People have talked about 'Generations' and its problems over the years. I just wanted to point out the positives. One of them being that it was a major network's first honest attempt to make a soap opera with black characters in the forefront of the story. They were not maids or chauffeurs or domestic servants, but they were in business. The Marshalls had a successful ice cream business that was made with the sweat and blood of a black man, Henry Marshall, despite having a limited education.
Ruth Marshall, Henry's wife, grew up as the daughter of the maid of Rebecca Whitmore. She had a very difficult experience, but she turned that resentment and became an ambitious person. Ruth brought the Whitmore estate, and the problems she faced in doing it, which I thought was a very good storyline, which represented to her that she finally made it big. Vivian, Ruth's mother, was Rebecca's housekeeper who worked for her for years and remained friends ever since. Rebecca's oldest daughter, Laura, wasn't close to Ruth growing up and the feeling seemed mutual.
For me, I liked the way the writers introduced the viewers with voice-overs. Also I like how the characters' backgrounds were shown through the writing. I guess the problem was that people weren't' that excited about a family who owned an ice cream business That would have been more of a plot for a sitcom on primetime than a daytime soap opera. Plus some it its characters could have been more developed in its short run.
All in all, "Generations" is an example of black success on television, even though its overall aim didn't make an impact.
