<ul class="summary-list"><li>Producer <keyword id="2892346" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kenya-Barris">Kenya Barris</keyword> exited his <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> deal this year for a deal with ViacomCBS' BET Studios.</li><li>He told The <keyword id="2370" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="hollywood">Hollywood</keyword> Reporter that "Netflix became CBS."</li><li>"The stuff I want to do is a little bit more edgy, a little more highbrow," he said.</li></ul><p>In 2018, the superstar producer Kenya Barris - creator of ABC's "Black-ish" - signed a lucrative deal with Netflix following other high-profile names like Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes that year. The deal was worth $100 million, <a href="https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/kenya-barris-100-million-netflix-deal-1202907726/">Variety</a> reported at the time.</p><p>But by October 2020, reports swirled that Barris was eyeing an exit from Netflix for a new deal with ViacomCBS. In January, he was let out of the Netflix partnership, according to a new <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/kenya-barris-studio-netflix-1234971965/">Hollywood Reporter</a> profile of Barris published on Wednesday, and secured equity in and a board seat on ViacomCBS' new BET Studios.</p><p>Barris told THR, "I just don't know that my voice is Netflix's voice."</p><p>"The stuff I want to do is a little bit more edgy, a little more highbrow, a little more heady, and I think Netflix wants down the middle," he said. "Netflix became CBS."</p><p>Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.</p><p>Barris implied that Netflix executives weren't enthusiastic about his series for the streamer, "#blackAF."</p><p>"For Netflix, say we got 35 million viewers, they were like, 'Well, it wasn't 'Fuller House,'" he told THR.</p><p>He stressed that there wasn't any "beef" with Netflix, though, just that he wanted to "do in-your-face sh--." He still has content lined up for the <keyword id="572624" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Streaming">streaming</keyword> giant, including "#blackAF" "vacation films" rather than a previously announced second season of the show.</p><p>For BET Studios, he'll be selling content both within and outside of ViacomCBS from people who are underrepresented in Hollywood.</p>

Kenya Barris says that 'Netflix became CBS' and wanted 'down the middle' content from him

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"The Vince Staples Show" is a semi-autobiographical series featuring the rapper navigating life in Long Beach.</li><li>Despite being the titular character, Staples is not the center of attention.</li></ul><p><span>"This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual events are purely coincidental."</span></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vince-staples-show-netflix-quinta-brunson-abbott-elementary-2024-2"><span>"The Vince Staples Show" </span></a><span>opens with this disclaimer. The semi-autobiographical show stars Vince Staples as a somewhat famous, somewhat rich rapper as he navigates his hometown of Long Beach, </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-hotel-at-disneyland-grand-californian-worth-it-photos-2023-12"><span>California</span></a><span>, through a nonsequitur of random events.</span></p><p><span>Aside from the bemused lead, there's little connective tissue between the five episodes, but that doesn't mean the show doesn't work. Stay with me.</span></p><p><span>In the opener, "Pink House," the rapper is arrested in connection to speeding. Since his mother has no interest in bailing him out, Staples is left to navigate life and fame behind bars, like when a cellmate recognizes him (and performs a lamentable interpolation of "I Believe I Can Fly"). One of the officers reveals himself as a fanboy and raps to </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb6Jc4juSF8"><span>"Norf Norf''</span></a><span> from his debut, "Summertime '06."</span></p><p><span>Staples has the unique vantage point that comes with a cult following, and further exploration of this elastic type of fame would be intriguing. Similar to his real life, there are scenes in which he's a bold-faced name, while in others, he goes by embarrassingly unrecognized.</span></p><p><span>"Who the fuck is Vince Staples?" asks an employee at a counterfeit Disneyland-type amusement park in episode four, titled "Red Door." </span></p><p><span>It's the question that this too-short of a series is desperate for us to answer.</span></p><h2><strong><span>Each episode lacks enough time to give viewers what they really want</span></strong></h2><div type="image" title="Vince Staples running with a gun down a street" height="2531" width="4500" msid="108012203" hostid="261" sizebytes="373432"></div><p><span>Staples isn't the center of attention despite this being an eponymous show. (The rapper also serves as executive producer alongside several others, including </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-says-that-netflix-became-cbs-2021-6"><span>"black-ish" creator Kenya Barris</span></a><span> and Ian Edelman of "How to Make It in America.") </span></p><p><span>His character has minimal dialogue, and we regrettably only scratch the surface of who he is and what motivates him— forcing viewers to fill in any existing knowledge of him.</span></p><p><span>Staples told "</span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.gq.com/story/vince-staples-swears-he-isnt-funny"><span>GQ</span></a><span>"</span><em><span> </span></em><span>that he intentionally wanted each episode to be pared down and stand-alone. "So we wanted to make sure every episode felt like a ride, and to utilize singular storytelling, really strip back the narrative vision and create something that lived on its own, and didn't have too much serialization or inactivity between episodes," he told the magazine.</span></p><p><span>That austerity comes at the expense of real plot and character development.</span></p><p><span>The show is more an extension of a music video or YouTube skit—stylistically, it takes some cues from his 2022 album, </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M5f2vF4PVw"><span>"Ramona Park Broke My Heart" </span></a><span>—and each episode is brief, a mere morse, at around 20 minutes that leaves you craving more.</span></p><p><span>The weird and over-the-top comedic set-ups (hunting down fried chicken at an amusement park while fending off a creepy mascot, serendipitously joining a bank heist, a cat-and-mouse chase around Long Beach) overshadow the rapper, as does the supporting cast. The actors playing his girlfriend, Deja (Andrea Ellsworth), and mother, Anita (veteran Vanessa Bell Calloway), are particularly dynamic and more interesting to watch. </span></p><p><span>Even Rick Ross, who makes a split-second cameo in the standout episode "Black Business," steals the scene with his braggadocious stage persona while shamelessly promoting his brand of Champagne and lemon pepper wings.</span></p><p><span>Without any particular mission or character journey, seeing more of Staples, the rapper, in the show would be interesting. There are minor nods to his day job, such as the revelation that he received $500,000 advances for each of his albums (which is impressive), but the thread is abandoned without further insight or commentary.</span></p><h2><strong><span>Staples shines when it appears he's being himself</span></strong></h2><div type="image" title="In &quot;The Vince Staples Show,&quot; season 1, episode 2, Staples recognizes the bank robber as one of his friends." height="1333" width="2000" msid="108012206" hostid="261" sizebytes="148816"></div><p><span>Staples, and thus the show, captivates when he leans into the seemingly innate dry, deadpan humor that fans have seen on display in his interviews, social media, and run on </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abbott-elementary-best-tv-show-of-the-year-2022-12"><span>"Abbott Elementary."</span></a></p><p><span>In episode 2, "Black Business," where Staples is caught inside a local bank during a heist—while seeking a small business loan to launch a low-sugar cereal for reasons that could be further fleshed out—he recognizes the robbers as his friends. </span></p><p><span>The caper turns into a social commentary on race and socioeconomic privilege—beyond the reach of hip-hop celebrity— and concludes inside an empty vault with the realization that the bank has already been robbed. "You do a heist, you're George Clooney. You rob a bank, you're Queen Latifah," says Staples, delivering the kicker.</span></p><p><span>"The Vince Staples Show" is a limited-run five-episode series that may very well be a teaser to gauge response before Netflix commits to more episodes. The rapper </span><em><span>has </span></em><a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/vincestaples/status/1758718157639024830?s=20"><span>asked</span></a><span> fans to "peer pressure" the network into a second season, hopefully allowing him to go deeper and give us more.</span></p>

