8 New Specials and Series to Launch This Fall on BET
NEW YORK, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- This fall, BET brings viewers a plethora of new, original series and returning favorites:
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ORIGINAL SERIES
HIP HOP VS. AMERICA
Premiering: Part I Tuesday, September 25 at 8PM*
Part II Wednesday, September 26 at 8PM*
Part III Wednesday, September 26 at 9PM* on BETonBlast.com
Hip-hop culture and controversy have always made for familiar bedfellows.
Yet, in the wake of the Imus controversy, hip-hop finds itself under an
exceptional amount of scrutiny. BET NEWS takes a powerful and compelling
look at the state of hip-hop today in a three-part series titled HIP HOP
VS. AMERICA. Hosted by BET's own Toure and Jeff Johnson, this special
showcases a candid, heated forum that will allow audiences to hear the
opinions of prominent leaders in the hip-hop industry, the political
realm, academia and the Black church. Hip-hop recording artists Nelly,
T.I., Mike Jones, MC Lyte, Master P. and the legendary Chuck D; top
journalists Keith Boykin, Diane Weathers, Jeff Chang, Farai Chideya, Kim
Osorio and New York Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch; filmmaker and
cultural critic Nelson George; Judge Mablean Ephraim; former video vixens
Melyssa Ford and Karrine Steffans; music executives Valeisha Butterfield
and Benny Boom; ministers Conrad Tillard, Pastor A. R. Bernard; professor
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; and Reverend Al Sharpton lead the lists of
outspoken panelists who take the stage and share their point of view on
hip-hop.
SUNDAY BEST
Premiering: Tuesday, October 2 at 8PM*
Building on the success of Celebration of Gospel, BET introduces SUNDAY
BEST, a nationwide search for America's next great gospel singer. Hosted
by platinum-selling artist Kirk Franklin, BET's SUNDAY BEST will scour the
country at storefront churches, parishes and mega-churches looking for the
best undiscovered singers in America. Grammy Award-winning gospel
superstars Bebe Winans and dynamic singing duo Mary Mary will judge the
contestants each week while also nurturing the talented singers. The top
five finalists will be coached by artists from the gospel and secular
worlds as they strive to win the SUNDAY BEST title. The winner will
receive a recording contract, a Toyota Camry, as well as cash and prizes
for their home church.
EXALTED!
Premiering: Tuesday, October 2, at 9PM*
BET takes a look into the complex lives of inspirational leaders in this
biography series profiling ministers from around the country. Some of
these strong religious figures lead mega-churches, advise the President,
and comfort the sick and destitute. BET's EXALTED! goes beyond the public
image to reveal the human side of these men and women to discover why they
chose to follow this path, what sacrifices they made and the struggles
they've encountered along the way.
COLLEGE HILL: INTERNS
Premiering: New night! - Tuesday, October 23 at 10PM*
Following the success of COLLEGE HILL 4, the highest-rated series in BET
history, COLLEGE HILL: INTERNS, an exciting new spin-off, will follow 10
college students from around the country who move to Chicago to
participate in a summer internship. While juggling their professional
responsibilities and late night partying, these college students will
learn the harsh reality of what it means to hold down a job. Dr. Ian
Smith, host of BET's MEET THE FAITH, serves as their advisor.
RETURNING SERIES
BOBBY JONES GOSPEL
Premiering: Sunday, September 9 at 9PM*
BOBBY JONES GOSPEL continues to be one of the highest-rated and longest-
running shows on BET. This hour-long program, hosted by popular gospel
entertainer Bobby Jones, gets viewers in the spirit with gospel artists
and choirs from around the country. Watch the show and be blessed!
AMERICAN GANGSTER 2
Premiering: New night! Wednesday, October 3 at 10PM*
Narrated by award-winning actor Ving Rhames, the critically acclaimed
AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for a second season with 10 all-new episodes
chronicling the life and times of some of African-America's most notorious
crime figures. Some of this season's profiles include Larry Hoover, The
Black Philly Mafia and Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, as well as an exclusive
interview with Frank Lucas, the real-life character that Denzel Washington
portrays in the upcoming film "American Gangster."
BET HIP-HOP AWARDS 2007
Premiering: Wednesday, October 17 at 8PM*
More than a musical style, hip-hop is a history of American culture and a
testimony by its artists of their life experiences. BET shocked "Hotlanta"
on November 15, 2006 with its first HIP-HOP AWARDS, which drew a whopping
3.64 million viewers (2.93 rating) and was the #1 primetime telecast in
all of cable television that night. This year's HIP-HOP AWARDS will be an
electrifying homage to the genre of hip-hop, and viewers won't want to
miss the off-the-hook performances and appearances by the biggest names in
the game.
KEYSHIA COLE 2: THE WAY IT IS
Premiering: New night! Tuesday, October 30 at 10:30PM*
The sophomore season of the hit reality series documents the life of
platinum-selling R&B songstress Keyshia Cole. In KEYSHIA COLE 2: THE WAY
IT IS, BET takes viewers on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey of
Keyshia's personal growth and challenges, including her efforts to rebuild
an already strained relationship with her mother.
For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit BET's press-only Web site at http://www.bet.com/pr
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 85 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, a service venture into the lucrative world of ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
**ALL TIMES ET/PT
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Source: BET Networks
CONTACT: Tracy McGraw, +1-212-846-7879, tracy.mcgraw@bet.net, or Tosha
Whitten-Griggs, +1-310-481-3812, tosha.whitten-griggs@bet.net, both of BET
Networks
Web site: http://www.bet.com/
