Single Black Female Pilot Coming to BET

February 15th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

BET seems determined to make it’s mark in the scripted sitcom genre with husband-and-wife team Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. The network has given the couple the greenlight for a new pilot titled, “Single Black Female,” which is expected to air in August.

The premise of the show is a look at the work-family balance of a single, black woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta talk show, similar to The Ellen Degeneres show. There’s no word on who will play the role and what other aspects of the woman’s life will be featured, but from these details, it sounds so far, so good.

The series is a part of a major production deal Mara and Salim, who produce and direct ‘The Game,” signed with BET in May which includes several pilot commitments. Mara is also behind the recent remake of Sparkle, starting Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks, and Salim directed “Jumping the Broom.”

I have to say with the way “The Game” has been going this season, I’m not super excited about this series, but with a new show comes the chance to learn from mistakes and approach things from a different angle, and hopefully they will.

What do you think about Mara and Salim’s work so far? Can they make a show on a single, black female a success?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Hhalto

    They stole my idea. . . .LOL!

  • Jason d

    BET needs to just go off the air…. The last thing the world needs is another urban show about a single mother who’s 15yr old son “Raheem” cut school to get “Shaqueefa” from the 3rd floor pregnant…

  • http://www.facebook.com/zzdaddy0 Stephen Kwasi Sutton

    They have a black couple making a show about a single family. Why is it so hard to portray the black family as whole, or is that to much for From BET. Yes I know the reality in single family living but that struggle is nothing like funny nor does it have any positive aspects to a child growing without a complete family. Bet shows no love for the black family in my view.

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  • IDC

    How about “Married Black Woman”? I’d watch that. Isn’t the glorification of the “Single Black Woman” one of the things that hurts the AA community?

    • Netdandri

      So let me guess. You don’t watch Reed Between the Lines or Let’s Stay Together, but you say you would watch a show called Married Black Female? I’ll bet you would…

  • Smacks_hoes

    I watch the game only out of habit rather than really wanting to see it. Iran it’s ok but I’m sure it’ll nvr be the same again. I also watch let’s stay together because it’s ok as well. Other than that I will nvr watch bet. Those stupid movies that they recycle over and over literally make me cringe!!!
    i.e baby boy, the orange juice in south central movie with the waynes bro’s, boys in the hood, beauty shop, etc The lost goes on.

    • Netdandri

      Lol @ Orange Juice in South Central

  • Netdandri

    I think the show sounds like a good idea. Thank goodness for BET keeping black scripted shows alive.

  • Gmarie

    Can they change the name? I hate shows with a limited premise ie: 2 broke girls. will they be broke forever? Will this black female be single forever?
    aside from that…haven’t we had this “single black female” mantra drilled in our heads enough in the past few years? I don’t want to see this depressing madness, I want to see black love and black families! 

  • Freebee33

    @google-889bbf0637bc92915743c072d41df348:disqus, There already is a show with a healthy and successful black family on
    BET, ‘Reed Between the Lines’ and a reality show “The Family Crews”

    I personally don’t get why people are so adamant about hating BET…I
    mean, lets really look at what networks are primarily putting out
    garbage (VH1 I’m looking at you). In the past BET has had it’s fair
    share of trash TV but it really has cleaned up it’s act quite a bit. The
    whole “BET is the devil” argument is tired. At least BET is trying to break away from negative reality shows.

    As far as this new show, I probably won’t watch don’t really like The Game that much not really my taste anymore. Now if they come up with a well written supernatural or sci-fy show, I’ll be there for that lol.

    • Kim3473sf28

      My friend just met a black man on Mixedmingle.COMit’s where for men and women looking for interracial’ship for a fabulous lifestyle
      It’s a nice place for black white sing’les, to interact with each other…no bounds or extremes in front of true love.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kayla.esbjorn Kayla Ancrum

    BET is a horrible channel.
    They don’t show anything but crap and black people behaving badly.  I’ll never let my children watch it.

    • Freebee33

      Just curious…can you give recent examples of the crap you are referring to?

