As the summer heat begins to cool and we switch from shorts and tank tops to knits and scarves, TV lovers everywhere are looking forward to the new Fall lineup. This year continues the trend of revivals (“Melrose Place” makes a comeback) and promises a new crop of reality shows and medical dramas (“Mercy” and “Trauma”). But shows featuring all-black casts still prove to be a rarity.

Only two shows featuring majority African-American casts will be running this Fall, and they’re both on FOX. The sitcom, “Brothers,” staring retired NFL player Michael Strahan and Darryl Mitchell playing semi-biographical roles will premier in September. And the animated “Family Guy” spinoff, “The Cleveland Show” will feature the voices of Sanaa Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Reagan Gomez-Preston. Although these shows look promising, they further highlight the lack of primetime shows that feature mostly Black casts.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of black faces popping up on network shows this Fall (and thankfully, not just on Reality TV!). Sexy rapper-turned-actor LL COOL J fronts the new cop drama “NCIS: Los Angeles,” while Courtney B. Vance and Delroy Lindo both star in primetime dramas. Anthony Anderson, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Ice-T all return to crack cases in Law & Order and Law & Order SVU respectively. But gone are the shows that showcase complex Black storylines and leads (hello, “The Game”). Where is the new “Girlfriends” or the revival of “A Different World?” Wouldn’t it be great to see a new crop of Black students dealing with college life at a HBCU? (Anyone who’s ever lived in a dorm knows this would provide must-see DRAMA!)

Remember when Thursday nights were IT? In the 80s, it was all about “The Cosby Show”/ “A Different World” one-two punch. In the 90s, FOX ruled Thursday nights with “Martin,” “Living Single,” and “New York Undercover.” But lately, the only way Black girls like me get to see themselves on TV is through reruns on TV One. And that’s just not enough.

What Black shows would you like to see revived?
What are you looking forward to watching this fall?

b. danielle has been blogging since before it was cool. In 2000 she launched, whoucallinabitch, a site that aimed to challenge stereotypes about black women by giving them a platform to express their views. She finds herself wearing many hats (mommy, writer, teacher), and will write about being Every Woman on her blog, Black Girl Swagger.

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