CBS president Glenn Geller finally responded to criticisms regarding the all-white leads in the TV shows that it is releasing this fall. Geller told critics during the Television Critics Association press tour that CBS needs to do better in that aspect.
However, the CBS head said that the network has taken several steps to ensure diversity in the entire cast and crew involved in producing their shows, The Washington Post reported.
According to Geller, while the lead actors in its upcoming fall shows are all white, the crew involved behind and away from the camera show proof of the show's efforts towards diversity. The CBS president made particular note of the screenwriters employed by the studio, as well as of the directors that helm the production of the shows.
He pointed out that more than 50 percent of the directors involved in the shows "Madam Secretary" and "The Odd Couple" are coming from non-white groups. He also told critics that 11 out of 16 actors with regular roles in its upcoming shows are from non-white groups. Finally, Geller emphasized on the casting of transgender actress Laverne Cox in "Doubt."
"[I]n the ensemble casting, we are more diverse this year than last year and that to me is forward progress," the CBS president is quoted as saying.
One critic in attendance brought to light the fact that all executive producers involved in the six new shows are Caucascian. In response, the exec stated that it depends on the shows that the network picks up from pilots. Hence, the roster could be diverse in one season and made up dominantly of only one group in another.
The CBS fall shows are headlined respectively by veteran actors Kevin James, Dermot Mulroney, Michael Weatherly, Lucas Till, Joel McHale and Matt LeBlanc. The casting decisions in these shows contrast with the casting done by its rival networks, the Los Angeles Times pointed out. According to the report, ABC, NBC and Fox have in their slates at least one show that is headlined by a non-white actor.