'The Vince Staples Show' feels like an appetizer that only scratches the surface

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Andrew Schulz, who plays Jonah Hill's cousin in "You People," said a kiss in the movie was fake.</li><li>"It's CGI. Swear to god," the comedian said on his "Brilliant Idiots" podcast.</li></ul><p>Jonah Hill and Lauren London apparently never kissed while filming the end of the Netflix comedy "You People," according to comedian Andrew Schulz.</p><p>Right before the credits, Hill's character Ezra and London's character Amira are shown kissing after finishing their marriage vows. In a slow-motion shot, the pair lean in for the kiss as flower petals fall. </p><p>Of course, viewers at home will see them kiss on-screen. But Schulz, who plays Ezra's cousin Avi in the film, said that was the work of movie magic.</p><p>"I don't even know if I should share this shit, but in the final scene, they don't even kiss," Schulz said on his <a href="https://youtu.be/3nxS2UkIYdo?t=570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Brilliant Idiots" podcast</a> (at the 9:30 mark) that he cohosts with Charlamagne The God. "It's CGI. Swear to god, son."</p><p>"I'm there, I'm watching the wedding, and I see them go in for the kiss and their faces stop like this far," Schulz explained, putting his hands about six inches apart to show the distance.</p><p>"And I'm like, 'I wonder how they're going to play that in the movie. Oh, they're probably just going to cut right there,'" he continued. "But in the movie, you could see their faces come close, and then you can see their faces morph a little bit into a fake kiss."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—mickey-L  (@abraha_mikiele) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1621972430913773573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote><p>Representatives for Netflix, Hill, and London didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p><p>"You People," which has been the No. 1 movie on Netflix since it hit the streamer on January 20, marks the feature-directing debut of "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris.</p><p>The movie also stars Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nia Long, and David Duchovny.</p>

'You People' actor Andrew Schulz says his costars Jonah Hill and Lauren London had a fake CGI kiss

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jonah Hill has announced he will stop promoting movies due to anxiety attacks.</li><li>"I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances," he said.</li></ul><p>You won't be seeing Jonah Hill on the late-night circuit or the subject of big magazine profiles any time soon.</p><p>The actor released a statement on Wednesday that, for the foreseeable future, he will not be doing press for any of his upcoming movies, including his latest directing effort, a documentary titled "Stutz," which focuses on Hill's mental health.</p><p>"Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public-facing events," Hill wrote in <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/08/jonah-hill-anxiety-attacks-stutz-no-promotion-of-films-you-people-kenya-barris-1235094767/">a statement to Deadline</a>.</p><p>"You won't see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself," Hill continued. "If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn't be acting true to myself or to the film."</p><div type="image" title="Cast of Don't Look Up" height="3475" width="4865" msid="93640980" hostid="261" sizebytes="754876"></div>"I usually cringe at letters or statements like this but I understand that I am of the privileged few who can afford to take time off," the "Superbad" star continued. "I won't lose my job while working on my anxiety. With this letter and with 'Stutz,' I'm hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff. So they can take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly."<p>Hill is set to star in the upcoming Netflix movie, "You People," which he cowrote with "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris and also stars Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Epps, Nia Long, and David Duchovny. The movie marks Barris' directorial debut.</p><p>Stars are often contractually obligated to do publicity for the movies and TV shows they are attached to.</p><p>Hill was last seen doing <a href="https://www.insider.com/jennifer-lawrence-meryl-streep-what-goat-means-2021-12">an onslaught of press appearances</a> for the <a href="https://www.insider.com/dont-look-up-director-adam-mckay-memorable-moments-2022-1">Netflix Oscar-nominated satire "Don't Look Up,"</a> in which he starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep.</p>

Jonah Hill says he will stop promoting his movies as he suffers from 'anxiety attacks'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12236140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="woody-harrelson" source="Orion">Woody Harrelson</keyword> spoke about the new "White Men Can't Jump" remake. </li><li>Harrelson starred in the original 1992 film alongside Wesley Snipes and <keyword id="14213487" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rosie-perez" source="Orion">Rosie Perez</keyword>.</li></ul><p>Woody Harrelson has said that he thinks the upcoming remake of his 1992 film "White Men Can't Jump" will be better than the original film. </p><p>Harrelson was asked about the new remake, which will star the <a href="https://www.insider.com/every-no-1-song-debut-billboard-hot-100">Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow</a> during a <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/white-men-cant-jump-remake-jack-harlow-woody-harrelson-better-than-original-010216960.html">recent interview with Yahoo</a>. </p><p>"I'm feeling great about it," Harrelson told the outlet. "They're gonna make a better movie than we made. I'm looking forward to watching it."</p><p>In the new film, Harlow is set to play the role that Woody Harrelson portrayed in the original film, <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/03/jack-harlow-white-men-cant-jump-remake-woody-harrelson-nail-tech-20th-century-1234969619/">according to Deadline</a>. The original film, which was written and directed by Ron Shelton, starred Wesley Snipes and Harrelson as a pair of street basketball hustlers in Los Angeles who form an unlikely bond. </p><p>Filmmaker Calmatic is directing the reboot from a script by "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/jack-harlow-white-men-cant-jump-remake-1235195348/">Variety reported</a>. </p><div type="image" title="Jack Harlow wearing a red and white striped shirt." height="2717" width="4077" msid="92255198" hostid="261"></div><p>Earlier this year, Rosie Perez, who starred as Woody Harrelson's partner in the film, also voiced support for a remake of the film and offered some advice on how to make sure the film is successful. </p><p>"I hope they get the chemistry back, the same chemistry [Harrelson, Snipes, and I] had. We've remained friends throughout the years – not 'Hollywood friends', but real friends who call each other and say: 'Let's hang out,'" Perez <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/film/rosie-perez-on-white-men-cant-jump-remake-i-hope-they-get-the-chemistry-back-3231698">told NME</a>.</p><p>"The secret was in the casting, it's the most fun I've ever had on a set and it's undeniable that, 30 years later, that chemistry is still palpable."</p><p>Musician Teyana Taylor and actor Laura Harrier ("BlacKkKlansman") are also set to star in the "White Men Can't Jump," according to Deadline. </p><p>The film has yet to receive a release date. </p>

