as well.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, David passed away in New Orleans where the seried was filmed. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

HBO said Wednesday in a statement:

HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills. He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon but his brilliant work will live on.

In addition to his passion for writing, David was a music aficionado -- particularly when it came to anything having to do with George Clinton, Parliament and The Funkadelics. His blog, Undercover Black Man allowed the 48-year-old to indulge himself with not only lesser known artists, but also issues concerning what it meant to be black, the absurdity of racism, and injustice in the US and abroad.

David's observations were blunt, biting, clever, and always thought provoking.

You can listen to my Blogtalkradio interview with David Mills here and hear him discuss why he fought so hard to get other black writers into the room.

You can also check out the Treme trailer here.

Per Broadcasting and Cable, Mills wrote two of Treme's episodes: numbers three and seven (with New Orleans musician/writer Davis Rogan). Though Mills was new to New Orleans when production began, he was very quickly energized by the city's rich musical scene.

"Treme" premieres April 11 on HBO.

3BAAS Media Group would like to extend our condolences to the Mills family. Rest in peace David. Job well done my friend!

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Per Howard Stern, Fat Black Actress Gabourney Sidibe Should Stop Deluding Herself: You Hear That Hattie McDaniel, Jennifer Hudson And Mo'Nique?

Essence Magazine Honors Strides Black Women Are Making In Hollywood

Hollywood TV Drama Pilots Getting More Diverse: Blame It On LL Cool J's Sexy Swag!

The decades-old taboo that drama series with minority leads cannot work finally might be broken.

Halfway through the castings of broadcast drama pilots this season, the top-billed actors on four pilots are non-Caucasian, with three being African American.

What's more, the four projects are among the highest-profile drama pilots this year.

The spy couple at the center of J.J. Abrams' "Undercovers" for NBC is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe. "Undercovers," co-written by Abrams, marks his first pilot directing effort since "Lost" six years ago.

Forest Whitaker is the lead on CBS' "Criminal Minds" spinoff; Laz Alonso tops the Fox action-drama "Breakout Kings," directed and exec produced by Gavin Hood; and Freddy Rodriguez headlines CBS' CIA drama "Chaos," directed and executive produced by Brett Ratner.

Last year's crop of broadcast pilots included only one fronted by a minority actor, the LL Cool J starrer "NCIS: Los Angeles." The season before that, there were no pilots led by minorities.

While the Jimmy Smits-starring "NYPD Blue" was a breakout hit for ABC, the odds against dramas led by a minority actor historically have been long. None of the networks' attempts through the years had worked, including three shows with James Earl Jones, "Paris," "Gabriel's Fire" and "Under One Roof," and two each with Andre Braugher ("Gideon's Crossing" and "Thief") and Taye Diggs ("Kevin Hill" and "Day Break"). USA Network also tried unsuccessfully a new spin on "Kojak" with Ving Rhames as the lollipop-loving detective.

But whether it's the Obama effect or any other reason, the tide seems to have turned during the past year.

"NCIS: LA" has been a runaway success, becoming the first major hit drama series toplined by a black actor, and CBS replaced iconic "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" star William Petersen with Laurence Fishburne.

And in cable, where there hadn't been a drama toplined by a black actor since the departure of HBO's "The Wire," Jada Pinkett Smith was tapped as the lead of TNT's medical drama "Hawthorne," which has been renewed for a second season.

By setting black actors as leads in its three biggest crime franchises -- "CSI" (Fishburne), "NCIS" (LL Cool J) and "Criminal Minds" (Whitaker) -- as well as shepherding the Dennis Haysbert-starring war drama "The Unit" for four seasons, CBS has been at the forefront of the trend of putting minority actors in charge of drama series.

The network is also behind two of the four drama pilots that already have tapped minority leads: the "Criminal Minds" spinoff and "Chaos."

"Diversity is top of mind for us every pilot season," CBS head of casting Peter Golden said. "It's still very early in the development process, but we're excited about diverse roles we have on the page and the performers cast for the screen."

