'The Game' stars Tia Mowry Hardict, Pooch Hall to leave BET series

Tia Mowry Hardict and Pooch Hall, the stars of BET's comedy "The Game," is leaving the series.

BET said the stars, who play a couple on the sports-flavored series, will not return for the sixth season as regular cast members.

"As a result of Pooch's involvement on a new project, BET is in the process of reworking the casting and storyline of the show," said a statement from the network. "That said, we hope both Pooch and Tia will make several guest appearences. While we miss the incredible adventures of Melanie and Derwin on 'The Game,' we appreciate all of their hard work, the laughs and wish them both the best in their future endeavors."

"The Game," the cable network's most popular series, premiered to record ratings on BET in January 2011. The series had been canceled by the WB in 2009, but BET's revamp of the show gave it new life.

Hardict said she will continue to appear with her identical twin sister, Tamera Mowry, on their Style Network reality series, "Tia & Tamera."

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PHOTO: Tia Mowry Hardict, left, and Pooch Hall in "The Game." Credit: Paul Abell / PictureGroup.

 

 

BET's 'The Game' scores but can't match last year's ratings mark

BET last January was the envy of the TV cable world. The network targeted to African American viewers had nabbed record ratings for the debut of "The Game," the comedy about the women behind the players on a fictional San Diego football team.

The season premiere last year topped 7.7 million viewers, making it the top-rated ad-supported sitcom broadcast in cable history.

"The Game" returned for its second BET season Tuesday, but while it performed impressively, it failed to match that record. The show drew 5.3 million viewers. The viewership was still a boost from the season finale last year, which reached 4.4 million viewers.

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Photo: Cast of "The Game" at Hollywood premiere Jan 11. Credit: Gina Torres

TV This Week for Nov. 27 - Dec. 3

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 in PDF format

TV listings for the week of Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 in PDF format (from latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv)

Weekly TV Listings and more can be found at: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

This week's TV Movies

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SUNDAY

Now departing on Track 1, the “2011 Soul Train Awards.” Cedric the Entertainer is your host; performers include Natalie Cole, Common and Cee Lo Green; and Gladys Knight and Earth, Wind & Fire receive career honors. (BET, 9 p.m.)

So he got the boot on “DWTS”; that’s just part of “Being Chaz.” The transgender son of Sonny Bono and Cher is profiled in this new follow-up documentary, followed by the similarly themed special “I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition.” (OWN, 8 and 9 p.m.)

MONDAY

Ladies, if a stranger approaches you and says he can help you launch a lucrative career as a fashion model, it’s probably an offer you can and should refuse … unless you’ve just been “Scouted,” like the young women featured in this new docu-series. (E!, 10 p.m.)

TUESDAY

There goes the judge: Bill Pullman (above) is one seriously imprudent jurist in “Scott Turow’s Innocent,” a new made-for-cable mystery movie based on the novelist’s sequel to his bestseller “Presumed Innocent.” Marcia Gay Harden also stars. (TNT, 9 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY

After the season premiere of “Hot in Cleveland,” it’s the debut of “The Exes.” “Scrubs’” Donald Faison, “Seinfeld’s” Wayne Knight and “3rd Rock From the Sun’s” Kristen Johnston star in this new divorced-themed sitcom. (TV Land, 10 and 10:30 p.m.)

Since 'Cosby,' diversity's not a laughing matter on family sitcoms

BET''s comedy "Reed Between the Lines" fits comfortably within the safe cookie-cutter mold of the traditional family sitcom — successful parents with adorable kids tackle the daily challenges of life and resolve them in 30 minutes, minus commercials.

The show's upbeat tone reflects "The Cosby Show," the 1984-to-1992 program built around an African American family that helped revive the sitcom genre a quarter-century ago with a smart and gentle mix of humor and poignancy.

But "Reed Between the Lines," which stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal-Warner, is also an unexpected pioneer these days — it is one of a handful of prime-time shows centered on a family of color.

Despite hundreds of TV channels, the popularity of the groundbreaking "The Cosby Show" and subsequent series featuring minority families such as "My Wife and Kids" "George Lopez" and "Ugly Betty," ethnic families are still a rarity on the small screen today.

Why hasn't TV more accurately reflected the diversity of America? For more on this trend, read this feature.

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— Greg Braxton

Photo: Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal-Warner star in BET's "Reed Between the Lines."

Credit: Kathy Willens / Associated Press

 

'The Mo'Nique Show' not so precious any more at BET

This post has been corrected. See note at bottom.

"The Mo'Nique Show," BET's late-night series hosted by Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique, is history.

The show will not resume production in the fall and has been put on "indefinite hiatus," which is often industry-speak for "canceled." New episodes will air for the next two weeks, and will be followed by repeats.

"Mo'Nique Hicks and 'The Mo'Nique Show' are important to the BET Networks family and we look forward to continuing our relationship with her," said a statement from BET.

The series premiered with great hoopla in 2009, the same year Mo'Nique played an abusive mother in "Precious," for which she won an Oscar. But ratings for the show have fallen off in the last several months.

[For the record, 6:34 p.m. Aug. 1: This post originally said that Mo'Nique won her Oscar in 2009. The ceremony was in 2010.]

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-- Greg Braxton   

Photo: Mo'Nique Hicks. Credit: Hicks Media

Chris Brown and Justin Bieber drive BET Awards '11 to big ratings

Sunday's broadcast of the BET Awards '11 scored  huge ratings for the urban-flavored network, attracting 7.7 million viewers and registering as the second-highest-rated show in BET history.

