The post BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES AUDITION PROCESS FOR UPCOMING SEASON 10 RETURN OF HIT SERIES “SUNDAY BEST” appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

The post BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF ALL INSPIRING GOSPEL COMPETITION SERIES, “SUNDAY BEST,” FOR ITS NINTH SEASON appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

Antwan “Big Boi” Patton Sr., Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbi Morgan and RonReaco Lee JOIN THE CAST IN RECURRING ROLES

(Black PR Wire) New York, NY –  – BET Networks announces Season 2 of hit series “The Quad” starring Tony Award winners Anika Noni Rose and Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Premiering Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 10 P.M. ET/PT on BET, the new season also sees the return of stars Peyton Alex Smith, Jazz Raycole, Zoe Renee, Jake Allyn, Michelle DeFraites and Sean Blakemore.

It’s Spring semester and Georgia A&M’s survival as an independent, historically Black university hangs in a precarious balance as the driven Dr. Eva Fletcher (Rose) struggles to raise capital for the nearly bankrupt institution. If she fails, the school may be forced to join Georgia’s large, public and predominantly White university system in order to keep its doors open.

Students protest, allegiances are challenged and friendships are jeopardized as students, faculty and the administration struggle to define their place in the fight while our freshman class also deals with the stress of pledging, hazing, academic probation, post-traumatic stress, hate crime attacks and prescription drug abuse.

An all-star lineup including Antwan “Big Boi” Patton Sr., Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbi Morganand RonReaco Lee join Jasmine Guy in recurring roles. Felicia D. Henderson returns as Showrunner and Executive Producer along with Executive Producer Rob Hardy. Kevin Arkadie and Mitzi Miller serves as Co-Executive Producers.

For more information about “THE QUAD,” please visit BET.com; and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TheQuadBET.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, 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 is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER (formerly CENTRIC), a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.

The post BET NETWORKS REGISTERS FOR ANOTHER SEMESTER OF HIT SERIES “THE QUAD” appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

Each episode will feature a new celebrity guest who will join the guys as they offer an unfiltered look at what men REALLY talk about within their inner circle of male friends. Covering such topics as entertainment, sex and relationships, politics, current events, sports and much more, this no-holds-barred conversation provides a fresh take on black men’s views of what’s happening in today’s culture. Through humor, genuine emotion and heated debate, the panel will discuss their own opinions and experiences, while revealing what it’s really like to navigate the world as an African-American man. Production starts filming in Los Angeles on January 16, 2018 with additional cast and series segments to be announced at a later date.

BET’s MANCAVE is produced by Truly Original and East 112th Street Productions/Steve Harvey Productions. Truly Original’s Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Bryan Hale and Jeff Johnson executive produce. Steve Harvey and Gerald Washington also serve as executive producers for East 112th Street Productions. Steve Barry and Joe Braswell will serve as showrunners.

For a between-commercial-breaks look at the show, plus exclusive clips, log on to BET.com and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MancaveBET.

The post BET NETWORKS UNLOCKS THE DOORS TO BET’S MANCAVE appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is proud to present legendary actor, singer and writer Billy Dee Williams with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” actor Omari Hardwickwith the “Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award;” and actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish with the “Rising Star Award” at the 2018 ABFF Honors. The awards gala will take place on February 25, 2018 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The awards show celebrates individuals of African descent who have made distinguished contributions to American culture through their work, and salutes the year’s best movies and television shows. ABFF Honors was created by American Black Film Festival founder Jeff Friday, to promote camaraderie and a spirit of mutual appreciation among multicultural artists in Hollywood. Actor and comedian Cedric The Entertainer will host the annual event.

The “Hollywood Legacy Award” is presented to a renowned artist whose trailblazing work and groundbreaking achievements, over at least four decades, have inspired generations and made an enduring contribution to film and television. Billy Dee Williams embodies the true spirit of an industry icon and will be the recipient of this year’s award.