Black comedians have a strong tradition on TV, and viewers have had no problem embracing comedy series with black leads. But dramas offer a different dynamic and require a larger degree of relatability, which makes it harder for white audiences to accept an ethnic show, TV historian Tim Brooks said.

Although Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw -- like President Obama -- are biracial, casting on the "Undercovers" leads was done color-blind, with producers looking for the actors who best fit the characters and had the best chemistry.

It was a similar situation on "Breakout Kings" and "Hawthorne," and early breakdowns had Michael Keaton and Kiefer Sutherland as prototypes for the role on the "Criminal Minds" spinoff that was offered to Whitaker.

On the other hand, "Chaos" writer Tom Spezialy created the show's lead character as Hispanic, naming him Rick Martinez.

Continue reading...

Sexy Actor Boris Kodjoe & Hot Brit Gugu Mbatha-Raw Paired To Star In NBC Pilot "Undercovers"

According to a report in the 'Hollywood Reporter', writer-producer extraordinaire J.J. Abrams has found a leading man and lady for his new television project, 'Undercovers'. And with a nod to the growing importance of the international market, neither of these black actors were born in the US.

British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star opposite Boris Kodjoe in the upcoming pilot for NBC, which will be directed by Abrams.

The plot of 'Undercovers' revolves "around a domesticated husband (Kodjoe) and wife (Mbatha-Raw) who are re-activated as CIA agents after years of retirement."

Kodjoe is an Austrian-American actor best known for his role as courier-turned-sports agent Damon Carter on the Showtime television drama series Soul Food. It was there where he met co-star Nicole Ari-Parker. Soon, their on-screen chemistry spilled over into reality and now the married couple of two are one of Black Hollywood's most successful couples.

Mbatha-Raw, who is a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, came to the attention of the public eye when she was cast as Ophelia opposite Jude Law's 'Hamlet' in the Donmar Warehouse production's of 'Hamlet' which ran in the West End, followed by a successful run on Broadway.

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Green-Eyed Hollywood Hunk Terrence Howard Kicks Colombian Actress Zulay Henao To The Curb

It Was Fun While It Lasted, Si?

Black megastar Terrence Howard, 40, has split from his fiancee Zulay Henao.

The Academy Award actor began dating the Colombian actress - his co-star in 2009 movie Fighting - in 2007 and proposed to Henao last May in Prague, Czech Republic.

The couple has never confirmed its relationship until now, but Howard reveals he's no longer with the 30 year old.

When asked if he's set to wed Henao, Howard tells Sister 2 Sister magazine, "No, that didn't work out."

Henao helped Howard recover from the heartbreaking death of his beloved mother Anita to cancer in 2008. Howard, star of "Hustle & Flow" and "Ironman" broke the news of his engagement to WENN in a Prague bar.

Alleged to have been interested in becoming a Jehovah's Witness at one point, Howard was previously romantically linked to his ex-wife Lori McCommas (who converted to the faith). They ended their 14 year marriage in 2003, but the actor successfully wooed her back and they remarried, only to split for good soon after. The couple have three children.

Okay ladies, the line starts to the left -- to the left!

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Joseph M. Wilcots, Acclaimed 'Roots' Cinematographer And Michael Jackson Collaborator, Dead At 70

The first African American in 1967 to join the International Cinematographers Guild, celebrated filmmaker Joseph M. Wilcots initially worked on camera crews for TV series such as "Mission: Impossible" and on films such as "The Last Picture Show," "The Cowboys" and "Lady Sings the Blues."

The trailblazer died Dec. 30 of complications from a stroke he suffered in 2008.

Clearly one of those incredible talents who the average person would never know, Wilcots contributions will be forever felt. In addition to being the cinematographer for 'Roots' and “Roots: The Next Generations," he also worked for 15 years in various capacities on Michael Jackson's music videos, tours and other projects.

Joseph Wilcots, 70, was highly praised for his cinematography and his sensitivity to those he worked with.

As a director of photography, he achieved his greatest acclaim for "Roots," the 1977 ratings phenomenon based on Alex Haley’s bestselling epic family saga.

"Joseph Wilcots could be considered the Jackie Robinson of cinematography," Steven Poster, president of the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600, said in a statement.

