All Articles Tagged "tbs"
Does That Make Them Crazy? TBS Greenlights A Reality Show For Cee Lo!
Well, it’s about time somebody did it!
We’ve seen all his eccectric ways in his videos, through his music and, of course, as a judge on The Voice but TBS is finally giving Cee Lo a chance to fully show every aspect of his personality.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Cee Lo Life will, right now, be a six episode series that will follow the rapper/singer as he tries to maintain a very hectic schedule. In addition to his hosting gig, he’s performing, producing and trying to make sure he and the rest of the Goodie Mob can come back together to make good music.
Michael Wright, head of Programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies had this to say about Cee Lo and the show:
“This new TBS series will give viewers the chance to get to know Cee Lo Green, who is without a doubt one of the hardest-working men in show business. The Cee Lo Life is certain to be a smart, fun and funny journey packed with a lot of great music.”
Cee Lo does seem fun and wacky so this will definitely be entertaining.
Cee Lo also has a development deal with NBC to create and produce new scripted and unscripted shows, as has his The Voice fellow judge, Adam Levine.
The Cee Lo Life will premiere in 2014.
Will you be watching?
College At 16, NASA Career, & Reality TV: Moogega Cooper Is A Nerd And Proud of It
You know we love to bring you “first’s” in this “Behind the Click” profile series. We’ve had our first Canadian, first veteran and now… our first TV celebrity. Hands up if you’ve caught TBS’s King of the Nerds! Either way, we’ve got the interview with the only African-American woman on this reality competition, which is gaining speed.
Moogega Cooper just may change your idea of how a “nerd” should look and think. While she may have gone to college at 16 and then worked at NASA as a Planetary Projection Engineer, there is much more than meets the tech eye. We’ve got the inside scoop. Read on to see how this dynamic woman is breaking boundaries and making moves representin’ for the browner, female side of the technorati.
Current Occupation: Planetary Projection Engineer
Favorite Website: xkcd.com “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.”
Favorite Read: It’s not really a book for reading, but I carry around the Diabolical KenKen book everywhere I go!
Recent Read: Eat and Run, Scott Jurek
2013′s Ultimate Goal: My ultimate goal for this year is to have a funded proposal where I am the PI (principal investigator)!
Madame Noire: So, you are from Pasadena! What was it like growing up there? Where did you attend college/grad school?
Moogega Cooper: You know, I say Pasadena is my hometown but I actually grew up in Beverly, New Jersey until I was 11 when we moved to Hampton, VA. I was pretty sheltered growing up so I spent most of my time playing with my siblings or by myself. I attended college at Hampton University where I majored in Physics and minored in Space, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. The program was beyond amazing and that is where I learned my first programming language and worked with real NASA satellite data at 16 years of age. I have so many people to thank at Hampton who significantly contributed to where I am today (Including my main mentor, Dr. James Russell III).
MN: Hurray for Hampton and mentors! But then you even went on to get a PhD. What did you receive your Master’s and PhD in exactly? How did you have such clarity to achieve that by 24?
MC: I received my Master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Thermal Fluid Sciences. I was certain while performing the last two years of my co-op experience at NASA Langley, I was going to study Plasma (the fourth state of matter, not the component in your blood, although Langmuir was inspired by blood plasma when he coined the name to describe this electrical discharge).
MN: Understood. When did you first begin to become interested in technology?
MC: I was always interested in technology, since I was a little girl and was my father’s main assistant when he would remodel parts of the house or performed electrical work. I then became interested in astrophysics after watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos in middle school. We’d rent another cassette each time we visited the public library. From then on, I knew I had to focus on math and science in order to achieve this goal. This is what I keep in mind when speaking to the next generation of explorers. When you have a prize you can affix your eye on, it helps when you feel tired or discouraged. Keep that eye on the prize!
MN: Very true. So from there, how did you obtain your position at NASA?
MC: I went through what is referred to as the “NASA Pipeline” where I participated in educational programs as an undergraduate (Co-Op program) through graduate school (NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship) which allowed me to spend time at JPL where I was able to demonstrate my capabilities. This resulted in an offer as a Post-Doc upon completion of my Ph.D. After contributing more of my efforts and knowledge, I was hired as a full-time employee in 2011!
Should We Call It A Comeback? Vivica Possibly Starring in New Bill Bellamy Sitcom
A new sitcom reportedly starring Bill Bellamy and Vivica A. Fox could make for a big comeback for both stars who’ve been off the A-list radar for a little while now.
Some time ago there was word that Byron Allen’s company, Entertainment Studios, was developing a sitcom for comedian and actor Bill Bellamy to star in alongside fellow comedian Jon Lovitz. According to Humormillmag.com, the show is supposed to air on either TBS or TNT and word is Vivica A. Fox was just offered a starring roll.
