Networks Setting Up Diverse Shows for Failure: A Phenomenon

In the midst of the garbage fire dumpster world we're living in at the moment, one good thing that came out of this year's Pride Month that I'd like to talk about was the renewal of the critically acclaimed show, One Day at a Time, which had been cancelled by Netflix earlier this year. ODAAT has found its new home on PopTV, in which episodes will air weekly instead of Netflix's binge-watch style.

If you've never heard of One Day at a Time, you are missing out. Based on the the 1970s sitcom of the same name (and produced by the same person, too!) ODAAT stars a Latinx family of color living out their lives, essentially one day at a time. With the rare combination of hilarity and poignancy, ODAAT manages to make you laugh even when you're crying; being fearless with tackling of modern social issues such as immigration, gun control, and LGBT rights inside a tightly scripted comedy that keeps you simultaneously entertained and educated.

Pitch and The Get Down: Stop Cancelling, Start Watching

Hey guys! Long time no see! I know I said I would be writing more during summer, but unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to sit down and do just that, so today I'll be talking about something I've wanted to talk about for a while.

I'm sure you've all heard the news - after only one season at Fox, Pitch is no more. Fans had been waiting for months for potential news of a renewal, only to be let down by Fox, because they're Fox. The same goes with Netflix's The Get Down - set in the late 70s, the drama followed the rise of disco and R&B in the poor parts of the Bronx. (I've always wanted to review The Get Down on here as a separate entity, but alas, the show got cancelled before I could.) Both shows ended ambiguously, and both shows, despite having excellent writing and cast chemistry, were cancelled before their time. Something else they had in common? Both featured casts that contained mostly actors of color.

Marvel's Luke Cage, 1.06 - "Suckas Need Bodyguards"

Warning: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED.

I've fallen behind in my binge watching of Marvel's Luke Cage, but today I decided to procrastinate even more by watching season 1, episode 6. Also, I said in my last review that I was most likely reviewing The Flash next, but clearly I was wrong. Let's get started.

If you don't know Marvel and its usual content, let's just say Luke Cage is a stark contrast. Marvel is known for generating vanilla movie after movie, 2-hour long films that mildly entertain us. But that's just it - they're merely mildly entertaining, and we move on. They're also known for being extremely boring and un-diverse in their casting choices - many of which I still personally want to fight the studio execs for. Casting a white woman to play an Asian man in Dr Strange? Really, Marvel, really?