In 1977, Wilcots received a national Emmy nomination for "outstanding cinematography in entertainment programming for a series" for Part Seven of "Roots." His work on "Roots" also earned him a local Emmy nomination.

"In doing a picture called 'Roots,' we felt it important that we should have an African American cinematographer," "Roots" executive producer David L. Wolper told The Times this week.

"It's extremely difficult to photograph African Americans," Wolper said, "because when you shoot a scene with an African American and a white person standing next to each other, the lighting is so complex, and he was an expert in that."

Louis Gossett Jr., who played Fiddler in "Roots," agreed.

"As the cinematographer, Joe said, 'This is going to take some time if this is going to look good,' " said Gossett. "It was a challenge for him to balance in the same scene those colors and the different gradations of skin."

As for the result, Gossett said, "We all loved it. It had to be very difficult for that man with that time frame and time pressure, but he did it."

Said LeVar Burton, who played Kunta Kinte, the African who is abducted, taken to America via slave ship and sold to a Virginia planter in the 1700s: "What stands out immediately is that the look and feel of 'Roots' holds up today, in 2010; it does not feel dated at all."

Burton said Stevan Larner was the director of photography on the first three hours of "Roots."

"Joe started in hour four and took it the rest of the way," he said. "What I remember about Joe on that shoot is that he's a very gentle, gentle soul, as well as a very talented man."

For Burton, who remains a popular figure on tv and on Twitter, the "compassion of the man" was evident while shooting the final scene in hour four in which Kunta Kinte is whipped and forced to take the name Toby.

"For me, the challenge was standing still while this guy with a whip was letting it go behind me at 120 miles an hour," recalled Burton. "We rehearsed it, Joe lit it, they gathered all the extras, [but] it wasn't working. I was way too skittish.

"He and the director, John Ermin, recognized this was a very important scene, and I needed to get comfortable with my back to the whip. Joe was very supportive, [saying], 'Let's go to something else; let's put this back on the schedule for another day.' "

In the early part of "Roots" when he was shooting Burton, Wilcots said in a 2007 interview with the Archive of American Television, "I wanted to make the audience smell the dirt and to create such an atmosphere that the dirt was the second part of the picture.



"And I was able to accomplish that by whenever I had the opportunity I would either start on the dirt or shoot something of dirt around and so there was like a hidden meaning, and it was the dirt and the earth."

Among Wilcots' other credits as a cinematographerare " Bill Cosby: Himself," "Where the Red Fern Grows: Part 2" and the TV series "Matlock," "Palmerstown, U.S.A." and "Brewster Place."

Wilcots was born Feb. 1, 1939, in Des Moines.

After a four-year stint in the Navy as a photographer, he worked four and a half years at Westheimer Co., a Hollywood optical house for which he was involved in providing visual effects for "Star Trek" and other TV series and commercials.

A celebration of Wilcots' life is pending. He passed away at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, California.

Rest in peace Mr. Wilcots. Job well done!

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Bentley Kyle Evans' Self-Financed Black Sitcom "Love That Girl" Finds Home At Cabler TV One

"Girl" Uses Social Networks To Create Buzz, Yet BET Says No Thanks!

Variety is reporting that TV One has acquired "Love That Girl," a four-episode sitcom from Martin Lawrence and scribe Bentley Kyle Evans. Evans, who was the executive producer and co-creator of The Jamie Foxx Show, created the sitcom, which stars Tatyana Ali ("The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" alum, BET.com's Buppies and TV One Access).

What makes the cable project historic is that it was written, financed, shot and marketed to African Americans online to generate pre-distribution appeal.
"Girl" will air as a special three-night event on TV One, from Tuesday, Jan. 19, through Thursday, Jan. 21, at 9 p.m. Back-to-back episodes will air each night (including repeats).

Ali stars as a 30 year-old recent divorcee who moves back to Southern California to work with her father (Phil Morris) in the decimated real estate business. Alphonso McAuley co-stars as her unemployed brother, while Kendyl Joi plays her best friend.

With a Twitter page and almost 4000 Facebook fans, "Love That Girl" was even shot unconventionally, with all four episodes produced over five days at Blakeslee Recording Studios.

