Actress Kim Fields has entertained television viewers for more than 40 years with memorable and iconic characters, from the young, bubbly Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey on 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life to the sexy and funny Regina “Regine” Hunter on Living Single in the 1990s. Her latest starring role is in streaming service Britbox TV’s comedy Living the Dream, premiering Tuesday, May 14.

At the Multicultural TV Summit on April 30 in New York (see Freeze Frame), Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable honored Fields with the Multicultural Voice Award for playing positive and uplifting characters of color throughout her career. After accepting the award, Fields spoke with MCN about her future aspirations and the increasing opportunities for the distribution of multicultural TV programming. An edited version of the discussion appears below.

MCN: What’s next for you in your career?
Kim Fields: I’m always a fan of going into uncharted waters. In 2016, when I was blessed to celebrate my 40th year in the industry [by doing shows like Dancing With the Stars and Real Housewives of Atlanta], those were areas and genres that I had not yet been in. I don’t want to do something that I’ve already done. That said, it’s not that I’ll never do another comedy … I just want to have a different voice. That’s why the new British comedy [Living the Dream] was a great experience and opportunity. I’m also developing a graphic novel series and with the characters that I’m creating from a sci-fi perspective, if I wanted to go into a much darker sci-fi delve I can do that. In that sense I can be the storyteller, the narrator and character without having to fight the ghosts of my characters past.

MCN: Has the increase in distribution platforms provided more opportunities for you and other creators of color to get their projects to viewers?
KF: Very much so. The whole game has shifted. The gatekeepers and the good old boys club have died down. They’re not gone completely, but [increased distribution outlets] have provided a lot more opportunities. The additional playgrounds, as I like to call them, are fantastic because now I’m able to be in the driver’s seat a lot more. We’re developing a streaming service for inspirational content and I’m the gatekeeper for that, so [for audiences] we’re able to provide another playground.

MCN: Are we in a golden age for multicultural content, or is this a trend like we’ve seen in the past in which there’s a temporary plethora of content, only for it to eventually disappear?
KF: Unfortunately, history repeats itself and unfortunately there are a number of things that are just cyclical. To me one of the ways to break the cycle is that fact that we now have other playgrounds to take our content to. Let’s take Living Single. That show first came on the airways on Fox when the network was all black people — Sinbad and Steve Harvey had a show, there was Martin — and these shows were building a lot of momentum. Then of course soon after it was “thank you, bye bye” to all of those shows. Let’s say Netflix or Hulu was in the 1990s — we could say to [Fox], “You could have your funky trend on building your business on the backs of others and then cutting them off after you’re successful, but we could go over here and continue [our] momentum and be successful.” I feel that’s one way the cycle can be broken.

MCN: There’s been talk about a Living Single reboot. Would you be interested in reviving your character Regine in the series, and overall how do you view the reboot series trend?
KF: First, I’m thrilled how everyone has responded to a potential reboot. The thing about it is when you have a hit, it feels like you’ve caught lightning in a bottle. So you have to be mindful of that if you’re trying to do that again. Is that lightning going to strike again? Is everyone on board going to be able to move the bottle the way they did before? There’s a lot of moving parts to it. At the end of the day, if you don’t do it right, they’ll remember what you messed up of their beloved show even more than the beloved show itself. So you almost don’t want to mess with it.

As television networks and streaming services continue to develop a record number of multicultural-themed scripted shows featuring people of color in front of and behind the camera, programming executives say they aren’t worried that the market for such content will hit a ceiling.

African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American images are prevalent across television screens: Nearly half of the top scripted broadcast series of the 2017-18 season among viewers 18-49 featured a multicultural lead character or prominent multicultural cast members, including Fox’s Empire and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, according to Nielsen.

More programming helmed by people of color is coming through the television pipeline, with networks greenlighting new projects from such producers as Lena Waithe (Showtime’s How to Make Love to a Black Woman (Who May Be Working Through Some Sh*t) and BET’s Twenties), Issa Rae (HBO’s Him or Her) and Moonlight co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney (OWN’s David Makes Man).

No ‘Peak TV’ Here

FX Networks and FX Productions chairman John Landgraf, who last year famously spoke of a coming peak in the nearly 500 original scripted shows currently on cable and streaming services, says there is room for multicultural content to grow.

“I think every year and every decade the United States becomes a more multicultural nation, and I think that is undeniable and irreversible,” Landgraf said. “I think that broadcasters and other programming services are rightly and correctly focused on the need to address the American viewership as they are.”

OWN president Tina Perry said shows such as the network’s Greenleaf and Queen Sugar provide unique characters and strong, authentic storylines that fill a niche that television has never before addressed to this extent.

“There’s been a lack of scripted options in storytelling within the TV landscape for years, and I think the industry is finally providing a diversity of programming that resonates with viewers,” said Perry, who noted that OWN is also teaming with TV producer Will Packer on a new primetime soap drama Ambitions, starring Robin Givens, that will air this summer.

TV One general manager Michelle Rice said the increase in multicultural content on the air — particularly in content targeting African-Americans — is partly a reflection of viewers’ desire to see images of themselves on the screen. African-Americans watched 48 hours a week of television content during third-quarter 2018, a full 13 hours more than viewers overall, according to a recent Nielsen Total Media Report.

In January, TV One launched Cleo TV, a new cable network targeting African-American female millennials that has received carriage from Comcast and Charter Communications, as well as streaming service Philo.

“This is an audience that is underrepresented by current content that’s on television,” Rice said. “We’re seeing that black is the new black, and we’re seeing that other distributors including streaming services like Netflix, are featuring shows with strong black leads, so this is a great opportunity to grow this particular segment.”

A Hunger for Representation

BET executive vice president and head of programming Connie Orlando added that the African-American population wants even more programming that reflects their stories and images. Her network is on pace to deliver its most prolific lineup of scripted original programming ever, with at least 10 original films, five scripted series and two unscripted series currently slated for 2019.

“As long as the content that’s coming is captivating, interesting and relatable, there’s no reason to stop it,” Orlando said. “There are millions of stories that we can and want to tell.”

BET will also welcome prolific producer Tyler Perry to the fold later this year as part of an exclusive multiyear production deal. “Tyler Perry’s coming is a drop the mic moment, and we’re all excited to see what he brings,” Orlando said.

FX’s Landgraf said while there’s still much progress to be made on the diversity front both in front of and behind the camera, the industry is moving in the right direction.

“Even as the industry consolidates and there are fewer rather than more programming purveyors, I still think that the moves that have been made to address all the viewers in America and to empower all the storytellers have enough momentum and business logic around them that they’re irreversible,” he said.

ATTEND THE MULTICULTURAL TV SUMMIT

Get insights on the multiethnic video marketplace at the Multichannel News/Broadcasting & Cable Multicultural TV Summit in New York on April 30.
Learn more at multiculturaltvsummit.com.