I say could b/c that brings me to my morecontroversial point. Is Taye on that show b/c he’s “safe,” “familiar,” not-so-black? Lawd, I’m sounding like Paul Mooney or a Panther unfrozen from a Romulan stasis field, but as one who, through my novels’ rights negotiations and other dealings, got a taste of the TV industry (basic cable, network), I had to put that out there. Plus the sisters are angry, per usual, that Taye’s girl isn’t one of them (which mirrors his real life). If dude who did Barbershop–and the Fantastic Four–were directing, we’d see a whole new and fresh angle, but that brings us full circle back to one of the issues in yur post. I don’t see this show getting much of a following.

PS–at the risk of being a blog whore, as promised we have you on the galley list for The Darker Mask from Tor books. I just completed my story (about Darfur)and edited Walter Mosley’s. We have four artists. Unfortunately, Doug Braithwaite bagged at the last minute. http://www.natturnersrevenge.blogspot.com