Woody Harrelson says Jack Harlow's 'White Men Can't Jump' remake will be better than the original

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b75cbd6b354cd32108b54af-1507/gettyimages-533320860.jpg" border="0" alt="kenya barris" data-mce-source="Getty" /><p class="source"><span>Getty</span></p><p class="caption">"Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>"Black-ish" creator Kenya </strong><strong><span>Barris left ABC in August for a reported $100 million deal with Netflix.</span></strong></li><li><strong>A big reason for his departure was that ABC shelved a "Black-ish" episode that its execs deemed too critical of President Trump, according to The Hollywood Reporter.</strong></li><li><strong>Barris reportedly had<span> "a flurry of back-and-forths with executives as high up as CEO Bob Iger" over the "political sensitives" of the episode (which he wrote), before ABC decided to shelve it. </span></strong></li></ul><p> </p><p>Kenya Barris, the creator of the ABC sitcom "Black-ish," left ABC in August for a reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-signs-100-million-deal-netflix-2018-8">$100 million deal with Netflix</a>.</p><p>A big reason for his leaving ABC, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-abc-exit-netflix-plans-interview-1141981">a new profile</a> of Barris in The Hollywood Reporter, was that the network<span> "mysteriously and indefinitely shelved"</span> an episode of "Black-ish" that ABC executives deemed too critical of President Trump.</p><p>Barris wrote the episode in question, titled "Please, Baby, Please," and ABC shelved it days before its planned premiere on February 27. The episode reportedly included news <span>footage of Donald Trump, the Charlottesville attacks, and NFL national anthem protests, and also featured animation and a voiceover segment from filmmaker Spike Lee.</span></p><p>The "Black-ish" creator reportedly had<span> "a flurry of back-and-forths with executives as high up as CEO Bob Iger" over the "political sensitives" of the episode, which ABC and Disney executives feared would alienate viewers, two sources told THR:</span></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"Executives at ABC, more than any other network, have been forthright about their desire for more red-state programming since Trump's win - and with Barris' latest episode, they feared they'd be alienating the very population they'd tried so hard to court. That Disney brass wouldn't want to poke Trump himself just as the company was seeking Justice Department approval of its acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox is widely believed to have been a factor as well."</span></p><p><span>Barris said that ABC had him rework and cut some of the episode's "anti-Trump material," but the result wasn't fit to air. </span><span>"What it ended up being, and I think the network would agree, was not a true representation of what we intended to do. Because if it was, we would've shown it," Barris told THR.  </span></p><p>Barris left ABC in August to sign <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-signs-100-million-deal-netflix-2018-8">a multi-year production deal with Netflix</a> that was reportedly worth around $100 million. The deal puts him in the same salary realm as producers Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, two showrunners who previously signed eight-figure deals with the streaming service.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-abc-exit-netflix-plans-interview-1141981">Read THR's feature here.</a></em></p>      <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-trak-explains-what-djs-actually-do-2018-8">Here's what DJs actually do</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/nMrY0C9g-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

'Black-ish' creator opens up about an 'anti-Trump' episode shelved by ABC that was reportedly one reason he left for Netflix

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c2a6eb62ab31e7430699375-1200/netflix reed hastings and apple tim cook 4x3.png" alt="netflix reed hastings and apple tim cook 4x3" /><p class="source"><span>Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Netflix CEO Reed Hastings (left) and Apple CEO Tim Cook.</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Apple and Netflix have become the latest big-name tech companies to pull out of this year's SXSW event in Austin, Texas.</li><li>They join the likes of Amazon, Facebook and Twitter, who have all dropped out of the annual tech and media hoop-la this week.</li><li>On Wednesday, Austin public health officials insisted that canceling event - which is scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 22 - wouldn't be necessary.</li><li>If SXSW is canceled, it would join Mobile World Congress and Google's I/O developer conference among the major annual tech events axed because of coronavirus worries.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Apple and Netflix have reportedly become the latest big-name tech companies to pull out of this year's SXSW because of coronavirus concerns.</p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-05/apple-cancels-south-by-southwest-appearance-amid-virus-outbreak?srnd=technology-vp">According to Bloomberg</a>, Apple said Wednesday it wouldn't be attending SXSW, while a Netflix representative also told the publication it'd be pulling out of the event.</p><p>Apple had been scheduled to premiere new content for its Apple TV Plus streaming service at the event in Austin, Texas. This included the original documentary, "<a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023490">Beastie Boys Story</a>" and the animated musical series "<a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023425">Central Park</a>."</p><p>Meanwhile, Netflix was set to screen films i<a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023455">including "L.A. Originals"</a> and <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/events/PP1138193">run a panel with Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones</a> on their upcoming sitcom series "Black Excellence."</p><p>The duo joins the likes of Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter, who have all dropped out of SXSW in the past week.</p><p>In February, SXSW organizers said the event <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/02/coronavirus-sxsw-2020-impact-1202868409/">would go ahead despite "a handful" of cancellations,</a> but the spate of big names to since withdraw has cast doubt on that claim.</p><p>At a press conference Wednesday, Austin public health officials <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/04/tech/sxsw-not-canceled-coronavirus/index.html">insisted</a> that canceling the event - which is scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 22 - wouldn't be necessary, and it would still go ahead.</p><p>SXSW - short for 'South by Southwest' - is an annual conglomeration of film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences.</p><p>If it is canceled, it would join <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-concerns-cancel-mobile-world-congress-mwc-smartphone-conference-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Mobile World Congress</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cancels-io-conference-coronavirus-concerns-2020-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">Google's I/O developer conference</a> among the major annual tech events axed because of coronavirus worries.</p><p>Business Insider has approached Apple, Netflix and SXSW for comment.</p>  <p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/bi-intelligence-daily?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=apple&amp;itm_campaign=bi-intelligence-daily"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5dc428a57eece546b8629657" alt="Signup Today: Free Daily Newsletter from Business Insider Intelligence" style="width: 100% !important" /></a></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-richest-person-net-worth-billions-2018-12">Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly Hills estate - here are all the ways the world's richest man makes and spends his money</a></h3>                    <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/p1XfM0qb-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>            

It looks like Apple and Netflix have joined the long list of companies ditching SXSW over coronavirus fears

<ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Warning: This article contains spoilers for "<keyword id="10217071" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-queens-gambit">The Queen's Gambit</keyword>."</strong></li><li><strong>Jolene, one of the only Black characters on the <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> show, falls into a series of <keyword id="10406141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="racist-tropes">racist tropes</keyword>.</strong></li><li><strong>Jolene's sole purpose is to serve the emotional and financial needs of the white protagonist, Beth Harmon.</strong></li><li><strong>"The Queen's Gambit" is not Netflix's only original series to mishandle its limited cast of BIPOC characters.</strong></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/interesting-things-about-the-queens-gambit-fun-facts">"The Queen's Gambit"</a> is one of Netflix's newest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-shows-netflix-queens-gambit-a-word-of-mouth-hit-2020-11">hit</a> series and the latest to have a diversity problem. </p><p>Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the seven-episode show follows Elizabeth "Beth" Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) navigating the intersections of being a chess wunderkind while dealing with loss, addiction, and burdening expectations - <a href="https://www.insider.com/shows-to-watch-after-the-queens-gambit-similar-series">all while being a woman in the 1960s</a>.</p><p>So far, "The Queen's Gambit" has mostly been critically acclaimed, with many calling it "<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/10/28/the-queens-gambit-review-one-best-shows-2020/3753873001/">one of the best shows of 2020</a>."  </p><p>But one can't help but notice how the show drops the ball by turning one of its only Black characters, Jolene (Moses Ingram), into little more than a harmful trope. </p><h2><strong>During the first 2 episodes of the series, Jolene's sole purpose is to cater to whatever Beth's emotional needs are </strong></h2><p>Jolene is Beth's childhood companion in the Methuen Home, the all-girls orphanage they live in as kids. Jolene makes it her responsibility to immediately take a shy, dour Beth under her wing.</p><p><strong><div type="image" title="the queen's gambit young jolene and beth" height="2400" width="3600" msid="79649034" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>During the first episode of the limited series, Jolene gives Beth advice on how to cope while living in the establishment. </p><p>For example, the orphanage staff gives each girl two pills a day in order to keep them docile. Jolene advises Beth to save one of the pills under her tongue and take it before bed because the tranquilizer will make sleeping easier and more interesting. Later, however, Jolene notices Beth becoming obsessed with the tranquilizing pills and cautions her against becoming addicted.</p><p>After Beth is adopted, Jolene disappears from the narrative.</p><h2>Jolene is not seen again until the final 2 episodes when she cleans up Beth's spiraling life as an adult</h2><p>At this point in the show, Beth's substance abuse has severely worsened, her feelings of self-worth are at an all-time low after losing to her challenging chess opponent, Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński), and she feels utterly alone. </p><p>Luckily, Jolene appears at Beth's house just in time to save Beth from herself.</p><p>Together, the two essentially embark on a swift healing journey that includes attending the funeral of William Shaibel (Bill Camp), the janitor from the orphanage who taught Beth how to play chess. They visit the basement where Mr. Shaibel taught Beth and they have meaningful discussions around Beth's current mental state and what's in store for her future.</p><p>All of the above give Beth the closure she needs to find herself and her confidence once more.</p><p>Using money from her law-school fund, Jolene pays for Beth's trip to Russia so Beth can play Borgov again and defeat him now that she's mentally in a better place (again, thanks to Jolene).</p><div type="image" title="beth and jolene queens gambit" height="2400" width="3199" msid="79649037" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Jolene's character falls in line with the 'modern mammy' trope, which can be mistaken by viewers for effective representation </strong></h2><p>A number of critics, including Gloria Oladipo for <a href="https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/netflix-the-queens-gambit-jolene-magical-negro-trope">Bitch Media</a>, have called out the series as using Jolene as a sidekick and stereotype. </p><p>Oladipo refers to the usage of Jolene's character as the "Magical Negro," a term popularized by Spike Lee in 2001 to describe "the insertion of a black character into a narrative who is bestowed upon the protagonist the wisdom he or she needs to move forward in some way," as summarized by Roxanne Gay in her 2014 book of essays titled <a href="https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/c.php?g=808612&amp;p=57716721672">"Bad Feminist."</a></p><p>But Jolene's role seems to go beyond that and verge into "modern mammy" territory, a trope that specifically relies on a Black female character doing the bidding of a white character. </p><p>Historically, the mammy figure has been shown on screen as an older <a href="https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/">Black woman who is a dutiful caregiver</a> to her white family. She's docile, loyal, maternal, non-threatening, probably religious, and at times crosses over with the sassy Black woman trope, but overall doesn't let much get in the way of her responsibilities to her white family.</p><p>The modern depictions of the mammy trope do not necessarily need to be a mother or nanny figure. This character often has motherly traits and unrelentingly supports the white people in her life, who usually don't reciprocate her devoted effort to their goals or arc. She is usually conveniently written out of the plot when she no longer serves a purpose.</p><div type="image" title="jolene and beth queens gambit" height="2348" width="3131" msid="79649039" hostid="261"></div><p>"The Queen's Gambit" maintains some level of self-awareness. There's an attempt to anticipate criticism of Jolene's role in the show by having Jolene say she is not Beth's "guardian angel."</p><p>Instead, Jolene justifies - maybe even defends - her help for Beth by saying they're "family."