NEW YORK POST, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1999 c-! .... j -. j'l' . . .-... " Sunday .,'------------------------------- By MICHAEL GllTZ o/ii t1.".; hat better timing' for , .," .' '.' CBS.</p><p> The fall season . .,'" '" ~ was marred by on-tar ' .. ( ',":' get complaints from the NAACP and others that net work television is lily-white .</p><p> Despite a few sidekicks of color tossed onto existing series. noth.' ing much has changed.</p><p> And the calls for boycotts have grown more insistent.</p><p> Flying to the rescue is "City of Angels." Steven Bochco's hour long hospital drama set in LA and peopled predominantly by African Americans.</p><p> It arrives just as dramas are flourishing again in primetime. (The show premieres Sunday, Jan. 16. at 8 p.m .. then moves to a permenent time slot.</p><p> Wednesdays at 8.) But if the show's star, Vivica A.</p><p> Fox. has her way, people will soon forget all about the politics sur rounding a series that was in the wurks long before the current controversy . ''I'm trying to turn that whole minority issue into a positive thing instead of a negative," says the beautiful 35-year-old star. "A show's got to be good to last, whether it's black or white.</p><p> I really don't want that to be the emphasi s. because I don't want to turn off any of the audience. "!t·s not just a black show - we've got crossover appeal.</p><p> Myself [and costars] Blair Underwo od and Michael Warren definitely have crossover appeal.</p><p> And we have other nationalities .</p><p> I'm real ly hoping the whole emphasis doesn't become 'It's the black show, the black thing.</p><p> It's black!' " Fox plays Lillian Price, the medical director of Angels of Mercy.</p><p> She's called in to turn the flagging hospital around and get it accredited. driven career woman - "She has no romantic ", life: says Fox -Price is : using Angels of Mercy as a stepping stone to the next stage of her career.</p><p> She also reunites with an old flame. "Lillian used to be engaged to Ben Turner (Underwood ): explains Fox, "but he dumped her three days before the wedding.</p><p> He left her at the altar. "Their lives have reconvened at this hospital, and now she's his boss -which makes for excellent storylines as far as I'm con cerned." Fox -who made her name with strong performances in films like "Soul Food," "Independence Day" and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" -talks with savvy about the importance of a good time slot. "I won't lie to you -at first it made me a little nervous to be on Wednesdays at 8 because most of the shows that come on at 8 arc silcoms.</p><p> I thought it would be on at 9 or 10. "The one thing that's good is it premieres during the winter when most people are at home because of the weather," she says.</p><p> However the early timeslot plays out, a Steven Bochco drama is about as sure a bet on TV as it gets.</p><p> Or is it? "Steven Bocho is the creme de .In "eilY Of Ang'els," Fox plays a ',' driveri,medical administrator - .. who has no love life ·since her ex, , Blair UnderWpod (with Fox, right), ... dumped her three days before "-the weddlng;'Now she's back - as his bciss~~which makes for exceUenl storylines," says Fox. "I'm reilly hoping the whole er:np/1ils.ls doesn't become 'It's the black show; the black thing, .</p><p> It's' blaCk"· < ,<, ~: ~~~~: .'M _tl i~~~: .. ~ ~ . la creme," insists Fox.</p><p> But in fact Bochco hasn't had a strong hit since "NYPD Bluc" in 1993. ("Murder One" was a critical success but lasted only two ycars.</p><p> Other shows like "Public Morals' and "Brooklyn South" disappeared even faster.) Besides, Fox has been on sure things before -most notably thc sitcom "Arsenio," which wns picked as a winner before evcn one episodc had been taped. ,"They were totally hypcd on the ~how , but they gave it three wecks." says Fox. "I don't know what thcy were expecting in three weeks. "'Seinfeld' took four years beforc it hit its stride.</p><p> Hopefully, they'll give 'City of Angels' time to build an audicnce, let them find out when it's on and make it part of their time." Then there was her best sitcom - "Gelling Personal' on ABC. ~ .. -;. ~~,,;, ',' .. '1 '. '.~ f', • :' , ' , .• 4 ',': ..... ' .: ·NEW-YORK POST, .</p><p> SUNDAY ..</p><p> DKEMBER 19; 1999 TVSundav "They moved us to Friday night which is TGIF -everybody knows that.</p><p> They said, 'All you guys havc to worry about is producing good shows.</p><p> We know it's a tough time slot: Thcy gavc us (OIlr wccks. "Thcrc are 110 guarantces.</p><p> I've been on great shows that have been cancellcd, I'vc been on funny shows that havc bcen cancclled. ['ve been on shows that -well, they deserved to be cancellcd" Fox can laugh about it now, but when "Arsenio" was dumped "it was a real big shocker; I was surprised and sad." Still, she was !;Iad to jump at "City of Angels' -cvcn if it meant auditioning, some thing shc'd left behind aftcr shooting to success playing Will Smith's girlfricnd in "Independcnce Day." . "I had to audition .</p><p> Bummcr.</p><p> And my pridc almost kept me from doing ...... it. 'What? I havc to alldition?'· she says in mock dint anger, "It \\'[l!-, a humbling experience, which was a g-f\JUd t 1inrr for me ., 0': that tl;rY'rc in lhc midst of taping episode six, Fox know ~ she made the right decision. "Steven is not "fraid to m"kc women powcrful." she '''Y". "We h"ve women directors and women head writers.</p><p> When I come on the sct, I scc peoplc of color all around me." And she's stretching her acting chops like never before. "Thcy don't sug-arcoat things," says Fox, "which I rcally love - coming from sitcoms where you havc to delivcr almost every line with a smilc.</p><p> J gct t.o sink my teeth into some deep stuff. "In fact:' she confesses, "[ was doing all my lincs with a smile.</p><p> Thcy said, 'Why are you trying to be so nice?' I said, 'Becausc I have to make my charactcr likable.' Thcy said, 'Screw likablc.</p><p> Do it.' I said, 'Okay!'· As far as she's concerned. if the show makes any headway in adding a littlc color to primetime, it will simply be hccausc it's good. "Thc show is so well·written, well dircctcd, and well-acted: says ~'ox, who like most actn'sses has played a hookcr (in "Born on the Fourth of ,July") and e,'cn a "stripp,'r with a hcart of gold" in "Indepcndcnce Day." 61.As an African American woman, " she, says", "roles like this you just don t sec.
