MARCH 2012 Minority hopefuls perform in CBS diversity showcase By Greg Braxton This article appeared in the LA Times LMFAO’s head-pounding “Party Rock Anthem” pulsated through North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre as a multiracial group of young performers stormed the stage, promising in song to provide a lively evening of laughs. They then launched into a rapid-fire parade of sketches filled with gleeful raunch and pokes at racial stereotypes. The performance had the usual trappings of a night out at any comedy club around town. But little about this invitation only night was typical. The actors, writers and directors were all amateur, and they were mostly people of color — young blacks, Latinos, Asians, Indians — performing original material they had helped to develop All Rights Reserved. Photo: Mark Davis/CBS ©2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. before a crowd of managers, agents and The entire cast of this yearʼs CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase greet the audience creative executives from major networks and at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood studios. The event marked the culmination of this year’s CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy attendees stood against the walls or sat in the television episodes from 170 scripted TV Showcase, an annual talent forum that also aisles. series for the 2010-11 season found that functions as a three-month boot camp The showcase, now in its seventh year, is white men directed 77% of all episodes, and designed to boost the chances of minorities always scheduled in January, as networks and white women directed 11% of all episodes. A hoping to land roles on TV comedies and studios begin lining up their pilots for the report released by the Writers Guild of dramas. fall season. NBC and ABC also sponsor America, West in May found that the The participants are schooled to minority showcases as part of their stated earnings gap between minorities and white collaborate with others as well as receive commitment to increase diversity in prime writers more than doubled from 2007 to lessons in character development and voices, time. The four major networks have been 2009. auditions and “cold readings.” But the main grappling for more than a decade with Smith-Anoa’i said the criticisms have focus is the showcase, said CBS diversity charges from advocacy groups and critics overshadowed significant gains on the honchos. that most prime-time series feature diversity front: “People who are trying to “What we’re putting on is much more predominantly white casts and have largely improve diversity at the networks often hear than a showcase: This is a full-fledged show excluded minorities from significant creative about what is wrong. But with this showcase that we feel could be staged at any theater in roles. Even some series that feature minority and our other diversity initiatives, we are Los Angeles,” said Tiffany N. Smith-Anoa’i, characters have been blasted — both CBS’ attempting to put more of a spotlight on the vice president of diversity and “Two Broke Girls” and “Rob!” have been positive progress that is being made. communications for CBS. She pointed out accused by critics of perpetuating negative Increasing that level of awareness is more that this year’s event was a hot ticket: The stereotypes. helpful in the larger scope of the issue.” 360-seat El Portal was filled to overflowing A survey conducted by the Directors for four shows over two days last week. Many Guild of America of more than 2,600 continued on page 3 1 MARCH 2012 PRODUCTION SCHEDULE CSI:NY Carla’s Café Commissary . .5692 (CBS PRODUCTIONS/CBS) THE 2012 GENESIS AWARDS, Car Wash . .5042 ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT Client Services . .5099 (CBS TV DISTRIBUTION/CBS) MARCH 24TH Emergency Line . .5555 Grip Dept . .5711 THE INSIDER (an event which celebrates animal friendly (CBS TV DISTRIBUTION/CBS) themes in the entertainment industry.) 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If you observe an unsafe situation, (OPEN 4 BUSINESS PRODUCTIONS/CBS) please report it by calling extension 6078. ■11 Daylight Savings Time begins DUETS (KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON ■15 The Ides of March PRODUCTIONS/ABC) Newsletter Staff ■17 St. Patrick’s Day FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER - PILOT Contributing Editor Marsha Gorodkin 20 Spring begins Design & Layout Elizabeth Gulick (NBC STUDIOS/ NBC) ■ 2 MARCH 2012 Minority hopefuls continued from page 1 By Karla Karanza Instead of the usual showcase format of stand-up comedy routines or scenes from plays or movies, the performers, assisted by director Rick Najera (“MADtv,” “In Living Color”) and CBS Vice President of Casting Fern Orenstein, develop original material that allows them to improve their writing skills, show a range of characters and broaden their acting styles. Almost 40 showcase graduates in the last seven years have won regular or guest- starring roles on series, while dozens of others have scored representation. One of the graduates, Affion Crockett, starred in his own short-lived sketch comedy series on Fox last year. Julie Ashton, who runs her own agency Ross Martin (Artemus Gordon) and Robert Condrad (James T. West) and does casting for “Two Broke Girls” and The Wild Wild West shot at CBS Studio Center from 1965 to 1969 Fox’s upcoming reboot of “In Living Color,” said she finds the CBS show a valuable A fellow named Michael Garrison Roberts, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. and resource for discovering talent. “It’s just a purchased the film rights to Ian Fleming’s Carrol O’Connor just to name a few. great arena to see so many talented folks at first Bond novel, “Casino Royale,” back in Robert Conrad is one tough dude and the same time.” 1955. He intended to produce a film and did most of his own fight choreography, as Several other participants this week told shopped the idea around town in the late well as his own stunts. Until he took a fall off CBS they have booked auditions and meetings 50s. No one bought it (well, not from him, a chandelier (told ya he was hardcore) that with agents following the showcase. anyway). So, after his writing partner died, he nearly killed him. But eventually, all the Asif Ali, 24, who appeared in several of sold off the rights and turned to TV. Michael machismo bit the show in the butt. Although the sketches, sounded relieved at the end of still wanted to bring the super spy to life, but the show rated pretty well for four years, CBS one of the showcases last week. obviously he couldn’t just rip off the Fleming ended up cancelling it because the execs “We pulled it off,” he declared, saying he character. So instead, he decided to create became concerned about excessive violence. was ecstatic that the audience had responded James Bond… on horseback. And that’s how Can you imagine how those guys would react so favorably to the material. “I didn’t even The Wild Wild West came into being. to Sons of Anarchy? have butterflies.” The Wild Wild West was produced by CBS WWW is available on DVD and is really for four seasons from 1965 to 1969 and worth the view. It’s one of my favorite shows of spawned a couple of made-for-tv movies as all time and holds up reasonably well to this well as a 1999 ‘reimagining’ that was the stuff day. Smart, funny, clever and delightfully of nightmares (no, I mean that literally… absurd at times. Give it a shot if you haven’t thirty foot spider anyone?).