As the TV industry celebrates Black History Month, African-American viewers say they‘re seeing more of themselves and their stories on the small screen but want to see even more inclusive content that reflects their experiences.  

Today, there are nearly 50 scripted series on broadcast, cable and streaming services that feature Black leads or predominantly Black casts. While that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the 559 scripted TV shows offered in 2021, according to FX research, industry observers say it‘s certainly an improvement over what was on television a decade ago.

While several iconic and popular shows will leave the air this year (ABC’s Black-ish, OWN’s Queen Sugar, TNT’s Claws and Showtime’s Black Monday), there are plenty of new shows aiming to fill the gap (Amazon Prime Video’s Harlem, ABC's Queens, Starz’s Run The World and ABC’s The Wonder Years). Also on tap is the much-anticipated March return of FX’s original comedy series Atlanta, starring Emmy-winner Donald Glover.

Also: Black History Month: What to Watch (February 1-14)

Black viewers are noticing the increase in content. According to Horowitz‘s recent FOCUS: Black: Consumer Engagement report, 55% of viewers said that they are seeing more Black actors as lead characters in scripted TV shows. More importantly for distributors, two in three Black viewers say that seeing Black characters and communities portrayed in positive ways positively impacts their decision to watch a show or a movie, according to the report.

While the report shows that viewers are reacting positively to the increase in Black images currently on-screen, Horowitz Research chief revenue officer and insights and strategy lead Adriana Waterston said there’s a desire to see even more diversity and inclusion within those characters and storylines. Indeed, Horowitz reported that 66% of Black TV viewers wanted to see more TV shows and movies that showcase the diversity of the Black experience here in the U.S. 

“This is an audience that in itself is incredibly diverse in a lot of ways, including cultural diversity, religious diversity and lifestyle diversity,” Waterston said. “There are so many differences that can be celebrated, and consumers are now saying that it’s not just enough for the representation of Black audiences to be good in numbers and quality. They are saying, ‘I want to really see myself represented,’ and that requires a level of understanding of the audience and a level of nuance.” 

Shows like Netflix‘s French-produced series Lupin, about a Senegal-born man looking to avenge his father’s death in Paris, and CBS‘s Bob Hearts Abishola — which takes a comedic look at immigrant life in America — have begun to help shine a light on diversity within the African-American community. 

“Current statistics and research substantiate that the U.S. Black population is not monolithic,” said One Caribbean Television president of sales and marketing Mark Walton. “At a time when Black-themed content is in demand, telling the stories of Black immigrants, primarily from Africa and the Caribbean, and their descendants, undoubtedly provides an opportunity to attract millions of viewers, many of whom rarely see themselves reflected in the narrative of being Black in America.”  

Waterston added: “The awakening to the dangers of stereotypical representations that was so damaging for so long has made people become more sensitive to on-screen portrayals. The next phase is not only being sensitive but being inclusive.” ■

New, original programming from Pop TV gives real-life lovebirds the chance to explore relationships and their downfalls.

Originality in programming pays off with its capacity to transfix viewers and captivate an audience.

After all, how likely are you to be able to turn away from a young man who has just found a used pregnancy test in his spaghetti?

Pop TV has mastered the development of inventive and imaginative writing, editing and costume design in its current programming lineup by developing a series of original storylines that are resonating with today’s viewers. 

And those viewers are paying attention. The network has seen rousing success from its first original scripted show, Schitt’s Creek, a riches-to-ragsfamily comedy saga in its fourth season that has reigned as Pop TV’s most-watched original series. The show has seen double-digits viewer increases in all key demographics between each new season. 

Now, Pop TV is introducing a new original comedy program — Hot Date — a collection of 20-minute sketch comedies played by real-life couple, Em and Murph, and their various alter egos.  

What makes the program unique is, yes, the hidden treat in the Pomodoro sauce. But it’s also the fact that the fictional dating couple Em and Murph are played by the real-life married duo of Emily Axford and Brian Murphy who are bringing to life the sometimes sweet, sometimes nauseating, sometimes sidesplittingly funny world of dating.

After seeing wild success from early Hot Date sketches that aired on CollegeHumor.com, Pop TV is now rolling out a full complement of episodes. The series debuts on Pop TV on Nov. 8.

In nearly every element of the show’s writing, editing, costume design and character development, PopTV has managed to combine a unique take on love and relationships. The program delves into relationship foibles that are both cringingly awkward and thoroughly relatable in today’s world of false Instagram friendships, disingenuous how-to beauty vlogger videos, questionable fashion trends and gotcha pregnancy tests.

Through original plot-centric vignettes and storylines, the funny real-life married couple at the center of Hot Date chronicle relationship dilemmas that may be more than a little familiar.

Take the headshaking story about a date who has so fully embraced an over-the-top contoured makeup trend that she looks less like a Snapchat beauty and “more like a dirty sand skeleton,” said her confused date.

Likewise, Pop TV’s original comedic content has shown appeal to both mid- and large-market cable operators through a lineup of edgy, critically acclaimed programs. The show is part of Pop TV’s slate of 400 hours of original programming — such as Schitt’s Creek and the private eye comedy Swedish Dicks — that bookends popular 90’s nostalgia on Pop TV like Beverly Hills 90201 and ER. Other Pop TV programs feature stars such as Keanu Reeves and Jane Seymour and are available on MVPD’s linear and VOD offerings.

As it prepares to debut, Hot Date and the rest of the Pop TV programming lineup is reminiscent of popular programs like Arrested Development or Schitt’s Creek — a raw and unexpected take on the mundane things that make life hilarious.

