For the past few years, BET has been working overtime to reform its image. To accomplish this, they’ve ditched many of their raunchy video programs like BET Uncut and replaced them with original programming and scripted shows.
Floating on the success of the revival of The Game, BET has given the go ahead to another show produced by Mara and Salim Akil, the forces behind shows like The Game and Girlfriends, and films like Jumping the Broom and Sparkle.
According to Deadline, the show, titled Single Black Female, “chronicles the work and family life of a Black woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta-based talk show host in the vein of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Single Black Female is just one of the many shows that falls under the deal Mara and Salim Akil signed with the network.
While I applaud BET for sidestepping the reality TV trend and adding more scripted shows to its lineup, The Game’s revival and its dependence on negative stereotypes gives me pause. Hopefully the Akils will use their new show to shine a positive light on black women instead, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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