Gay characters continue to pop up on prime time

December 27, 1996
Web posted at: 6:45 a.m. EST

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

(CNN) -- Is she or isn't she?

That's the question that TV character Ellen Morgan -- and her portrayer, Ellen DeGeneres -- has tip-toed around all season. And while viewers of the show "Ellen" haven't been as tantalized as media watchers, the publicity has turned attention toward the rising number of gay characters in prime time, from friends and teachers to sisters and mothers.

"Somebody had to be gay," says Roseanne of her eponymous show. "I went to all the kids, and they wouldn't do it, but Estelle (Parsons), I kind of forced her, because she's old."

Parsons portrays Roseanne's mother, and she is not alone on the tube. Gay supporting characters have appeared on such popular programs as "Mad About You," "Melrose Place," "NYPD Blue" and "Party of Five."

Chris Keyser, executive producer of "Party of Five," says his show has approached the issue in a very casual way. "Ross, who plays Claudia's teacher, has always been gay," he says. "It's interesting, because we've handled it by periodically telling stories about what it means to be gay and how to handle it, and then frequently just by saying he's gay and it's irrelevant."

These days, gay characters rarely bring advertiser backlash. Jack Kenny, an openly gay writer and producer, says such storylines are seldom seen as risky business.

"If it's safe or offensive, that depends on how it's done," he says. "It can be done with stereotypes and swishy queens, or it can be done, for instance, the way they did it on 'Frasier,' where it was a guy who happened to be gay and it was mixed signals."

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Dr. Frasier Crane is not the only lead character to send mixed signals. On "Seinfeld," Jerry was nearly outed without ever "being in," as he phrased it. "Murphy Brown" buddy Frank Fontana had what he expected to be the story of his life's true love brought to the stage, only to be surprised to see two males in the lead roles.

"This is what we have out there," says Marta Kauffman, executive producer of "Friends." "Look at New York City. Look at Los Angeles. Look anywhere in this country. We may not approve of it, but it's there."

But does the average TV viewer care? Behind-the-scenes gay writers work on many of the top sitcoms and are partly responsible for the increased presence of gay characters. And on "Ellen," a heavy media blitz surrounding the question of the lead character's sexuality has failed to spark ratings.

The farcical "Larry Sanders Show" addressed that apparent lack of interest in "Ellen" when star DeGeneres appeared as "herself" and joked to Garry Shandling, portraying the fictional Sanders, "You know what hurts? All that publicity and we're still getting our ass kicked by 'The Nanny.'"

Though the two shows no longer go head-to-head, Ellen Morgan still remains halfway in, or out, of the closet. But all around her, more and more gay characters are stepping out of the shadows and into sitcom families.

Related site:

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• ABC - Ellen
• Queer Resources Directory - Gay TV This Week (a listing of tv shows with gay themes)

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