By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Nov 6th 2010 9:19AM
Filed under: Careers, Dr. Boyce Money
I spend quite a bit of time running in and out of the NBC headquarters. The last time I went through the studio, I couldn't help but notice that there were quite a few black people staring at me. They were not real human beings actually, just photographs of them. One was a larger-than-life picture of Blair Underwood, the actor who stars in the new NBC show 'The Event.' There was also Boris Kodjoe, the man who will always be about 8,000 times better looking than I am. In case you're wondering whether I am jealous, the answer is a resounding "yes." I am a officially a serious 'hater.'
I was impressed that NBC made such a massive investment in two shows featuring prominent African American men. I was hopeful that this would continue the trend toward something big. The buzz around the shows in the black community was deafening, and I especially noticed a great deal of discussion surrounding Kodjoe's new show.
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The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
This fall, the major television networks have stepped up their game by casting handsome black men in a slew of new shows. From veteran actors to sexy newcomers, there's eye candy for everyone. Blackvoices.com gives you our picks of the Hottest Black Men to Watch on TV this fall.
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BlackVoices.com
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
This fall, the major television networks have stepped up their game by casting handsome black men in a slew of new shows. From veteran actors to sexy newcomers, there's eye candy for everyone. Blackvoices.com gives you our picks of the Hottest Black Men to Watch on TV this fall.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Robbie Jones
Show: 'Hellcats' on The CW
Premiered: Sept.8
Where We Know Him From: For 18 episodes, the 'Hurricane Season' bad boy starred as Quentin Fields on another CW drama, 'One Tree Hill.'
Why We Think He's Hot: Because we didn't get enough of him as the basketball hunk on 'One Tree Hill,' we're excited to see a different side of him, this time as a male cheerleader and the main character's love interest.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Blair Underwood
Show: 'The Event' on NBC
Premiering: Sept. 20
Where We Know Him From: This chocolate heartthrob got his start on 'L.A. Law' and in the cult hop-hop classic 'Krush Groove.'
Why We Think He's Hot: We've been dying to see the NAACP Image Award winner running the show, and he's sure to show us who's boss when he plays Mr. President on 'The Event.'
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Mehcad Brooks
Show: 'My Generation' on ABC
Premiering: Sept. 23
Where We Know Him From: He was a scene stealer on 'The Game,' 'Desperate Housewives' and most recently 'True Blood,' but the Austin, Texas native's sex appeal drives us wild.
Why We Think He's Hot: This Calvin Klein underwear model has consistently impressed us with his hunky small-screen presence, so much so that we're not surprised he was chosen to play the show's former jock who heads off to war on 'My Generation.'
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Morris Chestnut
Show: 'V' on ABC
Premiering: November 2010
Where Do We Know Him From: He played the beloved character Ricky Bell, who was tragically shot and killed in the 1992 John Singleton flick 'Boyz N The Hood.' Chestnut also starred in 'The Best Man,' 'Half Past Dead,' 'Two Can Play That Game' and 'Not Easily Broken.'
Why We Think He's Hot: It's been two decades since he burst on the scene but we still get joy from watching this lovable, strong black man on any screen and seeing him as Ryan Nichols on 'V' fighting for a life with his fiancé is a great new role for the California native.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Jesse Williams
Show: 'Grey's Anatomy' on ABC
Premiering: Sept. 23
Where We Know Him From: After appearing in 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,' this Temple University-educated cutie had a recurring role on the short-lived ABC Family series 'Greek.'
Why We Think He's Hot: Since Isaiah Washington got the ax, the show has been lacking in black male doctors. We're even happier that Williams' character, Dr. Jackson Avery, is now a series regular.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Flex Alexander
Show: 'Blue Bloods' on CBS
Premiering: Sept. 24
Where We Know Him From: It's been four years since this Harlem-born former hip-hop dancer created, produced and starred in his own UPN sitcom, 'One on One.'