In an unusual setup, Evans ("Martin," "Thin Line Between Love And Hate") produced the sitcom without the involvement of a studio, and called in favors -- which included drawing on his "Martin" star, Lawrence -- to make the show happen.


Singer Raphael Saadiq, whose 2008 single "Love That Girl" serves as the show's theme song, owns Blakeslee and also serves as an executive producer.

Beyond Lawrence, Evans also tapped "Full House" creator Jeff Franklin to help bring "Love That Girl" to life.

Evans then recruited several family members to perform key roles on the production: His sister, Stacey Evans Morgan ("The Parkers"), was a producer-writer on "Girl," while his nephew Nile Evans ("Wild'n Out") and brother Lamont Evans also helped as writers.

Evans' wife, Valicia Evans, served as set designer, while Ali's sister and business partner, Anastasia Ali, was also a producer.

"Not only do they get the business behind programming to the more sophisticated urban market, they have the ideal audience for a series like ours," Evans said of TV One. "... If executed properly, this will represent a whole new model for producing and delivering quality scripted series to the television market, at a reasonable cost."

Per the Washington Post, BET had an opportunity to buy the project, but ultimately past. "It seems like they want to be a major player in the game, but every time they're given the opportunity, they fall short, out of fear. . . . They don't take risks. They don't take chances," Evans stated.

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Avatar's Zoe Saldana And Oscar Bound Gabourey Sidibe To Be Feted At 3rd Annual Essence Luncheon

Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige Round Out Hollywood's African American "It" Women For 2010

The 3rd annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon will be held during Oscar Week on March 4, 2010 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Honoring four extraordinary women making a significant impact in Hollywood, this star-studded event commemorates ESSENCE magazine's annual Hollywood issue and will pay tribute to a special milestone in 2010; the 40th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine.

The esteemed honorees for the 2010 event include: Queen Latifah (Power Award), Zoe Saldana (Star to Watch Award), Mary J. Blige (Songstress of the Year) and Gabourey Sidibe (Best Breakthrough Performance).

"Our annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon is taking on special meaning in 2010 as we are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine by paying homage to phenomenal women throughout the year," said ESSENCE editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray. "We are proud to carry the ESSENCE legacy into the future by honoring the accomplishments of such brilliant performers as Latifah, Zoe, Mary J., and Gabourey, whose incredible talent and sheer grit are serving to change the face of Hollywood."

Queen Latifah is not only a celebrated television and film actress, but also a gifted musician, as well as an established author and entrepreneur. As a one-woman entertainment conglomerate, Latifah's rise has been nothing short of remarkable--landing her a place in history as the first hip-hop artist to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Her production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, is currently co-producing the sports-driven romantic comedy, Just Wright, in which she will also star.

Zoe Saldana has shown she can hold her own in major blockbuster productions and has proven herself to be an amazing Hollywood star on the rise. After landing her first leading role as a ballet dancer in the film Center Stage, her turn as a leading lady in both the college-set drama Drumline and romantic comedy Guess Who followed shortly thereafter. Over the past decade, Saldana has grown into stand-out performances in popular films such as Avatar and Star Trek and continues to demonstrate the versatility necessary for longevity in Hollywood.

As one of the greatest singers of our time, Mary J. Blige's accomplishments are beyond impressive. A multi-faceted mogul and philanthropist, with a career spanning 15 years--including nine Grammy awards, eight multi-platinum records, and over 40 million albums sold--she has lent her tremendous talent this year to the official soundtracks for two powerful films with original songs: "I Can See in Color" from Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and "Stronger" from the Lebron James documentary, More than a Game.

Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe has wowed the public and taken the industry by storm with her compelling breakthrough role as the title character in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which is garnering serious awards buzz. With the film winning numerous prestigious awards, including the Sundance Film Festival Audience and Grand Jury Awards, it's been a whirlwind year for the young actress, who was a student pursuing a degree in psychology when she was cast in Precious. A native New Yorker, Sidibe is the daughter of R&B/gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley. Next up for Gabourey is the Showtime pilot The C-Word opposite Laura Linney for director Bill Condon and the film, Yelling to the Sky.

