First off, let me point out that I am a white male who grew up in East-Cambridge, MA. It was a very multicultural neighborhood. SO as you can imagine I had plenty of multcultural friends. As a child I loved to watch shows like The Jeffersons, Good Times, Cosby Show, In Living Colour, etc. These were all good shows. But some were criticized becuase they were too stereotypical and oddly some were criticized for not being "accurate" enough. Such as the Cosby Show. I used to ask my friends why can't people make up their minds? Do they want Black people portrayed as ghetto gang bangers in movies like South Central or like high society annunciaters (white people in black people's bodies) like the Cosby Show? They usually looked at me and laughed. After all how do you answer such a Sociological-Philosophical question. Well, anyways, then in the mid-90's came the WB and UPN networks. At first their shows stunk like FOX did in the late 80's and most of the 90's. And then they found their audience! Young people in Urban areas. My kind of neighborhood. At first I jokingly called them "Average Black People Shows". But that sounded ambiguously racist so now I say A.B.P.S. LOL!! They're basically Shows Like Moesha, Parkers, Sisters, which starred Brandy and Diana Ross's daughter (name escapes me). And several others which names I forgot, but they starred Robin Givens, Alfonsa Rivera, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and other African Americans from TOP NBC, CBS, and ABC shows from the 80's and 90's. At first it was GREAT to see them working again, but then it got weird. After all some of the shows still stunk. Mostly the writing and obvious cheap budgets. I mean just look at Homeboys in Outer Space!! Although, I liked others such as the Parent Hood which should STILL be on the air today!! I guess what I am trying to say is I like One on One. It is a good show. It is one of many of those A.B.P.S.'s that are on the air today on the WB and UPN early in the week. Both networks have improved ALOT these past 2 or 3 years and so have their programming, writing, budget and actors are great. Keep up the good work Flex and never do anything like Homeboys in outer space again!! It wasn't