Why We Think He's Hot: This brotha is a great fit alongside big names like Donnie Wahlberg, Tom Selleck and Bridget Moynahan, and he's sure to add some depth to this highly anticipated cop drama.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Shemar Moore
Show: 'Criminal Minds' on CBS
Premiering: Sept. 22
Where We Know Him From: The Oakland-born stud is best known as Malcolm Winters on 'The Young and the Restless,' a character he portrayed for nearly a decade. He also did stints as the host of 'Soul Train' and in Tyler Perry's 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman.'
Why We Think He's Hot: There's nothing sexier than an intelligent black man, and we're looking forward to watching Moore's character, special agent Derek Morgan, solve more complicated crimes like he's been doing for the past five seasons.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Mekhi Phifer
Show: 'Lie to Me' on Fox
Premiering: Nov. 10
Where Do We Know Him From: Since his star-turn and feature film debut in Spike Lee's 'Clockers,' the NAACP Image Award nominee made us root
for him for a few years as Dr. Gregory Pratt on the NBC drama 'ER.'
Why We Think He's Hot: There's no doubting this Harlem native really has the talent for television. And, we're thankful he's not some happy-go-lucky sidekick, instead he stands his ground as an opinionated FBI agent named Ben Reynolds.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
Terrence Howard
Show: 'Law & Order: Los Angeles' on NBC
Premiering: Sept. 29
Where We Know Him From: Since bursting on the scene as the sexy troublemaker Quentin in 'The Best Man,' the Chicago native starred in countless acclaimed films, most notably 'Hustle & Flow,' which earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Why We Think He's Hot: Though he's made us love and hate him on the big screen, we're looking forward to seeing him weekly as Deputy District Attorney Jonah "Joe" Dekker.
The 20 Hottest Black Men To See On TV
You can imagine how surprised I was to find out that NBC cancelled Kodjoe's show this week. Before you could say the words, "What's this show about?" They yanked it out from under him, like a skateboard being pulled from under an 8-year old kid. Just as quickly as his career shot through the roof, it suddenly went from 60 to zero in 10 seconds flat.
I've never understood these networks and their inability to even give a show a chance before they kill it. I was speaking last night to an actress from the TV series 'Soul Food' (Malinda Williams, who played Bird) at our
event on black relationships at Columbia University. One of the interesting points Malinda made during our conversation is that there does not appear to be much space for black actors and actresses to express their talents. I personally mentioned how I love seeing Tyler Perry create opportunities for African American actors and actresses that they would normally never receive. I am most appreciative of the fact that these opportunities aren't going to be taken away from the actors in just a couple of weeks. Concepts need time to develop.
Related:
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Chris Tucker?
+
Jesse Jackson vs. Soledad O'Brien: CNN's Lack of Black Anchors
The career path of the black actor or actress is not for the faint of heart. You're at the top of the world one minute, and on the chitlin circuit the next. Rather than simply developing more black folks who are able to provide the on screen talent, we should also develop those who can provide the behind-the-scenes talent, like producing, directing, etc. Most importantly, we must find additional mechanisms to open doors for the financing and distribution of African American films. If we are the ones providing the money to get movies made, we can then become the ones who green light our own ideas. That would allow good black productions to properly and patiently evolve, and create more sustainable opportunities for talented black actors like Boris Kodjoe.
I didn't get a chance to watch 'Undercovers' before it was cancelled. Now I'm glad I didn't. Right after I'd invested the emotionally energy necessary to become connected to the characters, the show would have been gone. I won't get so excited the next time something else comes out, since I just don't want to get my hopes up.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
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Comments: (75)
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By: BUNNYFACE on 11/06/2010 9:43AM
Now wasn't that the problem, people "black people" didn't watch the show. It's been on for nearly 6 weeks, where were you??? We can't really complain now case we?
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By: ooozzzzz on 11/06/2010 10:19AM
Wow, why do we keep doing the same thing to ourselves over and over and over again?
Quote from article: "I've never understood these networks and their inability to even give a show a chance before they kill it.....don't blame the networks...blame Black folk who continue to not know what they want yet compliain about not having this ir that.
The inability to look ahed into the future. Not being able to see the big picture and stop accepting the short term of believing that Black actors cannot get outside of the ordinary Black "mode" of comedy sitcom atmosphere and stand alone in a different genre of television entertainment.