The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon is an annual event to honor African-American women, who through their work in Hollywood--both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes--have helped to change and inspire positive images of Black women in television and film.

The inaugural event, which took place in 2008, honored Jada Pinkett-Smith (Power Award), Ruby Dee (Legend Award), Suzanne de Passe (Visionary Award) and Jurnee Smollett (Star to Watch Award), and hosted A-List stars including Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Kerry Washington, Star Jones and more.

In 2009, celebrities such as Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah, to name a few, were on hand to fete honorees including Halle Berry (Power Award), Diahann Carroll (Legend Award), Gina Prince-Bythewood (Visionary Award), and Taraji P. Henson (Star to Watch Award), with a posthumous honor given to Eartha Kitt.

Looks Like Chris Rock Finally Has A Hit Film, Courtesy of Martin Lawrence And A Strong Black Ensemble!

Screen Gems Death At A Funeral Looks Promising.
Thoughts???

Black Woman Wins 112 Million Through Lotto, Starts Hollywood Film & TV Studio

By Lisa Horowitz of The Wrap

While Hollywood goes chasing to Abu Dhabi and Mumbai for ever-scarcer funds to finance its movies, the industry might do better just heading to 7-Eleven.

The latest film fund, $30 million to make romantic comedies, thrillers and faith-based dramas, comes from the lottery winnings of Cynthia Stafford, who shared a $67 million jackpot with her father and brother in 2007.

Now the African American single homemaker from Hawthorne, California wants to make movies.

"What I like about movies is it's something ongoing," Stafford said. "Movies from the '20s, '30s, '40s -- I still see them today and think, 'Wow, this is something that can go on forever."

The film fund, which follows the creation of her production company Queen Nefertari Productions, will be repped by the Gersh Agency. The banner already has four projects lined up.

Stafford is CEO and executive producer of Queen Nefertari.

The production funding, which comes from private investments, will be used to finance or co-finance commercial feature films. They aim to expand the fund over the next 18 months by recruiting other investors or forming partnerships.

Given the difficult financing climate in Hollywood of late, with even big names such as Imagine Entertainment, George Clooney and Brett Ratner turning to outside sources like India's Reliance Big Pictures, Stafford definitely has a leg up with her lottery winnings.

With the assistance of the Gersh Agency, specifically Jay Cohen, the Queen Nefertari partners have been setting up meetings and putting together projects. Gersh's film financing and packaging division represents the banner.

Stafford was quietly raising her late brother's five children in Hawthorne, California, when she and her father and another brother bought a $2 Mega Millions lottery ticket. They won $112 million, but took a lump-sum payment of $67 million.

Since that life-changing event, Stafford has become a philanthropist, donating $1 million to the Geffen Theater and becoming part of its outreach efforts. She said she named her company after the Egyptian queen Nefertari because she was a patron of the arts, and “a queen for peace. She had tremendous power, a great love of herself and her family – that's who I am.”

Stafford recently produced a pair of independent movies, multicultural coming-of-age tale “Polish Bar” and supernatural thriller “The Gathering.”

Queen Nefertari expects to have its first film in production by the end of this month or, at the latest, the first of the year.

The company is looking primarily at commercial projects in four broad genres: comedy, romantic comedy, thriller/horror and faith-based.

Continue...

The Movie Precious, From A Black Woman's Perspective

Why African Americans Are Divided on Film's 'Precious'-ness

By Erin Aubry Kaplan (LA Times)

Long before it opened, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" had racked up plaudits for its groundbreaking depiction of the inner life of a black, overweight, ghetto-dwelling teenage girl. But since its release, a story-outside-the-story has developed that's equally fresh and complicated: black people's reaction to the movie and what it means.

Verdicts about high-pitched movies from black viewers and public figures are usually swift and decisive -- "Do the Right Thing," "The Color Purple," and the recent Robert Downey Jr. performance in "Tropic Thunder" come to mind. But that's not what happened this time out. That's partly because the embrace of "Precious" by the white film establishment has been a bit disorienting for black folk, even off-putting. But it's also because the tough stuff in "Precious," whether you like the movie or not, is striking chords of recognition for many black people that are making them not angry or enthusiastic, but uncertain. That's new territory.