The ceremony, which was hosted by Kevin Hart and featured musical performances by multiple-award winner Chris Brown, Bruno Mars and Alica Keys, along with appearences by Justin Bieber and Gladys Knight, came in second in ratings to the 2009 ceremony, which honored Michael Jackson, who had died a few days earlier, and scored 10.7 million viewers.

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-- Greg Braxton

Photo: Chris Brown with two of four BET Awards he won Sunday. Credit: Jason Redmond / Reuters

BET's 'The Game' ends season on a winning note

 
 
"The Game," BET's football-themed comedy about the women involved with the players of a fictional San Diego football team, scored sizable ratings in its season finale.

Tuesday's episode drew in 4.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

The series, which stars Tia Mowry Hardict and Wendy Raquel Robinson, broke records in its season premiere in January when it attracted 7.7 million viewers, making it the highest-rated ad-supported sitcom broadcast in cable history.

BET acquired "The Game" after three seasons on the CW, which yanked the show from its schedule in 2009 due to low ratings.

-- Greg Braxton

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Photo: Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Tia Mowry Hardict, Pooch Hall and Brittany Daniel of "The Game." Credit: Paul Abell / Picture Group

 

 

Wendy Raquel Robinson of 'The Game' wants to play with Charlie Sheen

Details are still sketchy on what Charlie Sheen plans to do on his upcoming live My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option tour, but Wendy Raquel Robinson of BET's "The Game" is already game. She wants to hit the road with him.

Robinson, who plays sassy manager Tosha Mack on the comedy, tweeted, "Just got an offer to go on tour with Charlie Sheen. What y'all think?"

Actually, Robinson is jumping the gun -- she has not received an offer or even been in touch with the fired "Two and a Half Men" star. But a representative for the actress said she would love to appear on the tour as her "The Game" character and wants to let it be known that she is available.

"She's thinking outside of the box," said the spokewoman.

What do you think of Robinson's offer? Should Sheen take her up on it?

— Greg Braxton

 

 Photo: Wendy Raquel Robinson. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

 

Tweeter's Digest: Celebs tweet about Japan and other kinds of disasters

Tweeter's Digest rounds up the events of the week as seen through the Twitter feeds of TV personalities. Over the last few weeks, the main topic that united celebs was Charlie Sheen.

This week began with horror and sympathy for the people of Japan dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. But attention also wandered to "Jersey Shore" star the Situation (@ItstheSituation) and his disastrous turn in the Donald Trump roast, "Glee" star Harry Shum Jr. (@iharryshum) was one of many to puzzle over the rise of viral video star Rebecca Black, and "American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) announced the first Nirvana song performed on the show.

And just in case you were missing Charlie Sheen, "The Game" actress Wendy Raquel Robinson (@IamWendyRaquel) tweeted that she received an interesting offer from the self-proclaimed warlock...

 

 

More Tweeter's Digest after the jump.

'The Game' and Record Ratings Make a Winner Out of BET

 
 "The Game," the comedy about the women involved with the players on a fictional San Diego football team, was a loser when it aired on the CW. The ratings-challeged comedy failed to expand its viewership beyond a devoted fan base and was canceled in 2009.

But a revival this month of "The Game" with the original cast has been a big-time winner for Black Entertainment Television, the urban-oriented cable network that has been criticized since its launch in 1980 by critics who said it perpetuated negative black images and fell way short of being an all-inclusive venue for contemporary African American culture.

More significantly, "The Game," along with its companion romantic comedy "Let's Stay Together," has been a game-changer for BET, ushering in a new positive era for the network after years of controversy and setbacks. Executives say they are capitalizing on the success of the two comedies, using them as a launch pad to develop several more scripted series.

For more on BET's new direction, read here.

---Greg Braxton

Photo: The cast of "The Game (l to r): Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Tia Mowry, Pooch Hall and Britany Daniel

Credit: Paul Abell/Picture Group 

 

'The Game' still a winner in second week on BET

"The Game," the former CW series which scored a winning return on BET last week with new episodes, maintained its momentum in Week 2 despite a slight drop in viewership.

The comedy about the women involved with the players of a fictional pro football team attracted 5.9 million viewers on Tuesday, down from last week's viewership of 7.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Still, network executives were extremely pleased, particularly because the cable network targeted to African American audiences is making an ambitious move into scripted programming.

The news was even more encouraging for "Let's Stay Together," BET's new original comedy paired with "The Game." That series nabbed 3.5 million viewers, down less than a million from last week's viewership of 4.4 million.

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-- Greg Braxton 

Photo: Coby Bell, from left, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Hosea Chanchez of "The Game" Credit: Jeff Christensen / Associated Press

 

 

'The Game' scores a ratings touchdown in return on BET

"The Game," a comedy about the women involved with the players on a fictional San Diego football team that was yanked off the CW schedule last year due to poor ratings, staged a triumph Tuesday when it returned with new episodes on BET, scoring the top-rated ad-supported sitcom broadcast in cable history.

The series return attracted 7.7 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Co. The episode also ranked as the second-highest rated broadcast in BET history, behind the 2009 "BET Awards."

Executives at the network decided to resurrect "The Game" when they noticed the popularity of episodes that had previously aired on the CW. The new version of "The Game" features the original cast, including Tia Mowry and Wendy Raquel Robinson.

BET was also celebrating the initial audience reception to "Let's Stay Together," a relationship comedy paired with the game. That series, which has Queen Latifah as one of its executive producers, attracted 4.4 million viewers.

The new comedy block marks BET's most ambitious move into original scripted programming. The cable network targeted to African Americans has specicalized in reality shows, music-related series and music videos.

— Greg Braxton

Photo: Tia Mowry of "The Game." Credit: Frederick M. Brown /Getty Images.