</p><p>But for Jolene and Beth to supposedly have such a close familial bond, it doesn't make sense that Jolene is only seen by viewers when Beth needs her help. </p><p>And aside from a few bits of dialogue, Jolene's character and arc are never explored outside of her commitment to helping Beth.</p><h2><strong>This isn't the first Netflix original to have a problem with diversity on- and off-screen</strong></h2><p>Notably, "The Queen's Gambit" is not the first time Netflix has mishandled or neglected the Black characters in its original series. </p><p>One of Netflix's earliest originals, "Orange Is the New Black," also sidelines its Black characters and places a white woman in the foreground within the context of the prison system, which <a href="https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/">disproportionately impacts BIPOC women</a> more than <a href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/the-changing-racial-dynamics-of-womens-incarceration/">white women</a>.</p><p>The award-winning show features a diverse cast, but as it progressed, many criticized it as <a href="https://wearyourvoicemag.com/orange-is-the-new-black-trauma-porn-written-white-people/">"trauma porn written for white people</a>," calling it out as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/05/orange-is-the-new-black-stars-taystee-crazy-eyes-sophia">exploiting Black struggles</a> for <a href="https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/racism-orange-new-black-makes-it-traumatic-watch">shock value</a>. The first four seasons of the show were written primarily by white writers and not a single Black writer, <a href="https://splinternews.com/go-ahead-guess-how-many-black-writers-work-on-orange-1793857745">as Splinter reported in 2016</a>.</p><div type="image" title="orange is the new black" height="1992" width="2657" msid="79649042" hostid="261"></div><p>Netflix's animated comedy "Big Mouth" had its main Black character, Missy, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-mouth-replace-jenny-slate-black-actor-biracial-character-1300237">voiced by white actress Jenny Slate for the better part of four seasons</a>. In 2020, amid the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/inside-big-mouths-big-change">Black Lives Matter movement,</a> Slate publicly gave up the role in June and the series later <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michaelblackmon/big-mouth-new-season-jenny-slate-netflix?utm_source=dynamic&amp;utm_campaign=bffbbuzzfeed&amp;ref=bffbbuzzfeed&amp;uzzfeed&amp;">gave the role to Black actress Ayo Edebiri</a>.</p><p>There's also the streaming service's newest comedy-drama "Emily in Paris," which has been <a href="https://www.flare.com/tv-movies/emily-in-paris-diversity/">criticized</a> for its lack of <a href="https://www.fr24news.com/a/2020/10/emily-in-paris-review-lily-collins-saves-a-trivial-story-from-wanderlust.html">diversity</a> in a <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/emily-in-paris-misses-diversity-in-lack-of-moroccan-and-algerian-representation-in-the-series.html/">diverse city</a>. The series follows white protagonist Emily (Lily Collins), and its main source of inclusivity comes from her Black coworker, Julien (Samuel Arnold), and her Asian best friend, Mindy Chen (Ashley Park).</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/shows-you-should-watch-if-you-like-emily-in-paris">"Emily in Paris"</a> provides very little background or substance to Julien's character outside of his proximity to Emily and his tendency to fall into the <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/emily-in-paris-misses-diversity-in-lack-of-moroccan-and-algerian-representation-in-the-series.html/">sassy Black character trope</a>. Mindy's main purpose is to serve as Emily's helpful sidekick. </p><h2><strong>Netflix has made efforts to diversify its shows and storylines, but there's always room for improvement</strong></h2><p>In recent years, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/z4gmw5/why-netflix-has-decided-to-make-diversity-a-top-priority">Netflix has made progressive attempts toward diversifying</a> its staff and content to provide viewers with more representation.</p><p>Black creators are leading the charge. Filmmaker Ava Duvernay has worked with Netflix to create acclaimed projects that examine racism in America, like the documentary "13th" and the limited series "When They See Us." Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris also signed on with the streaming platform, <a href="https://observer.com/2020/11/netflix-shonda-rhimes-ryan-murphy-kenya-barris-deals-ratings-budget/#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20Netflix%20signed%20Grey's,Horror%20Story%20creator%20Ryan%20Murphy.">each to the tune of $100 million</a> (still less than the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/tvs-first-300m-man-inside-netflixs-blockbuster-ryan-murphy-deal-1099145">reported $300 million "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy received</a>).</p><p>And there are Netflix original series telling diverse stories with diverse leads. Its animated series "The Dragon Prince" - featuring BIPOC characters, LGBTQ storylines, and characters with disabilities - got renewed for a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2020/07/24/the-dragon-prince-has-been-renewed-by-netflix-for-season-4/#:~:text=EDT%20%7C95%2C266%20views-,'The%20Dragon%20Prince'%20Has%20Been%20Renewed%20By%20Netflix,For%20Season%204%20And%20Beyond&amp;text='The%20Dragon%20Prince'%20will%20return,a%20fourth%20season%20on%20Netflix.lix.">fourth season</a> earlier this year. Mindy Kaling's comedy-drama "Never Have I Ever," which features an Indian-American protagonist, is set to debut a second season in <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a32356667/never-have-i-ever-season-2-news-date-cast-spoilers/#:~:text=Never%20Have%20I%20Ever%20is,%2C%20%22%20It's%20official%2C%20people!">2021</a>.</p><p>Still, Netflix should keep in mind that any inclusive projects won't erase harmful tropes and lack of representation in its other predominantly white original series. "The Queen's Gambit" - and Jolene - deserved better.</p><p><strong>Read More:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/interesting-things-about-the-queens-gambit-fun-facts">16 things you probably didn't know about 'The Queen's Gambit'</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-jojo-siwa-criticism-impacts-fans-2020-12">People scrutinizing JoJo Siwa's appearance are hurting young women in the spotlight - and setting a terrible example for their younger fans</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/best-book-to-tv-adaptations-2018-8">31 TV shows based on books that you should watch in your lifetime</a></p>

