ABC's diversity is 'authenticity,' executive say
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - ABC's fall slate includes new series about black, Asian-American and Hispanic families. But calling the network's choices a case study in diversity is to miss the point, said Paul Lee, ABC Entertainment Group president. "It is a mission statement to reflect America," Lee told the Television Critics Association recently. "That's not so much diversity as authenticity when you reflect America." The network has the advantage of strong storytellers, including Shonda Rhimes, the force behind ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal." She's going for a Thursday-night trifecta with "How to Get Away with Murder." The new drama stars Viola Davis as a hard- charging law professor and criminal defense attorney, giving the African-American actress the kind of starring role that TV doesn't often accord minorities. ABC, the home of white-oriented comedies "Modern Family" and ...