City of Angels

Not the first to attempt an hour-long drama with a mostly minority cast, this series looks like it might be the most successful of those that have attempted. The main action takes place in a Los Angeles hospital with a lack of adequate funds. Blair Underwood and Viveca Fox are the main players, and do a great job of getting into character. I've only seen two episodes, so there hasn't been enough time to flesh out the characters more. However, I think what the series is trying to do is amazing, and I commend it. I think it is a sad state of affairs that an attempt has to be made to include more minorities in other shows. "City of Angels" is and will be an example for others to follow. I hope it stays on TV for a long while. If you have a desire for something different and closer to reality, check this show out. Other shows with all-white casts are quite unrealistic. Life is not all-white, and this show exemplifies that fact. I look forward to learning more from and about the characters in "City of Angels".

We watched the first two episodes and enjoyed it very much. The series creator Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues) has created many good series and City of Angels is very promising. Blair Underwood "Dr. Ben Turner" has a "love - hate" relationship with Vivica A. Fox (Why Do Fools Fall in Love) "Dr. Lillian Price." The plot and script so far are good! I like the series also because it is giving a change to ethnic minority group actors a change to shine. I hope that the series will bloom and glow!!!!

I watch this show every week and I will say it will be a great injustice if this show gets cancelled! For the entire hour, I am completely captivated! I find myself laughing, gasping, damn near crying sometimes because of the depth of the story! "ER" might want to take a few pointers! I just love the way the writers have put Lillian Price and Ron Harris in this powder keg! You can just tell in the upcoming episodes that there is going to be some s**t between those two! I'm rooting for my girl Lillian! Ron Harris needs to learn some humility! YOU SEE HOW CAUGHT UP I AM IN THIS SHOW! CBS better recognize and renew this show for the fall season! If CBS can keep a sorry and miserable show like "Chicago Hope" on for another long and boring season, then they have to come correct with "City of Angels"!

This hospital drama was not given a chance to grow. That is the problem with TV programming today: years ago, shows were given time to be seen and perhaps, improve. It's amazing that any TV series stay on longer than a month these days, because advertising dollars have come to account for more than quality programming. This was not a bad show. However, it did have some strikes against it. Some of the plots appeared to be the same old standard ones that always crop up in hospital dramas (but then the show wasn't on long enough to see if it would branch out). Also, the majority of the principal characters were African-American, and it is a sad fact of American TV that audiences and TV executives are more comfortable when African-Americans are being funny than being serious. You would think that by this time there would be as many African-American TV dramas as there have been comedies, but it hasn't happened yet.

I'm on the soapbox: City of Angels, Blair Underwood, Vivica Fox and Hill Harper never should have been cancelled.

The first problem is that it aired on CBS which is known as an anti-African-American network. WHY it started on CBS, I don't know! I worked as a consultant with the Legal Dept of CBS and I agree, they are NOT friendly to Blacks.

The second problem is that it did not run long enough to establish good ratings.

March 13, 2005, TVOne (Directv and Comcast) starting the series. It ran for about 7 weeks. It's June 1st and near the end of May, City of Angels was replaced with another program.

What can be done? Go to tvoneonline.com and look for the tab 'contacts'. Write the Chairman of the Board and the VP of Programming and Production. They are at their corporate headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Let them know how you feel about cancellation of a superior program.

I agree with all the good comments on this board by those who watched and liked the program. Hooray!!! for your good words.

Anytime a program portrays Black America in a position of leadership, good role models, influence, wealth -- the program gets cancelled.

Let's face it, the TV media is a powerful tool designed for White America. So as long as the networks can perpetuate Blacks singing, dancing, popping one's fingers, shaking one's tail-feather and playing cards, then they'll continue to do that to make us look bad.

We have enough 'Showtime at the Apollo' and too much 'Tom Joyner'. And the religious programming is a side show: nothing Christian about it.

Yet, we gladly accept the racist, ignorant programming because "at least they made it on to the TV". Oftentimes, THAT can be used against us. And just putting ANYTHING on the TV and accepting it because they are Black is not good enough. Poison is poison and all of this jive, and finger popping and card playing is poison to young (and OLD) minds.

Blacks can do more than sing and dance. And City of Angels presented a positive choice. It was thought-provoking.

I worked in a similar hospital in Los Angeles (Watts) and could relate to City of Angels. I understood exactly what the problems were and could relate.

My comment is that I liked the show and I'd like to buy it on DVD, CD, video: whatever media is available.

But guess what! YOU CAN'T GET IT ON ANY MEDIA!!!!!! Now how's that for swatching a terrific program. Pretty terrible that it can'be be purchased, rented, nothing! If they were white (Chicago Hope), I'll be we could buy it.

I guess trash sells. Look at BET.

Janet Thropp