Can We Be Broke On TV, Too?

With the fall television season now in full swing, The Huffington Post compiled a list of recession-ready shows the major networks hope will lure you to the telly.

Among them include new shows like ABC’s “Hank,” starring Kelsey Grammer, who plays Hank, a newly laid off and broke Wall Street CEO who returns to his small hometown to reconnect with his family.

I’m a fan of Grammer’s based on “Frasier,” but I vote no on this. Really, Kelsey? The time you spent shooting this could’ve been better spent at the CW headquarters convincing the network to give “Girlfriends” a proper send-off.

Writers could’ve easily written up a timely story about Joan Clayton living in an apartment in Pasadena after the J-Spot went out of business.

In any event, there are other shows out there hoping to earn your interest by appealing to the plight of commoner.

Among them include HBO’s“Hung,” which chronicles the story of a high school basketball coach that becomes a male prostitute in an effort to keep his head above water (feel free to start singing the “Good Times” theme song now). If you’re into confessions of a call boy, run to your neighbor’s house – since they can still afford HBO – and catch up on the episodes via On Demand.

Another teacher turned criminal themed series you can check out is AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” In that series a high school chemistry teacher is forced to take a second job to support his family. But, once he finds out he has terminal lung cancer, he starts his own meth lab to cover their financial future — because you know, 401Ks aren’t worth squat anymore and who can afford life insurance these days?

I’m sure if you’re capable of deductive reasoning you can guess each of these shows are missing one thing: melanin.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of these shows (particularly the latter two), but Black people are broke, too. Shoot, depending on who you’re asking, our recession started before everyone else’s. Can’t we get our own recession friendly show?

And before you even go there, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” doesn’t count. They all act like we can’t tell they’re living caviar dreams on a catfish budget.

Never mind reports that two cast members have faced foreclosures and another is getting slapped with lawsuits from bill collectors; they want us all to believe they live off their money trees.

Despite their lives being as real as Tyra Banks’ hair before this weeks season premiere of her talk show, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” is a ratings winner – proving people of any hue can enjoy a show set in the one of the blackest cities in the country.

There has to be some destitute Cosby series script floating around somewhere.

I’m all for sure shows that speak to the state of the economy, but come on Hollywood, let us tell a tale, too.

Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him on Twitter.