      • http://www.facebook.com/kayla.esbjorn Kayla Ancrum

        Well we can start with Basketball wives.

  • Lorenzo

    The GAME is LAME, what happened?  There is no substitute for good writers

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  • GUEST

    Is there casting call information?

  • NikkitaMichelle

    I think everyone who watched the Game when it was on the CW loved it.  I am a major fan and have been somewhat disappointed with the show now that it’s moved to BET.  I know they had to slim down their writing team quite a bit to make the show more affordable for BET, but the writing is what made us fall in love with show in the first place.  Although I’m disappointed, I will continue to watch the show in hopes that it will get better.  The fans got the show back on the air, maybe the fans can get them to hire back the old writers.  Are you listening BET?

    • Tiredofthebs

      I’m so sick of this attitude that some of us have about what ppl think. I’m not living my life to impress, or prove anything to anyone. There could and should be plenty of positive Black women in the media, and with the first lady, Oprah, and Dr. Jennison in the media, proves that ppl see what they want. We really have to stop letting stigmas and opinions of others as if it’s scripture. Just like you see Hillary Clinton, you see the character Kelly on the Game, but ppl will still look at them like two different types of White women. Yeah, I obviously am aware of how things are different for us, but this not let them see us act this way mentality is keeping with a slave-like mentality

      Like it or not, there are countless single Black females, and instead of worrying about us being portrayed as negative, did anyone ever consider that this show could actually portray us in a positive light, and address issues like how some Black men won’t date us (calm down if this does not apply to u), or how a Kelly type character will get a good man over an educated Black woman, or how many are beautiful, educated, yet still are single.

      Since we’re so concerned of what ppl will see, consider that they may actually begin to understand why so many Black women are single, instead of believing bs in the media.

      • Smacks_hoes

        I dont get what this comment has to do with anything?? And why do you think black men won’t date black women? I don’t see how you can say that. Just because black male celebrity’s date different races of women doesn’t mean real black men (noncelebrities) follow that same trend. On the daily basis I see black guys walking around with their black girlfriends all the time. Occasionally I see a black guy with a white girl but it’s rare and when I do I get so excited. Interracial couples are so sha to me. I’m just saying that black men do date black women all the time. Maybe you just had bad experiences with them

      • NikkitaMichelle

        Not sure why your comment was in response to mine?  But be blessed regardless.

      • IDC

        FYI, I’m a black man who loves black women. There’s no other type of woman I’d rather be with. I’ve dated outside my race before, but my experiences with black women have been the most satisfying. Of the thousands of black men that I know (friends and family), I honestly say that I know of only one brother who prefers white women and he has major issues. However, I do know 5 black women who only date white guys and only have hurtful, racist, ignorant things to say about black men.
        Don’t believe what you see and hear on TV. The idea that black men are tripping over themselves for white women is a false notion propagated by Hollywood, and insecure people on both sides of the racial and gender divide.
        If you can’t find a good black man, you’re probably looking in the wrong places.

  • LisaLuvless

    Agreed with both previous commentors.
    The last thing BET needs to do is put on more shows about nothing. The only undertone to all these shows are “black ppl aint shi’. That’s what I get from watching The Game the dynamic completely changed up on BET. Its like Tyler Perry started writing for the show now.

  • Pharaoh Corner

    Smh like we need mor eshows like this with the ” single mom nonsense” <
    I hate you BET. Can we have some sitcoms where there is a family that is intact and prospering……..I hate you BET, I hate you viacom,

    • Netdandri

      What are you talking about? Are there not hundreds of thousands of single parents out there working their bottoms off at with and at home in reality? My mom was a single mother, too, and she was a very positive inflence on my life. Can they not have a show from the single black motherhood perspective just like they have from the perspective of two parent homes? (Because there are series already out showing 2 parent black families, too, but we find things to complain about with those series a well, and we don’t support those shows the way we should.)

  • Pahleeze

    I havent watched BET in so long hun I wouldn’t know who was on what! The Game is a huge disappointment