by Diana Black
Stereotyping – Laziness or Necessity?
You’ve written ‘the great’ teleplay – an ensemble cast that’s sure to please everybody, a tight, compelling narrative arc, characters put through hell, the ‘flavor of the month’ genre – sounds great – more power to you, but how many of those beloved characters you’ve slaved over are stereotypes? And if so, why do you deem them necessary – what purpose do they serve?