'The Queen's Gambit' is the latest Netflix series to mishandle its Black characters

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> used to be the trendsetter when it came to <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> shows. Now it's falling behind.</li><li>The company keeps canceling its most unique, creative, and ambitious original shows before they hit their stride.</li><li>The streamer is failing to replicate the success of "Stranger Things," while brewing frustration and disappointment among subscribers, who fall in love with niche shows that get axed without warning.</li><li>Netflix won't release viewership numbers, but it's clear their strategy is prioritizing short-term quantity over long-term quality. </li></ul><p>Netflix is killing its most interesting shows in their infancy and it could be the streaming giant's downfall.</p><p>In the seven years since Netflix began producing its own original content, the world of TV streaming has dramatically changed. Now Netflix is getting left behind in the race it started. </p><p>Many of its unique and ambitious shows have been canceled before they could reach their full potential. And Netflix keeps churning out more and more shows each year, without replicating the breakout success of 2016's "Stranger Things."</p><p>According to statements from executives, the <keyword id="148258" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cancellations">cancellations</keyword> are <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-netflix-keeps-canceling-shows-after-just-2-seasons/">the result of a cost-analysis</a> that tells Netflix a longer running show won't lead to new subscribers.</p><p>Still, with syndicated shows such as "The Office" and "Friends" leaving its platform, along with a string of disappointing cancellations, including<a href="https://www.insider.com/marc-maron-requests-glow-movie-ending-after-netflix-canceled-show-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"GLOW," which was announced this week</a>, Netflix has set itself up for potential disaster when it comes to its reputation as a TV-watcher's must-have service.</p><h2><strong>Netflix keeps canceling some of its most interesting and ambitious shows</strong><strong> </strong></h2><div type="image" title="Rian Deet and Hup The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Netflix Kevin Baker" height="1206" width="1608" msid="78590331" hostid="261"></div><p>In 2020 alone, <a href="https://www.insider.com/every-netflix-original-tv-show-canceled-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix has canceled</a> 18 of its originals series. Of those, 14 only had one season. </p><p>"<keyword id="7416210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Dark-Crystal">The Dark Crystal</keyword>: Age of Resistance" was added to the list of cancellations last month. The first season was an incomplete prequel story to Jim Henson's innovative 1982 film, and it's a shame that story will go unfinished. While the fantasy series wasn't perfect, the combination of live-action puppetry and CGI elements made it a truly unique TV show that stood out as a bold and creative endeavor. </p><p>Last year, sci-fi original <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-oa-cancellation-fake-netflix-fan-theory-2019-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"The OA" was cancelled</a> just months after its dramatic and compelling second season aired. The season two finale set up a dramatic twist with incredible potential for the planned third season. But then Netflix pulled the plug, despite earlier public statements from vice president of original programming Cindy Holland about how the show's <a href="https://www.insider.com/oa-season-two-netflix-2017-2">cocreators had a five-season outline</a>. </p><div type="image" title="The OA season 2 Brit Marling Netflix " height="1332" width="1776" msid="78590333" hostid="261"></div><p>"<keyword id="9148353" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-oa">The OA</keyword>" had the hallmarks of a great (<a href="https://www.insider.com/oa-finale-good-2016-12">if divisive</a>) show: It was coproduced by Brad Pitt, had a fantastic score by Vampire Weekend band member Rostam, superstar Zendaya joined the already superb cast in season two, and the scripts told an earnest and unique original story.</p><p>It's also worth noting how many of the cancellations have been shows with women and people of color prominently behind the scenes or starring in these TV shows. "One Day at a Time," "Tuca and Bertie," "GLOW," "I Am Not Okay With This," and "Everything Sucks!" are just a few examples of canceled shows with both diverse characters and  representation behind the lens. </p><h2>TV shows often need room to breathe before they become truly great — just look at 'Game of Thrones,' 'The Office,' or 'Schitt's Creek'</h2><div type="image" title="13 ned stark" height="1334" width="1778" msid="78590337" hostid="261"></div><p>"Game of Thrones" wasn't an overnight phenomenon. In its early days, the show was seen as an expensive risk. Newcomer showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss spent $10 million on <a href="https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-failed-pilot-hbo-chapter-kim-renfro-book">their first attempt at a pilot episode</a>, most of which was scrapped. But HBO's then-copresidents Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo signed off on the series, recognizing its potential.</p><p>Pop TV's "Schitt's Creek" also required investment and faith from executives in their early seasons.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—dan levy  (@danjlevy) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1308043682181009414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2020</a></blockquote><p>"A gentle reminder that TV shows need time and space to lay foundation, to develop, and to grow," Dan Levy, the cocreator and star of "Schitt's Creek," <a href="https://twitter.com/danjlevy/status/1308043682181009414">tweeted the morning after the 2020 Emmys</a>, where the series broke records sweeping all seven comedy awards. "In the wrong hands, this show would have been yanked off the air in  [season one] for 'underperforming.'"</p><p>If it had been a Netflix original, "Schitt's Creek" probably wouldn't have made it past season two. Ironically enough, the popularity of "Schitt's Creek" only <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/schitts-creek-netflix-pop-success-story.html">boomed when its first three seasons arrived on Netflix in 2017</a>. </p><h2>Netflix is disregarding the smaller, but powerful fandoms it's creating, where people are left desperately crying out for show renewals</h2><div type="image" title="Glow Debbie and Ruth Netflix season two" height="1316" width="1755" msid="78590340" hostid="261"></div><p>People falling in love with Netflix shows are getting wary time after time their favorites get canned. Last summer, "OA" fans physically <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-oa-fans-protest-netflix-office-photos-interview-2019-8">protested outside of Netflix's Los Angeles headquarters for days</a>, with one woman even going on a hunger strike.</p><p>Just one day after "GLOW" was canceled earlier this week, the show's star Marc Maron said on Instagram that <a href="https://www.insider.com/marc-maron-requests-glow-movie-ending-after-netflix-canceled-show-2020-10">he wanted Netflix to allow creators to make a movie</a>, just so they could tell the planned ending of the story on their own terms. Fans are now circulating a Change.org petition in hopes of getting Netflix's attention. </p><p>And on and on it goes.</p><p>There's a hashtag for nearly every canceled Netflix show, with fans replying en masse to every tweet or Instagram post they see on Netflix's verified pages. They're all begging for their beloved shows to come back.</p><p>TV lovers in these fandoms can only be burned so many times before they stop investing. Why should a Netflix subscriber spend 10 hours watching a new show if there's a decent chance they'll never see it end?</p><div type="image" title="one day at a time" height="950" width="1267" msid="78590342" hostid="261"></div><p>It doesn't help that Netflix continues to give multimillion dollar deals to creators — a perceived salt in the wound for many fans.</p><p>In 2018, "Hollywood" creator Ryan Murphy landed a contract with Netflix for <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/tvs-first-300m-man-inside-netflixs-blockbuster-ryan-murphy-deal-1099145">a reported $300 million</a>. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss closed <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-creators-close-200m-netflix-deal-1230119">their own reported $200 million deal last year.</a> The news of that contract came two days after "The OA" was canceled. Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-deals-netflix-hbo-jj-abrams-shonda-rhimes-ryan-murphy-2019-11">also in the six-figure Netflix deal club</a>.</p><p>The way Netflix <a href="https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/netflix-accounting-deals-shonda-rhimes-kenya-barris-ryan-murphy-1202908653/">accounts for these six-figure deals is complicated</a>, and the average viewer likely isn't sitting down to do research on the company's finances. Still, from the outside it looks as if Netflix is canceling beloved shows for financial reasons while at the same shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars for new TV shows that may only get one season. For fans, it's a continuous cycle of heartbreak either way.</p><h2>Netflix won't release viewership numbers, but it's clear their strategy is prioritizing quantity over quality </h2><div type="image" title="eleven stranger things" height="1452" width="1936" msid="78590345" hostid="261"></div><p>One of the most frustrating aspects of Netflix's current business model is the total lack of transparency when it comes to viewing numbers. We don't know definitively how many people have watched full episodes, let alone full seasons, of any Netflix original. </p><p>This again leads to a warped understanding of what a "successful" show means for Netflix. When the company cancels a series due to a low viewership, what does that mean? How low compared to say "Stranger Things"? But also how is "Stranger Things" performing season over season, and how are originals stacking up against network mega-popular sitcoms like "The Office" and "Friends?"</p><p>Without clear answers, we're left to look at the overall strategy. Netflix's running theory seems to be "give our subscribers an endless number of options for new shows, and it will keep them paying." The company has released <a href="https://www.insider.com/new-netflix-shows-2020">more than 113 new shows in 2020 alone</a>. But this approach makes Netflix's catalogue much less engaging in the long run.</p><p>Even if Netflix isn't losing subscribers en masse, the company is still hurting its reputation.</p><h2>Netflix's clear problem is its apparent unwillingness to commit to exciting shows with a niche audience longterm</h2><div type="image" title="Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers David Harbour Winona Ryder in mayor's house Stranger Things 3 Netflix" height="1250" width="1666" msid="78590350" hostid="261"></div><p>The binge format used to be thrilling, with "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black" dominating pop culture conversations as audiences delighted in the ability to marathon a new season in a single weekend (or even day for those ambitious watchers). But the novelty of binge watching has worn off as the volume of new shows and streamers has increased.  </p><p>Netflix is not only failing to commit to new thrilling, bingeable shows, but it's also starting to lose the syndicated sitcoms that many subscribers would fall back to if nothing new was capturing their attention.</p><p>By the end of 2020 in the US, Netflix would've lost "The Office," "Friends," and other beloved sitcom favorites such as "Parks and Recreation." With previous tentpole series like "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black" already concluded, this leaves Netflix with "Stranger Things" (and perhaps "The Witcher") as their only massively popular shows. </p><p>With COVID-19 leading to more cancellations, it will surely mean an upcoming drought of original programming. The next year will be a major test for Netflix's durability in an increasingly competitive market, and it seems like the company might've set itself up for failure. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/every-netflix-original-tv-show-canceled-list">All 46 Netflix original TV shows that have been canceled</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/29-great-netflix-shows-you-might-have-missed-2018-3">44 Netflix shows you probably missed but should definitely watch</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/netflix-original-tv-shows-ranked-2020">The 41 best Netflix original TV shows of 2020 so far, ranked</a></li></ul>

