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Talking TV

Viewer interest in all things Obama seems to be insatiable, in part because he represents a massive change from the last 220 years of U.S. Presidents and he'll enter office during one of the worst times for America.

Witness the ratings for 60 minutes. When President-elect Barack Obama speaks, at least 24.5 million listen. Ratings for 60 minutes which aired Obama's first post-election interview last Sunday drew the biggest ratings for the ancient newsmagazine since 1999. Last Sunday's game-delayed show starring Mr. and Mrs. Barack Obama was the most-watched program on television. Thanks to Obama, "60 Minutes" will finish No. 1 for the second week in a row. The week before, Correspondent Steve Kroft interviewed Obama's top campaign aides about how they won the election.

Those kinds of numbers do not go unnoticed by the people who look for something, anything, that will signal a hit. Comedy Central has already jumped on the bandwagon with Chocolate News. NBC is getting on board with a new buddy comedy called Making Friends with Black People. Others are sure to follow.

Chocolate News represents one end of this Obama Effect. David Alan Grier does his "In Living Color" best with this sketch comedy who's motto is: It's only racists if you are. Grier made a career for himself with In Living Color in the 1990's. You'll see a lot of the same type of characters on CN as you did on ILC, but some of the funny will be different and perhaps not as crude. Chocolate News makes you laugh and cringe at the same time, sort of like the Dave Chappelle of old. So far they've managed to do what other comedians have said they have trouble with: Making fun of Barack Obama.

According to NBC's description, "Making Friends with Black People" will focus on the state of race relations in the U.S. It'll center on two guys -- one African-American and one white -- who become close friends, but who don't necessarily see things the same way. It's based on the book "Making Friends With Black People," by Black comedian Nick Adams. The book is sort of an instruction manual for white people on what NOT to say to Black People. Adams, who will be one of the executive producers of the show, tells Variety that with Obama in the White House, people are talking about race a lot more. He hopes to capitalize on that and not let the dialogue die down. There's no word on when Making Friends with Black People will be ready for air.

TV shows that reflect presidential administration is not a new idea. ABC did it during the Carter and Reagan Administrations. Carter Country which aired from 1977 to 1979 didn't exactly compliment the presidency of Jimmy Carter. It was a broad and over the top depiction of Carter's small town southern background. Dynasty followed the same model. It was memorable for those Romulan like shoulder pads, its reflection of the gloss and glitter of the Reagan Administration and Diahann Carroll's turn as (her words) the first Black Bitch on TV. It's no quibble to notice that it was on the air from 1981 to 1989, which covered the entire Reagan administration.

I'm sure there are other examples that I've missed, but this Obama Effect might actually mean more African Americans and other minorities on TV in positive roles. They could also increase their numbers behind the cameras and maybe even in the board rooms of the networks and cable companies. Talented minorities could even become Greenlights, the people who can put a show on TV or in movie theatres. In the meantime I'm going to have fun watching it all.

Judlyne Gibson likes to watch and talk about it after. She has indulged her TV habit with podcasts at http://talkingtv.mypodcast.com/

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