So maybe the jokes on BET will slow up a little bit after the success with the premiere episode of their new sitcom “The Game”. BET’s new sitcom “The Game” (a CW sitcom picked up by BET after its cancellation in 2009) premiered Tuesday night to 7.7 million total viewers which makes it the highest-rated show in BET history and one of the biggest premieres in cable history.
I grew up in an era when BET was full of nothing but bad tv shows, bad host, and bad actors. The only bright spot was “Rap City The Basement” and somehow they managed to screw that up too. But thanks to BET’s new management and new blue chip show “The Game”, there maybe hope for the next generation of African American TV watchers to see some decent programming.
The debut success of the game is huge for a few reasons:
1. The 7.7 million viewers makes it competitive with huge established broadcast sitcoms (30 Rock, Cougar Town)
2. Its give BET a blue chip show that allows the network to attract major ad campaigns
3. BET was able to capture a demo that was desperately looking for a TV that represented them. This demo was and still is grossly underserved.
P.S.: BET, please don’t find some crazy unimaginable way to screw this up….. PLEASE…. I’m begging you. Thanks.