CBS cuts actresses despite promotion

The networks have been criticized for being too white.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Lourdes Colon doesn't sing or play an instrument. She's an actress with only one professional credit. But until recently, Colon was counting on making her Carnegie Hall debut earlier this month.
That's when and where CBS executives introduced their upcoming fall prime-time lineup. The unveiling was part of a gala weeklong presentation to advertisers in New York by broadcast TV networks vying for upfront purchase of commercial time on new and returning shows.
Colon had visualized walking across the Carnegie Hall stage as a new member of the CBS family. Her hopes were boosted after executives, impressed by her performance at a CBS-sponsored showcase for Hispanic actors and actresses last October, signed her and another showcase participant, Veronica Diaz, to exclusive talent deals binding them to the network. Novice performers are rarely signed to such agreements.
Recruiting minorities
The showcase, like other network-hosted forums, was part of an effort by the four major networks to recruit more minorities in front of and behind the camera after years of criticism that the landscape of network prime-time TV is too white.
In addition to Colon's and Diaz's being positioned as prime contenders for roles on one of the 18 comedy and drama pilots developed for the fall season, CBS -- the only broadcast network last season without a minority in a lead or co-lead role on a series -- heavily promoted the actresses, publicizing their deals and making them available for interviews during January's gathering for national TV writers in Los Angeles.
But when the casts of the CBS lineup finally schmoozed with advertisers, Colon and Diaz were not among them. Despite the hoopla, numerous auditions and interviews, neither actress scored a role on any of the CBS pilots under consideration or in the five new series picked up for the fall season.
Their deals are scheduled to expire this month.
Shortfalls
The inability of Colon and Diaz to win regular roles underscores the shortfalls of the minority showcases held over the past few years by the networks. Although dozens of black, Asian-American, American Indian and Hispanic showcase performers have received increased exposure and representation through showcases, and several have been cast as guest stars on "The Practice," "My Wife and Kids" and other series, none has won a role on a major network prime-time series, one of the primary objectives of the showcases. Only a few have landed recurring roles on current series.
Instead of the showcases, the networks have largely turned to more seasoned minority performers to make their casts more diverse. Blair Underwood ("L.A. Law") and Sharif Atkins ("ER") star in new NBC dramas "LAX" and "Hawaii," respectively. Eva Longoria ("Dragnet") is one of ABC's "Desperate Housewives."
Still, despite their disappointments, Colon and Diaz are anything but disillusioned or discouraged. Both say they are grateful for opportunities they believe they wouldn't have received without the deals, and both remain convinced that stardom is just around the corner.
"There'll be plenty of other chances," said Colon, who lives in Burbank, Calif. "A lot of these shows will be recasting or looking for recurring characters. This is not the end. The door is definitely not shut."
In fact, the same week that Colon performed in the showcase, she won a guest role as an anguished immigrant mother on "Without a Trace," a CBS series. The show's producers are submitting the performance for Emmy consideration.