Netflix has a TV show problem

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cdd9aac021b4c11ec2b5b24-2400/1513313744.jpg" border="0" alt="The Kids Are Alright" data-mce-source="Rick Rowell/ABC" data-mce-caption="The Kids Are Alright"><p class="source"><span>Rick Rowell/ABC</span></p><p class="caption">The kids are not alright.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>ABC sitcom "The Kids Are Alright" was canceled after one season, despite strong reviews from critics and viewers.</li><li>The nostalgic series, about a big family living in the 1970s, didn't seem to fit into ABC's broader plans for its fall lineup.&#xa0;</li><li>Fans, and people involved in the show, are hoping it will find new life on another network.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>After one season, fans will have to say farewell next week to the nostalgic, 1970s-set ABC sitcom, "The Kids Are Alright," which was <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_kids_are_alright/s01">well-received by critics and viewers</a>&#xa0;alike. The TV show from "Last Man Standing" creator Tim Doyle airs its final episode on May 21.</p><p>While ABC has not said why the series, about a big family living in the suburbs of Los Angeles, was cancelled, the show didn't fit neatly into the broader plans for ABC's schedule that were laid out by ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke this week.</p><p>For starters, "The Kids Are Alright" wasn't an obvious hit. The series started off strong, making the <a href="https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-tuesday-oct-16-2018/">one of the highest-rated debuts</a> for a comedy series last fall among the coveted 18-49-year-old crowd. But <a href="https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-kids-are-alright-season-one-ratings/">ratings stumbled</a> during the season, and the show fell out of the 10 highest-rated ABC series with that audience demographic. Overall viewership also oscillated, falling more than 50% from the start of the season by the show's May 7th airing - a few days before the <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/05/the-kids-are-alright-canceled-abc-after-one-season-1202606571/">cancelation was announced</a>.</p><p>There were other reasons "The Kids Are Alright" didn't have a future at ABC. Burke rearranged the network's fall primetime schedule in the hopes of creating a "weekly comedy event" out of the new "Black-ish" spinoff, "Mixed-ish" and "Black-ish," which are airing back-to-back in the 9 p.m. ET hour on Tuesdays, she said. She did the same with "The Goldbergs" and its spinoff "Schooled" on Wednesdays.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>Burke also said she was looking to strong returning comedies like "Black-ish" and "Single Parents" to help the launch of new dramas "Emergence" and "Stumptown" at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abc-debuts-fewer-new-tv-shows-this-fall-hoping-it-means-more-viewers-2019-5">ABC is making a lot fewer new shows, and it could be a sign of broadcast TV's future</a></em></p><p>Ratings for "Black-ish" did <a href="https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/black-ish-season-five-ratings/">slump in its current fifth season</a>. The series was averaging fewer live- and same-day viewers than "The Kids Are Alright" by mid May. But, with ABC's flagship sitcom "Modern Family" entering its 11th and final season, it's not surprising that the network did not want to give up on the show. Kenya Barris' "Black-ish" is the foundation for a franchise of Disney series that also includes "Grown-ish" on the young-adult channel Freeform and the upcoming "Mixed-ish" spinoff.&#xa0;</p><p>It's hard to say definitively why weaker performing shows like "Bless This Mess" were renewed over "The Kids Are Alright" - a fact that even stumped Doyle, the creator.</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>It appears the network just couldn't find a good place for "The Kids Are Alright" in its fall lineup that would help grow the show, as Burke said of another canceled drama, "Whiskey Cavalier."</p><p>"The Kids Are Alright" may have been too similar in format to other ABC shows. The network already has two other, promising period-sitcoms: "The Goldbergs," set in the 1980s, and "Schooled," set in the 1990s. "Mixed-ish," which takes place in the 1980s, makes three.</p><p>Burke said the network was focusing on broadly appealing series with strong female point-of-views, which may have made "Mixed-ish" more attractive to the network. The prequel spinoff centers on a younger version of <span>Tracee Ellis Ross' "Black-ish" character, Rainbow Johnson.</span></p><p><span>"<span style="font-weight: 400;">Characters like Rainbow Johnson and big stars like Allison Tolman and Cobie Smulders will be able to not only cut through the clutter with these shows, but reclaim our dominance with women and from there the broadest possible audience," Burke said.</span></span></p><p><span>Fans of "The Kids Are Alright," and people involved with the show, haven't given up hope that the series could find a home on another network or midseason on ABC. Series like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "Lucifer," and "The Expanse" have been picked by other networks after being canceled. </span>Actor Sam Straley, who plays the oldest son, Lawrence Cleary, on the show, <a href="https://twitter.com/straley_sam/status/1128388877050417156">appealed on Twitter</a> to streaming service Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime to save the show. He even got a little help from Star Wars veteran Mark Hamill, who is a fan of the show.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>"Please, you're our only hope," the video posted on Twitter said.&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sad numbers for Bless This Mess. One expects a show like ours to lose a bit of ground after getting dropped. We pretty much held our ground but did better not than one that just got a prime fall time-slot. They know they made a mistake. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheKidsareAlright?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheKidsareAlright</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKidsABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheKidsABC</a> <a href="https://t.co/AcX54Wn5xm">pic.twitter.com/AcX54Wn5xm</a></p>- Timothée Doyle  (@FlakedAndFormed) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1128731334669508608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If someone could get this in front of someone over at <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@netflix</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hulu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hulu</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/AmazonStudios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmazonStudios</a> for me - that'd be so great! <a href="https://twitter.com/marycmccormack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marycmccormack</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Cudlitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cudlitz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HamillHimself?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HamillHimself</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savethekidsarealright?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savethekidsarealright</a> <a href="https://t.co/zCPfB9hfYc">pic.twitter.com/zCPfB9hfYc</a></p>- Sam Straley  (@straley_sam) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1128388877050417156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cats-trained-tv-movies-pet-sematary-training-church-animals-stephen-king-2019-4">How cats are trained for TV and movies</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/MSNCb7eU-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The likely reasons 'The Kids Are Alright' was cancelled by ABC after only one season