The many issues raised in the course of this one story -- class tensions, self-image, racial progress, how Hollywood bears on all of the above -- have hit black viewers squarely in the gut, rendering the usual right-brain arguments about stereotypes inadequate. For black filmgoers, assessing black-themed films is generally a political process; "Precious" has made it emotional.

That discomfit was evident recently in a packed theater with a largely black audience in Marina Del Rey. The viewers were characteristically vocal at first -- gasping, clucking tongues, even tittering at the initial haplessness of Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) and the villainy of her mother, played by Mo'Nique. But as the film got more intimate, zeroing in on issues such as Precious' illiteracy, the repeated rapes by her drop-in father and her casual wish to be white with "good" hair, people fell silent; it was as if they were no longer viewers, but participants.

They applauded at the end, but filed out of the theater much more soberly than I've ever seen a black audience file out of any performance, especially one that had a clear impact. It's quite a contrast to reviews and commentary that ranged from supportive to effusive on black-oriented websites including The Loop21.com, Racial icious.com and thegrio.com. But even the praise has a bit of apology about it, as if to allow for the fact that blacks can -- or perhaps even should -- admire "Precious" without necessarily liking it.

Not everybody is buying into the nuance. The unrelenting inner-city misery that frames "Precious," including a foul-mouthed welfare mother and an absentee father, has raised plenty of alarms among blacks, notably film critic Armond White. In his review for the New York Press, the famously curmudgeonly White excoriated "Precious" for being an "orgy of prurience," "a Klansman's fantasy," racist propaganda cast from the infamous mold of "Birth of a Nation." For White, "Precious" is bad art because it is a bad representation, a reminder that for black people, art and politics are inseparable.

Yet one of the unusual things about "Precious" is that it doesn't try to separate those things, and so forces us to think beyond the negative/positive binary that often keeps discussions about movies like this airless and superficial.

Certainly other black people share White's condemnation. But that condemnation has dimensions: C. Jeffrey Wright, writing at UrbanFaith.com, a conservative Christian site, fretted less about the images in "Precious" than about the fact there are too few black films released to provide a diversity that would make the movie less controversial. That's a fact nobody on any side of the discussion would disagree with.

Nonetheless, Wright decries the movie for its lack of what he calls "achiever values." And here we get into the thorny issue of class. For black people that means not solely money and education, but a concern about how we are being represented in public. How blacks are represented in movies always galvanizes such concern, and "Precious" is no exception.

"We just don't want to see black pathology on screen," says T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting, a professor of critical race studies and hip-hop at Vanderbilt University. "There's clearly a segment of us that worries about what white people think."

That worry, she says, is usually about representations of the black poor, a group that's long been an anathema to whites -- and to some blacks as well. "Precious" exposes that unflattering divide. "Americans despise poor people, and they really despise poor black people," Sharpley-Whiting says. "Unfortunately, we [black people] buy into it."

Widespread debate

The good news is that the Internet encouragesa broader discussion of these complexities than black people have had in the past. At thefreshx press.com, a site geared to young African Americans, one blogger who had read White's review but hadn't seen the movie wrote that he was leery of incest being portrayed as a "black" thing, but he supported a filmmaker's right to tell his own story.

Another objected to White's comparing "Precious" to "Birth of a Nation," saying that missed the real critique the film was making about the troubled internal dynamics of black communities. "We've made a lot of strides, but what are we really doing to bring those who haven't been as fortunate as our college-educated selves out of the gutter?" she wrote. "This is a very real opportunity to bring a very real problem into the mainstream where it belongs."

At Racialicious.com, a blogger named Tiffany grumbled that she was "tired of the black aristocracy getting up in arms about anything that isn't 'The Cosby Show.' " Ironically, White himself bolsters that point: When he huffs in his review that " 'Precious' hyperbolizes the class misery of our nation's left-behinds . . . the Obama-era unreachables," he's at least acknowledging those unreachables and their plight.