The show will be about Bellamy’s character, a potential Hollywood star who ends up in trouble with the law, and is court ordered to do community service which lands him in South Central LA. His character ends up loving the kids that he is supposed to mentor and then he finds himself not wanting to go back to Hollywood. Lovitz will play his agent who is constantly trying to lure him back to the actor’s city. I assume Vivica will be his love interest but her part hasn’t been explicitly stated just yet.
Bill Bellamy is also in talks with CBS for a self-titled show that would air in 2013 so he may soon find his acting card full again. Vivica is also expected to star in three new films, “Queen City,” “Mission Park,” and “Caught On Tape.” Yay for black actors working.
What do you think about Vivica and Bill in this sitcom together?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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For Better or For Worse, Reality Shows Lead the Way in Diversity on TV

The population of the United States is more diverse than ever, but you wouldn’t know it by the TV guide. The number of roles for African-Americans has improved…slightly. There were over 30 Black actors and actresses on the primetime pilots scheduled for last Fall, and sprinkled throughout ensemble casts like Grey’s Anatomy. However, predominately minority casts are few, and largely regulated to cable channels like BET and TBS. For better or for worse, reality television is leading the way for diversity on TV. And that may not be such a bad thing.
Thanks to attractive economics, the reality format has come to rule the airwaves. Reality programming is cheaper than traditional programming in every way imaginable. It requires less equipment, a smaller crew, and fewer paid performers. Networks see reality television as a saving grace to balance the price of programming across their schedule.
Viewers and critics often lament the Black sitcoms of yesterday, complaining that shows like The Jeffersons, Martin, and Girlfriends are nonexistent. But, sitcoms are in decline overall. The popularity of reality television has come at the expense of the sitcom. In 2002-03, reality’s share of the top 10 prime time show audience almost tripled to 63%, while sitcoms’ share declined by more than half to 17%, according to historical data from The Nielsen Company. The television business and viewers’ taste has changed. It’s a safe bet that we will never see the amount of scripted Black sitcoms we had in the 90’s again.
Admittedly, most of reality television relies on well-worn stereotypes of women and minorities to shape its characters. Basketball Wives is not doing the image of Black women any favors. Even in showslike Survivor, minorities aren’t cast positively. Diversity means differences. Differences often stoke conflict, and conflict equals ratings. Watching Bad Girls Club can give one the urge to weep for the careers of talented out of work Black actors; however, is it possible that reality television can uplift, as well as tear us down?
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BET, chef roble, diversity, Girlfriends, Grey's Anatomy, June Ambrose, Martin, programming, reality, Run's House, survivor, tbs, television, the jeffersons, TI, Tiny, trends, TVWhat was Barack Obama Doing in 1991?
Wonder what the President of the United States was doing back in 1991? Well, at one point in the year he was celebrating a great moment in our history.
In 1991, Barack Obama, shot a commercial for TBS celebrating a moment in Black History.
Watch the video of a younger, less gray Obama at Black Voices.com.
Tyler Perry’s “For Better or Worse” is Better
Based on the film Why Did I Get Married, Tyler Perry’s new television dramedy For Better or Worse is scheduled to premiere on TBS Friday, November 25 at 10:00 p.m. And, it just may be worth watching for the Mr. Brown-hating crowd. In an effort to reach a younger audience, the cast features a set of upwardly mobile, educated, well-to-do black folks.
The ensemble is led by Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith, who reprise their roles as Marcus and Angela, still struggling to get beyond their past. Like real married couples, they have baggage; but, instead of running to court, they choose to work through their issues. Within a culture desensitized to divorce, the authentic (otherwise known as dysfunctional) portrayal of marriage is refreshing. Each person is forced to grow and, in their journeys of personal development, the audience sees different dimensions of their personalities. Angela exhibits a more discerning and demure side, and we see Marcus is made up of more than brawn. In fact, Tasha Smith called his character “… a real black man, with restraint” at a recent event for the show I attended.
Not to be mistaken for a stale series of lessons, one of the producers tells us you can also count on Marcus and Angela to bring the funny.
TBS’ Comedies Draw The Largest Black Audience of Any Regular Summer Programming
(Target Market News) — Some programs may be finding it difficult to keep their regular viewers interested in re-runs, but not TBS. The popularity of Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” rolls on through the dog days of summer, and are the only regular fare that’s attracting nearly two million black viewers. Other programs that appeal to the younger members of the household are also enjoying some attention.
TBS Becomes New Hub For Black Comedy
(News One) — In a TV world with The Cosby Show as a distant memory, TBS has quickly become the home of minority-driven comedy. Actors of various ethnicities are found on the broadcast networks and the biggest of the cable outlets, often playing characters in ensemble dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy — although some (such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which stars Laurence Fishburne) cast nonwhite actors in leading roles.







