Scene:
"Dammit, House, you've got to lose some weight!"
"I know, dammit!"
"Well, dammit, your family relies on you. Your precinct needs you. You do so much good, House. Why can't you do something good for yourself?"
"I'm trying, dammit!"
"You've been trying since Police Academy 5, House. Dammit, House, I love you. Why can't you see that?"
"I love you, too, Angela Bassett's Character. We'll make this work, dammit. I promise you."
I mean, c'mon. Let's see an actual (non-comedy) show dealing with a character's weight issues (I think The Commish did this for a bit). Things like rookies making remarks behind your back about "throwing your weight around" or "everybody pulling their weight" and the real-life drama of every day problems.
Harkening back to my pilot for "Homeboys back in Time" (a blatant and intentional exploitation of the short-lived "Homeboys in Outer Space"), where I dug up Waldo Faldo for my potential co-star, I can sleep safely at night knowing that if Cornell/Ph.D-ness doesn't work out, I can at least write scripts that create roles for the black actors of my childhood.
It's interesting that I agonize over Ph.D research but have absolutely no doubt in my ability to write thought-provoking and original (dammit!) television programming.