Williams has continued to break barriers in Hollywood and distinguish himself as a talented and driven actor, who has been fearless in pursuing acting jobs and has served as a role model for actors of color. As a veteran actor for the past 50 years, his extraordinary resume of work in film and television include Brian Song, Mahogany and Lady Sings the Blues, which have all become classics in Black cinema.

In the 80’s, George Lucas tapped him to play the scoundrel, Lando Calrissian, in “The Empire Strikes Back,” which he reprised in “The Return of the Jedi.” He also played the district attorney, Harvey Dent, in 1989’s, “Batman.” These roles opened a distinct lane for black actors to pursue roles in science fiction films.

He was duly smooth and charming as a love interest for Diahann Carroll on ABC’s, “Dynasty” and also won strong praise for his portrayal of Motown founder Berry Gordy in the ABC miniseries, “The Jacksons: An American Dream.”

Each year, the ABFF Honors “Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award” is given to an alumnus of the American Black Film Festival, in recognition of their career achievement since their debut at the festival. Omari Hardwick has been a continued advocate of the festival and its mission. He was the first host of “ABFF Independent,” a show which highlighted independent films presented at ABFF festivals throughout the years, and airs on Aspire TV. As an actor, musician and poet, his breakout role in the hit Starz series, Power, has catapulted him to superstar status. Past television and film roles include Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls (2010), and BET Network’s Being Mary Jane. Hardwick has been a part of the ABFF family for many years and ABFF Honors is proud to applaud him for his significant accomplishments in entertainment.

Tiffany Haddish is quickly establishing herself as one of the most sought-after comedic talents in television and film. Haddish starred in Universal’s hit summer movie, Girls Trip, alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah and Regina Hall. She will next be seen starring with Tracy Morgan in the new TBS show, The Last O.G and just wrapped production on Universal’s, Night School, with co-star Kevin Hart. Recently, Haddish broke barriers and became the first black female stand-up comedian to host SNL. Upcoming projects she is currently developing include, Limited Partners for Paramount, and The Temp, for Universal, which she will executive produce and star in both.

Haddish’s journey to success has been inspirational to many and ABFF Honors is thrilled to salute her with the “Rising Star Award,” at this year’s ceremony, in acknowledgement of her recent success and future promise.

Award-winning director and producer, Ava DuVernay, will round out our honorary awards for the evening and will receive the “Industry Visionary Award.” This award is presented to a pioneering artist in acknowledgment of their outstanding accomplishments in the motion picture and television industry.

Our 2018 honorees will join an illustrious list of past ABFF Honors celebrants, including actors Denzel Washington, Regina King, Don Cheadle, Diahann Carroll, Queen Latifah, Issa Rae, Terrence Howard and filmmakers and producers Ryan Coogler, F. Gary Gray and Will Packer.

The many high-profile presenters and guests have included Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Ice Cube, Cecily Tyson, Lee Daniels, Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs, Octavia Spencer, KeKe Palmer, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Omari Hardwick and Pharrell Williams, among others.

The event is an elegant and spirited awards dinner, with a presentation of competitive awards and special honors in the following categories: Movie of the Year Award, Television Show of the Year Award (in the categories of Drama and Comedy), Hollywood Legacy Award, Industry Visionary Award, Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award and the Rising Star Award.

In just two years, ABFF Honors has become one of the most talked about Hollywood events, attracting top-tier talent and press coverage in mainstream and African American media outlets including LA Times, Essence, Variety, Deadline, Extra, and The Associated Press. The show had its broadcast premiere on BET Networks.

The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday and Suzanne de Passe for de Passe Entertainment.

The post Billy Dee Williams, Tiffany Haddish and Omari Hardwick Confirmed as Honorees at the 2018 American Black Film Festival Honors appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

BET’s signature drama series, Being Mary Jane, starring Gabrielle Union, is coming to an end. The network has ordered a two-hour movie, which will serve as a series finale. It will air in 2018.

