TCA Press Tour: ‘The Cleveland Show’ draws a race line

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Fox has two new shows featuring predominantly African American characters. The star of one series is a former football great. The star of the other series is a white guy playing a black guy.

Mike Henry plays the title character in the latter, ‘The Cleveland Show,’ an animated spinoff of ‘Family Guy.’ Cleveland, a friend of Peter Griffin of ‘Family Guy,’ moves away with his son, Cleveland Jr., from that show’s setting of Quahog, R.I., to start a new life after his divorce. Henry, who also portrayed the character on ‘Family Guy,’ is a co-creator of the series.

The cast, including co-creator Seth MacFarlane, performed a live reading of the show’s third episode in front of members of the Television Critics Assn. Although the other animated black characters are voiced by black performers, no one asked about why Henry was voicing a black character.

Henry said afterward that he grew up with friends of all colors, and that Cleveland’s voice was based on a friend he played basketball with. ‘I get asked about it a lot, but hopefully this won’t be a problem,’ he said. ‘I’m a sensitive person, and I think Cleveland is a very positive person. I know where I’m coming from. He’s a sweet, well-intended nerd.’

But just in case he gets any flak, Henry says he’s prepared.

Said Henry, ‘Black friends have told me, ‘If you get any grief over this, I’ll back you up.’’

-- Greg Braxton