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55c0c6e7dd0895e31a8b4671-1918-934/screen%20shot%202015-08-03%20at%206.20.09%20pm.png" alt="Shaft" data-mce-source="Warner Bros"><p class="source"><span>Warner Bros</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>At the beginning of the year, New Line Cinema announced it would rebooting author and screenwriter Ernest Tidyman's '70s action hero John Shaft in <a href="http://variety.com/2015/film/news/shaft-reboot-in-the-works-at-new-line-1201436538/">a brand new film</a>. The project was announced in February, but&#xa0;details remained scarce. Then, at the end of July, New Line <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/shaft-getting-remake-black-ish-811631">announced the creative team behind the film</a>, which included "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris and "The Goldbergs" producer Alex Barnow.<p>Given the pedigree of the writers hired for the project, it should probably come as no surprise that the New Line's plans are to make&#xa0;the "Shaft' reboot with a "comedic tone" that will "retain its action roots," per <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/shaft-getting-remake-black-ish-811631">The Hollywood Reporter.</a>&#xa0;(This would be the second reboot, following the 2003 John Singleton film starring Samuel L. Jackson)</p><p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DcLG3AfyVDI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">This is a move that some writers and critics, like Complex's Frida Garza, <a href="http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/07/black-ish-creators-shaft-reboot-kenya-barris-alex-barnrow">are intrigued by</a>. Others, like <a href="http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/07/29/the-shaft-remake-will-be...-a-comedy">Devin Faraci of Birth.Movies.Death</a>, are a bit skeptical of the move.&#xa0;</p><p>But no one has reacted as passionately as David Walker, the comic book writer and filmmaker responsible for the recently-concluded, award-winning, and all-around excellent&#xa0;<a href="https://www.comixology.com/Shaft/comics-series/30819?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9zZXJpZXNTbGlkZXI">"Shaft" comic book miniseries </a>with artist Bilquis Everly for Dynamite Entertainment, along with "<a href="http://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C725130228260">Shaft's Revenge</a>", the first official Shaft novel authorized by creator Ernest Tidyman's estate since the 1970s.&#xa0;</p><p class="embed-spacer">In a blog post titled "An Open Letter Regarding SHAFT' Walker published on his<a href="http://www.badazzmofo.com/2015/07/29/an-open-letter-regarding-shaft/"> pop culture-oriented website BadAzz MoFo,&#xa0;</a>Walker railed against the notion of a "Shaft" comedy, writing:&#xa0;</p><p class="embed-spacer" style="padding-left: 30px;">"Police brutality has reached epidemic proportions, and white supremacists seem intent on pushing this nation toward a violent and deadly racial conflict. Last month, an armed white man walked into a church, and massacred nine black people. Not since the 1960s has there been more of a need for a black action hero-one that can provide a cathartic escape from life's day-to-day horrors, and deliver the sort of wish fulfillment that cinema is intended to do."</p><p>Walker argues&#xa0;that the character of John Shaft is such a rarity - a black action hero,&#xa0;a character archetype almost entirely missing from modern cinema - that changing him from iconic badass to comedic action hero isn't just a complete misreading of the character, it's irresponsible.&#xa0;</p><p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/T1ga1FgU10E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p><p>"W<span class="s1">hen we look at what happened in the late '60s and early '70s,&#xa0;</span><span class="s1">in terms of &#xa0;film and television, what was going on in America with the Civil Rights movement and a lot of the violence that we were seeing across this country, there was this response to it that manifested in the early '70s," Walker said in a follow-up interview with Tech Insider. "That's when 'Shaft' came&#xa0;out, and 'Sweet Sweetbacks Baadasssss Song'.&#xa0;</span><span>I want to be really careful that I don't say 'It's just like it was back in '65' - but there's a lot of similarities there, and it feels like a lot of the unresolved business of the Civil Rights movement of the '60s; we're now facing them 50 years later."</span></p><p><span>Hence, Walker's point about police brutality, and the necessary cathartic release of a black action hero. Of course, this could also take the form in the most popular type of action hero in 2015: The superhero (Walker currently writes the DC Comics series "<a href="https://www.comixology.com/Cyborg-2015/comics-series/46720?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9zZXJpZXNTbGlkZXI">Cyborg</a>", which just launched in July). But that doesn't make it an easy thing to accomplish in our culture right now.</span></p><p><span>"</span><span class="s1">The challenge is always going to be getting people to look at things they are uncomfortable with," says Walker. "</span><span class="s1">Our superheroes are modern-day versions of the gods of old mythology. They are there to give us morality tales of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong.&#xa0;</span><span class="s1">W</span><span class="s1">e're living in a time in society right now where we really have to question our notions of who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. And the reality is that when a police officer shoots an unarmed person in the face, we have to question - what are the roles here?"&#xa0;</span><span class="s1">There are still some people who want to believe that the police are absolutely 100% good. We don't live in a world of moral absolutes, we never have. I really do think we need to address some of this stuff."</span></p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;</p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55c0c6e7dd0895e31a8b4672-640-983/shaft%20cover.jpg" alt="SHAFT #1 COVER" data-mce-source="Dynamite Entertainment"><p class="source"><span>Dynamite Entertainment</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Despite his harsh criticism for the police in light of the sobering number of highly-publicized incidents of police brutality against victims like&#xa0;Eric Garner and&#xa0;Sam Dubose, Walker acknowledges that the problem isn't so much the police as it is "a racial ideology that diminishes the value of black life."&#xa0;It's a subject that Walker believes pop culture needs to address, and that "Shaft" is the ideal response to it - much like it was 40&#xa0;years ago.&#xa0;</p><p>"I'm not opposed to comedy in any context, but I think for black people - we're either sidekicks, or victims, or the joke tellers.&#xa0;<span class="s1">I'm trying to think of a movie in the last several years I've seen where, there's an actual black hero where he's not a sidekick and there's not a comedic bent to to him - I think with the exception of Denzel Washington and 'The Equalizer' - it's all been sidekicks or comic relief. H</span><span class="s1">e's just about all we're given. We get Denzel, we get Will Smith, and we've got Jamie Foxx right now - we're about to get Michael B. Jordan."</span></p><p><span class="s1">They're all fantastic actors, notes Walker - but black actors are still terribly underrepresented in lead action roles, which makes the comedic twist to "Shaft" hurt that much more.&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">"If you're starving - I don't care how you feel about fast food," says Walker. "But if you're starving, McDonald's is going to feel like a feast, Burger King is going to feel like a feast. As a culture, and as a people, we're starving."&#xa0;</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hbos-the-leftovers-trailer-looks-completely-different-2015-7">HBO's 'The Leftovers' looks like it's going to be an entirely different show next season</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RjaWpmdjoBiH7wdTt-RkCIhW6bxSzC_k" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'RjaWpmdjoBiH7wdTt-RkCIhW6bxSzC_k',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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