But how can that plight be authentically represented? Is it ever possible for a black character -- dark, light, poor, privileged, whatever -- to vault above, or through, the stereotypes and emerge chiefly as a person and not a trope? Rarely. "Precious" breaks that ground, but it feels like alien terrain because blacks have been defined by extremes for so long. In an interview with Essence.com, director Lee Daniels says the harsh themes of "Precious" should be taken at face value. "Life is life," he said. "Life is what it is."

But grim subjects such as institutional poverty, illiteracy, child rape and incest are reasons enough to stay away from any movie, and many black folks say they will bypass "Precious" for that reason -- too much of that trouble in real life, they say.

Richard Yarborough, an associate professor of English and African American Studies at UCLA, says there might be something else to the aversion for not just blacks, but all Americans. "The abject degradation of black people in 'Precious' is as close as you can get to a modern film that may be similar to a film about slavery," says Yarborough. He points out that slave-era films such as "Beloved" and " Amistad" didn't do well at the box office, and those were mainstream movies with big budgets and established directors. Those movies also presented widespread black exploitation and oppression as phenomena of the past; "Precious" has no such buffer.

"If people aren't going to see slavery in a historical context, why would they go see a movie about slavery in a modern context?" says Yarborough. He adds that the legacy of slavery -- racism -- is another issue that feels much too close for movie-watching comfort. "Racism is not dead," he says. "The immediacy of racism and the pressure it still puts on [blacks] is tremendous. We're still arguing about the Confederacy flag."

Despite these macro-level realities, it's nice to contemplate the possibility that "Precious" could start a new trend of black movies that are more individual-oriented and inward-looking. Todd Boyd, a professor of critical studies at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, says that will only happen if "Precious" makes the kind of money that Hollywood can't ignore. It grossed an impressive $11 million on 629 screens last weekend.

But, he says, don't hold your breath. One of the enduring truths about the movie business is that even a widely acclaimed black movie made by blacks doesn't guarantee that another one will be made, let alone start a trend.

"What Spike Lee was doing in the '80s was more challenging and visionary [than 'Precious'] -- and he talked stuff while he did it," says Boyd. "He's still working, he's still making movies. But nobody talks about Spike anymore. With features, it's about the money vehicles now, like what Tyler Perry is doing. The days of the small 'impact' film are over."

Erin Aubry Kaplan is a freelance writer and contributing editor to Opinion. She is a former weekly columnist for The Times and a former LA Weekly staff writer. She blogs at threebrothersandasister.blogspot.com

Hot New Actor Jesse Williams Is Making People Go Terrence Howard Who?

Brooklyn native Jesse Williams is intentionally trying to seduce you with those piercing hazel green eyes. Is it working???

Hollywood's new "it" guy has quite a lot on his plate, causing the Black actors IMBD page to be up almost 20% in popularity. Two films, The Cabin in The Woods and Red Tails are currently in production, he's in Sarah Jessica Parker's The Washingtonienne, and Jesse is also making hearts flutter in Brooklyn's Finest (Yes he is!)


Keep your eyes on this one ladies. We likey!

Is Tyra Banks Already Married to John Utendahl, Or Is This Just Her Post Emmy Winning Glow?

Former supermodel and current TV personality Tyra Banks was recently spotted at a restaurant in Los Angeles (Little Next Door), which isn’t all that interesting. However, who she was spotted with was: her elusive, yet longtime boyfriend John Utendahl.

Even more interesting though? What she was spotted with: a big ol’ rock on her left ring finger.

So, is Ms. Tyra and Mr. Utendahl are looking to tie the knot. According to the new second time Emmy winner, this is not true. Given how Tyra recently packed up her bags and moved her and her two shows – The Tyra Banks Show & America’s Next Top Model – to New York, there may be some fire behind all this smoke.

And just who is this guy? John Utendahl is the founder and owner of Utendahl Group, the largest African American-owned investment banking group in the United States . Mr. Utendahl is considered to be one of the most successful African Americans on Wall Street. Mr. Utendahl was born in the borough of Queens in New York City. Mr. Utendahl earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus and acquired an MBA from Columbia University.

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