It’s the end of an era. After three decades, BET and Debra Lee are parting ways. The face of the network announced she would be stepping down as chairman and CEO. However, beyond becoming a cultural reference, the duo often dimmed the light of BET as an entity of its own (as caricatured by the infamous Boondocks episode). Debra Lee’s farewell may be the perfect opportunity to craft a new image to the beloved network. Sparked by a Twitter wave of possible new shows, here is our take on the New BET – the BET we need.
What started as a breaking news ended in a Twitter frenzy. After a viral tweet, Debra Lee’s departure sparked ideas of shows and programs.
Somebody get in there and shake shit up. I want cooking shows, home improvement, action, drama, comedy, a separate BET Kids channel. We need variety. Not baby boy on repeat 24/7 https://t.co/sbsrmgUnHn
— erynn (@ervnnnn) May 24, 2018
Inspired by the audience, here are 10 shows we would like to see.
The cookout
Self-explanatory but needed. A cooking show where each host reminds you of your grandmother and her secret pie recipe, your drunk uncle in charge of the barbecue, or your aunt with the killer potato salad. The concept is simple: home recipes, brought to you, to make sure you are the star of your next cookout.
Jukebox
Remember when BET used to be the hub of the culture? We are bringing that back with Jukebox. An hourly random selection of music, from top charts, new talents, slow jamz and party sounds. Just like a jukebox, you never really know what you might get, but you are sure to find something you like.
The Skit
All of the new talents seem to break through Instagram and it’s time to turn the tables. No need to go through a number of 1mn videos and follow 20 different people to get your laugh for the day. Every episode, a series of short skits to finally give our new talents, the platform they deserve.
Business of Style
From the racks to the closets. From the sketches to the stitches. From the photographs to the runaways. The business of style is about every aspect that makes the fashion industry. Every episode, one professional from every field and one aspiring creative who shadows them. At the end of the season, you vote for a duo and the winners join forces to create one final project.
Black Card
The expression became a cultural reference. For once, instead of debating hours on which celebrity we are taking the black card from, let’s turn the lingo into a positive. Black Card is an entertainment game. A number of topics, and questions, from Music to Politics, about our culture. Either you lose your black card, or win enough cash to aspire to a Mastercard black card.
Behind The Scenes
You read it in the shade room, you heard it on the latest diss record or you saw it trending after a TMZ reveal. Whatever the case might be, celebrities rarely get the chance to decide what’s out there. Behind The Scenes give our favorite A-Listers the power to choose and tell. One celebrity, one place of their choice, one story they have yet to tell. For once, get to see them how they choose to be seen.
The Block
Sharing a neighborhood is like sharing a distant relative. BET The Block is a show of family, travel, and discovery. Our culture goes beyond what the mainstream media portrays it to be. Every episode discovers the wonders of our diaspora with a new city, a new host, and a new culture highlighted.
BET Mogul
Word to DJ Khaled: major cloth alert. Think shark-tank but for black entrepreneurs. Giving a shot to small black businesses as a way to put our money where it is needed. Here is the difference, if the jury does not choose a candidate, the public gets to donate to their favorite. Everybody wins. A sure way to support our future moguls. Diddy who?
Sound Academy
There is a new talent show every other day. But how often do we watch, cheer for a candidate, to only see our favorite never make the cut when we know- for a fact- is above the roaster? Too often. Remember when Kanye thought (for once we could all agree with him) that Beyonce deserved the award but Taylor Swift still got it? You get the picture. Sound Academy is here to bridge the gap. From the music to the production, to the engineering- everything is crafted by a number of candidates, all runner-ups in their lanes. The difference? You don’t have to worry about the politics of looks, audience or vote.
BET Rewind
BET already does that, maybe way too much. Once they start playing a classic, you know you will get to see it for the next month – every other day. Well here, you choose what you get to see. A list of classics, whether shows or movies will be available on the website or on social media platforms. You vote with a click and a hashtag and the one that gets the most votes gets played. Here is the catch, once a movie is played, they can’t be run again unless the whole roaster has. Way to watch your favorite classics, without ever getting tired of them.