High-end original programming dominates PopTV’s current lineup.

“We can’t wait for our audience to watch Murph and Em’s hysterical take on the highs and lows of romance,” said Justin Rosenblatt, executive vice president of Original Programming and Development for Pop TV. 

As the centerpiece of the networks’ novel and creative original programming, millennial viewers of both sexes are paying attention.

“Through plot-centric vignettes and storylines, this funny real-life married couple chronicle relationship dilemmas many of us have faced,” Rosenblatt said. “Whether you’re married, divorced, single or celibate, no age range is off limits as this comedy covers the relatable stages of courtship from teen years and beyond.”  

The benefit of inventive programming, like Pop TV’s Hot Date series, is that it tackles issues relevant to what viewers are facing today. The program tackles that head on in the episodes “Contour Makeup Has Gone Too Far” and “How to Tell if You’re a Basic Bitch."

With one week left to make it official, Fox News Channel will run its skein atop the cable new sector to 13 years among total viewers and adults 25 to 54.

Through Dec. 21, the first 51 weeks of Nielsen’s 2014, Fox News has averaged 1.76 million watchers in primetime, including 302,000 in the aforementioned demo, according to Nielsen data. Compared to 2013, those deliveries were even and up 3%, respectively.

They also dwarfed those of CNN, MSNBC and HLN, beating the three of them combined in primetime audience.  MSNBC was second, averaging 590,000 watchers, down 8% from the comparable period in 2013, CNN third with 515,000 (off 9%) and HLN fourth with 335,000 (-15).

In the so-called news demo, all of the other players took hits: CNN dipped 1% to 181,000 of those watchers, while MSNBC shed 17% to 169,000 and HLN 16% to 117.000.

It was a similar tale in total day, Fox News beat the three others together among total viewers, albeit all of the players lost audience.   FNC averaged 1.05 million in the 24-hour measure, down 4%. CNN was second here with 399,000, 3% less than in 2013. MSNBC and HLN sustained 12%  and 13% erosion to 348,000 and 257,000, respectively.

On the demo watch, all four competitors declined: FNC and CNN were off 4% to 214,000 and 126,000. MSNBC was third here, losing 18% to 108,000, barely ahead of HLN’s 105,000, which declined 6% from the stage of 2013.

A further breakdown shows that FNC had the top 14 shows in audience and nine of the top 10 among the 25-to-54 set.

The O’Reilly Factor extended its run to 15 consecutive years in first place in its 8 p.m. timeslot among viewers and the demo and 13 years in a row atop all of cable news with those measures.

The Kelly File (pictured) was the only primetime show in cable to record gains in both viewers (10%) and the demo (6%), versus 2013.

The top five shows: in total viewers: The O’Reilly Factor--2.67 million; The Kelly File—2.22 million; The Five—2.06 million; Special Report w/ Bret Baier—1.99 million; and On the Record with Greta Van Susteren—1.75 million.

The leaders among adults 25 to 54: The O’Reilly Factor—427,000; The Kelly File—376,000; The Five—325,000; Hannity—312,000; Special Report with Bret Baier—304,000.

The latest incarnation of FX's American Horror Story came out of the gate by securing the anthology franchise's largest audience.

"Freak Show" averaged 6.13 million watchers during its Oct. 8 debut, according to Nielsen data. That topped the previous record-holder, the debut of the series' third iteration by 11%, as "Coven" drew some 5.5 million watchers last fall.

Wednesday night's debut also scored well with the 18-to-49 set, averaging a 3.1 rating, up one-tenth from Coven's bow.

The demo delivery was the second best in all of television, behind only the 3.4 for ABC's Modern Family.

TBS’s American League Division Series opening doubleheader averaged more than 4 million viewers on Thursday.

The network averaged 4.1 million watchers on Oct. 2 with its presentation of Baltimore’s bashing of Detroit and Kansas City’s latest extra inning triumph, this time over the Los Angeles Angels, according to Nielsen fast nationals data. That was up 32% from the 3.1 for the comparable day of the 2013 MLB postseason, when the National League Division Series twinbill of Pittsburgh-St. Louis and LA Dodgers-Atlanta averaged 3.1 million watchers in the same windows.

The junior circuit doubleheader, which squared off against CBS/NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football mismatch between Green Bay and Minnesota and ESPN’s college football doubleheader that included No. 2 Oregon losing to Arizona in the late-starting nightcap, delivered a 2.6 U.S. rating, up 30% from a 2.0 mark in 2013.

The ALDS coverage gave TBS night in cable, based on metered market ratings, and drove it to a 25% jump among persons 18 to 49 and 16% with guys of that age.

Game 1 between the Orioles and Tigers averaged a 2.5 rating, up 47% from a 1.7 for Cards-Pirates and 4 million total viewers, up 54% from 2.6 million last year. The telecast peaked with a 3.3 rating and 5.4 million total viewers in the 8:15 p.m. quarter hour (ET).

Locally, the telecast posted a 17.3 HH rating in the Baltimore DMA and a 16.0 in Detroit.

The starter of the other ALDS, in which the Royals prevailed 3-2 over the Angels in the 11th, averaged 4.2 million total viewers, up 20%  from the 3.5 million viewers for the network’s Dodgers-Braves telecast last year. Thursday’s nightcap scored a 17% gain to a 2.7 rating from a 2.3%

 The telecast earned a 30.8 in Kansas City – the highest rating for an MLB game in the market on record  (dating back to 1998) – and an 8.5 HH rating in L.A.