Comments from a previous post like “It really didn't have a plot to it. I got confused a couple of times with the leading lady character and their assistant; they favored too much"....." Show was boring... and they casted 2 "pretty but not very talented" leads. That lead actress lacked a certain passion & fire as well....WTF and I say again, What in thr fuck are you are you talking about?
Instead of looking at the big picture the premise and direction of the TV show and the plot line (they are CIA spies and Black people are actual spies in real life) instead the concentration is on the lead actress that many viewers automatically have a dislike for and scrutinize simply because she is a unknown in this country and not someone that is a already well known American Black actress who is a fan favorite...in other words "just hatin' on the girl because viewers think that somebody else should have played the lead actress alongside Boris Kojoe...and for that reason, people chose not to watch along with a plot line that is not traditionally "Black"....this is so childish and immature and just another example of crabs in a barrel pulling each other down and now the cries will be heard again about "we don't have any Black dramas on TV that represent us" yet when we get one, you don't freckin' watch it but bitch and complain about it when it does come around and that why the corporate Hollywood machine does not consider these Black dramas shows viable and puts them on TV every once in a while because they believe (and they have done their extensive research) that at some point Black folk would get a clue and support a Black TV drama know but in the back of their minds, they know also that the Black community will probably not watch and totally screw it up....ad that's why they keep feeding us comedies and Blacks as c0-stars of side kicks because we are just so stuck...."The Game"....Anything by Tyler Perry...."Girl Friends" etc.... or anything else Black with a comedic edge becauce we watch religiously but will holler and scream like babies breast feeding if they pull those of the air.....You see, if "Undercovers" was a comedy starring the same two Black leads, it would have not gotten pulled but since we continue to feed the stereotype of our own culture to others believing that we cannot do any better and can't see ourselves "outside of our box" portraying other characters (in this case, CIA) spies in an action/drama series with two leads that are multi-lingual in culture & languages (they both speak 4 different languages) and have diverse backgrounds and are not from the hood" we can't relate and as for the female lead, ladies, let's just be honest, y"all hated on her from day one for no apparent reason only because you did not know her, she was paired with the "handsome and fine" Boris Kojoe when you wanted someone "that you know" to be the lead opposite him...Who did you want?..his now wife who played opposite of him in "Soul Food"?...would that have worked?.....Come on people...Get your head out of your asses! Goddam y'all are shallow, small minded and petty.
And if many would crack open a history book, google and do some research, this is not the first time that a Black actor played a spy on TV. Bill Cosby played a CIA spy on the popular TV series "I Spy" from 1965 to 1968 during the end of the Jim Crow era and it was his big break into television away from comedy.
And because we ct change and because of your hatin' and still not knowing what we want, say goodbye to the African American action drama on TV anytime soon...so don't bitch about not having anything now on TV to watch besides comedies because y'all have once again (and proved it yet again to the TV networks) fucked it up for at least another decade.
We have got to do better.
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By: vdog on 11/06/2010 1:11PM
BLACK FOLKS better read the tea leaves. They are telling us BUILD YOUR OWN AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN LIKE OTHERS WHO CAME TO THIS COUNTRY LONG AFTER YOU. PLAYTIME IS OVER.
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By: darrell eason on 11/07/2010 1:00AM
@ooozzzzz, I so agree with you, and have been watching black people (us) do this for years. Even in Hollywood movies, a brother or sister make a feature film, and we don't even support it (financially). I think that is appalling, and we wonder why there is not decent and positive images of black people, in film or on television. I would say we, but I really can't, because I have never been that way. If a black project comes out, I am there. Years ago I remember when Malcolm X came out, and can you believe I was the only brother in the theater? And it was packed; I was privileged to over hear a few conversations, and they were thought provoking and intelligent. I have never forgotten that experience, and I was truly ashamed of my brothers and sister, they couldn't even show up; WTF.