A series finale movie makes for a full circle, giving Being Mary Jane fitting bookends. The series started with a highly-rated TV movie, which drew 4 million viewers for its July 2013 premiere, jump-starting the series, which premiered the following January

The decision to go with a movie in lieu of a fifth-season pickup comes three weeks after Being Mary Jane‘s Season 4 finale aired on Sept. 19. Union, who stars as successful TV news anchor Mary Jane Paul, is set to return for the finale. It is unclear yet who else from the cast will be back, with the movie’s producing team also TBD. For the first three seasons, Being Mary Jane was run by creator Mara Brock Akil who, along with her husband/fellow Being Mary Jane executive producer Salim Akil, left last year for an overall deal at Warner Bros. TV. (They remained as exec producers.) Erica Shelton Kodish, who served as showrunner on the supersized, 20-episode Season 4, which she executive produced alongside fellow new addition Will Packer, recently departed for an overall deal at CBS TV Studios.

“Being Mary Jane has been a landmark series not only for BET, but for African American women around the world who saw themselves in Mary Jane, her family, friends and coworkers. From the captivating storytelling, to the richly complex characters, to the powerful issues tackled on the series, we remain immensely proud,” said Connie Orlando, EVP and Head of Programming, BET Networks. “We are grateful to the cast and creators of Being Mary Jane, who have worked tirelessly to bring this world to vivid life over the past 4 seasons. We also thank the many loyal viewers whose hearts and minds were captured every week, and kept Mary Jane trending worldwide. We look forward to closing out Mary Jane’s journey with a series finale that is sure to blow fans away!”

Season 4 of Being Mary Jane was executive produced by Packer and Shelton Kodish who joined Union, Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as executive producers, with Jeff Morrone co-executive producing for BET, Will Packer Productions and Akil Productions. Korin D. Huggins, Head of Television for Will Packer Prods., oversaw for the company.

While it’s pretty rare because it is an expensive proposition, a few series have gotten a series finale movie to wrap up their storylines. The list includes Hello Ladies on HBO, CSI on CBS and Sense8 on Netflix.

The end of Being Mary Jane leaves BET’s drama The Quad, which is coming back. There has been no renewal decision yet on fellow freshmen Tales and Rebel. BET’s scripted series portfolio recently got a boost with two high-profile transfers from VH1, The Breaks and Hit the Floor. On the comedy side, new BET series The Comedy Get Down premieres tonight.

The post ‘Being Mary Jane’ To End In 2018 With 2-Hour Series Finale Movie On BET appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

Hosted by DJ Khaled and giving special honor to Miami’s own-Uncle Luke-unity was alive and well at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater.

Katt Williams and Big Tigger showed their support for NFL player, Colin Kaepernick‘s protest. Keyshia Ka’oir was there with her jumpsuit wearing the hell out of it, while Tommie of LHHATL was there on her ‘Tommie ish.’ Lil Flip was even in the building holding H-Town down.

Y’all know that I can’t say too much, but I will say Cardi B was the ‘it’ girl of the night, Migos performed, and Fat Joe, along with a few other artists called out 45 for his blatant racism and disrespect to POC.

Catch the Hip Hop Awards Oct 10 @ 8/7c.

In the meantime, peep the photos of the green carpet below.

The post [PHOTOS] BET Hip Hop Awards 2017: Carbi B + Lil’ Boosie + Keyshia Ka’Oir + Migos Attend appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

With elegant decorations, goodies for guests–including cigars– and bite size h’orderves, the fiancee’ beamed all night, as she spoke with media and interacted with guests.

Airing on BET, The Mane Event premieres October 17, followed by a 10-episode series highlighting the couple and their day-to-day activities.

Peep a few photos below.

The post [PHOTOS] Keyshia Ka’oir + Gucci Mane : ‘Toast to the Mane Event’ appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.

The post Secrets World Premiere on BET appeared first on WE SPEAK MEDIA.