TV Casting May Feel an Obama Effect

It may say something about the state of American television that there is one more black president-elect of the United States than there are black actors with individual lead roles in a network television drama. But after years of ensemble dramas sprinkled with nonwhite supporting actors, the excitement surrounding the election of Barack Obama could help to open doors for more minorities in leading dramatic roles, executives from television production studios said. The evidence seems to indicate that race neutrality has not produced a surge of black lead performers, at least in network dramas. While comedies with black characters have been something of a network staple — from the much vilified "Amos 'n Andy" in the early days of television, through shows like "Sanford and Son" with Redd Foxx, "The Jeffersons," and Martin Lawrence's sitcom "Martin" — historically, blacks in lead television drama roles have been rare. Tim Reid, who was the star and an executive producer of the Emmy-winning comedy series "Frank's Place" for CBS in the 1987-88 season — and who recently wrote, with the white comic Tom Dreesen, "Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White" about their days as a stand-up team — has been outspoken about the continued limited opportunities for minorities in television. "If the president-elect should have any positive influence over the so-called liberal base of Hollywood, it will be by focusing their attention on the reality of the kind of multicultural world we actually live in," Mr. Reid said in an e-mail message. "This doesn't just mean putting another person of color in front of the camera, but giving them an equal opportunity in having a say-so in what is created for the camera." "In my opinion," he continued, "we're far more likely to have a black president in my lifetime ... oh, yeah ... I can stop saying that now."