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By: Ronald T. Jones on 11/08/2010 2:49AM
Bravo, Ooozzzzz! I couldn't have put it better myself. I'm sure if more blacks supported the show it would not have gotten pulled. It's interesting that most of the longest running black shows on TV have been comedies. Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Jeffersons, etc. But non-comedies with black leads, that truly broke the comedy mold tended to be shortlived. Who remembers MANTIS, with Carl Lumbly? It came out in the early nineties and it featured the first black superhero...non-comedic black superhero. It didn't get past the first season. Yet, a host of black comedies appeared on the same network as MANTIS, and those shows lasted longer than they deserved, thanks to black support. Undercovers wasn't a perfect show, but it was good enough to keep me interested. It's a shame that it had to be cancelled, yet avoidable I'm sure, had it received black support.
Oh well, at least there's Meet the Browns or House of Payne...
Oh no!! Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
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By: Just Me on 11/15/2010 4:48PM
All you said is true! Now if they can bring back The Game and Friday Night Lights, get out your pens and write the network, twitter, facebook, go viral and have 'em bring back Undercovers. Get rid of Gerald McRaney and the sidekick character that alledgely slept with his wife and write better more convincing story lines. I can believe they are spies but get more interesting stories where they are doing some spy work with james bond type of plots.
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By: Lady I AM on 11/16/2010 4:10AM
Speak for you ownself and not every other black person out there. I didn't watch the show because I don't like knock offs, which is exactly what this show is. I much rather watch Burn Notice on USA. How many black people did you survey to get your sterotyped information? I don't expect black people to watch a show just because black people are on it. Nor do I clump every black person in one bunch and essentially call them ignorant, narrow minded, self loathing, uncultured idiots just because they don't do what I believe. So you're right we have to do better and by that I mean stop buying into sterotypes about black people.
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By: Sidthe Kid on 11/06/2010 10:39AM
Its like we have taken a couple of steps back. The plot story was so uninteresting. It was like someone said lets take Mr and Mrs Smith and make it into a TV show where can that go. How long can the story line last? I mean they story of every episode was going to be the same " they have to get out the mess that was created" We know if it aint the season finale, sweeps week, or the series finale everything was always going to be perfect in the end. That is the reason why girlfriend was so successful a different problem every week. Even black movies have taken turn people complain about Tyler Perry but his movies are not all Blaxploitation. And focus on educated black people and address the real struggles going on in black communities. Sometimes we need to look at that instead of make judgements.
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By: Shell on 11/06/2010 12:32PM
I loved the show. It was wonderful to see two intelligent, beautiful Black people in love and dedicated to their jobs and each other. I am very, very disappointed in NBC for canceling this show. The Event sucks! I am going to send an email to NBC about this. The only other thing that NBC has that I watch is football.
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By: Shell on 11/06/2010 12:57PM
Sidthe, I read your comments but I disagree with you. First of all, one Black show cannot be everything to everyone. It seems that you wanted the show to "address things going on in Black communities" I think that you are missing the point. This sounds like the same sort of argument that people had with the Cosby Show.
It sounds like you feel that you can't relate to their lives so you were not that interested in the show or the plot. How many White shows do you watch and enjoy but the show has no reflection on your life? Why does a Black show have to be a reflection on "Black life"? What is that, anyway?
We are all different so one show could never represent us all and, what is wrong with variety? What is wrong with escapism? What is wrong with a Mr. and Mrs. Smith plot line with characters who happen to be Black?
We need more shows that deal with Black life period. The canceling of this show will make sure that we have less shows on television period.
It is nice to see Black faces on television not in the "usual characters". How can we tell our children that they are as good as anyone and they can do anything but we hold on to these antiquated stereotypes of what Black people should do and be on film and television?
Let's look at Tyler Perry. I'm not fond of Madea. There, I said it. I don't break my neck to see any of those movies and definitely not the plays. Tyler is trying to move past that buffoonery and put more legitimate movies out. He still has a way to go but he is getting much better.
We gave him a chance. I wish more people gave Undercovers a chance.
One more thing; I believe that the relationship that was displayed in the show was conceived because of the relationship that we see between our President and the first lady. Their relationship gives me hope. We need more of that in this world that we live in.
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