How do you feel about how basic cable networks & premium cable network handle it?
About the same.
There have been some exceptions but most of them do the typical "Tease it but never fully embrace it." Unless I see Kristin Bell or someone like that attached to it, I know not to expect a happy ending for them, if they even get one at all. Cable and premium are still largely at the beck and call of these out of touch advertising and marketing oldheads that have their own views on the matter of BWWM relationships. Only in the last few years have they even embraced the idea of a leading black male that women want to be with beyond mere fetishist bs and stereotypical thug/athlete/rapper roles. I don't even want to get started ranting on this because as a blerd, we are grossly underrepresented in media and when we do get roles, it's the minor support techie stuff and usually it's a black woman with a white male love interest. Even if the character isn't a blerd, they aren't permitted to just be an average Joe/Jamal. It's either the usual typecasting or bad writing that makes the couple fall flat.
I'm rambling, back to the question.
Network and basic television: BMWW usually have zero shot of anything real long term or the show gets canceled right when it looks like the couple could be for real.
Cable and premium cable: A bit more willing to take chances with the freedom they have as far as content ratings but it's rarely ever well written or even a good couple that stands the test of time. Again, there are exceptions but there are far fewer than most would care to admit.
Streaming exclusives: I appreciate Netflix so much. I'm pleased that black men are allowed to be leading men and not typecast into the same damn archetypes and roles. I don't even like anything attached to Shonda Rhimes but I was in the rafters clapping because of
Bridgerton's success. One of their most popular titles ever and it's about a black duke with a white girl, getting her pregnant and the world didn't burn down.
The Letter for the King (even if that ending had me hella salty, that just felt like a twist for the sake of it and trying to be too clever; "How can we be non cliche?"), that French Christmas movie,
Stranger Things,
Bird Box (even if it didn't end the way I liked, he was allowed to be soft spoken but strong, something black male leads don't usually get unless they're a dangerous drug dealer),
Lupin, and on and on.
Hulu is taking steps so I can't even hate on them but Handmaid's Tale is just a step.
...We don't talk about Prime...that's the cousin at the cookout who showed up even though you didn't invite him. He's harmless but he offers nothing, just sits there talking and smiling and trying to get you to come to his house and watch the game on his new TV with him. He's not a bad person so you can't just tell him to shut up, leave, etc. But he's not your favorite cousin.
Disney+ is a joke and I say that as a former Disney kid. Marvel is saving their asses right now.
