BET Renews ‘Boomerang,’ ‘American Soul’

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

BET Networks has renewed its freshman series Boomerang and American Soul, the company said Tuesday.

The Lena Waithe and Halle Berry-produced series Boomerang -- an updated version of the 1990s film of the same name --will return for a second season, said the network. The show’s first season will conclude April 9.

American Soul, based on the rise of the iconic music and dance program Soul Train, stars Sinqua Walls (Power, The Breaks), Kelly Price (Grammy-nominated singer), Jason Dirden (Greenleaf) and Iantha Richardson (This Is Us). The season finale of the series airs tonight (April 2).

“BET Networks is thrilled to partner once again with the creative visionary Lena Waithe on Boomerang as she is without a doubt a leading relevant voice of our generation and a disruptor in her own right,” said Connie Orlando, Head of Programming for BET Networks in a statement. “BET Networks is invested in showcasing black excellence in our programming and we look forward to digging even deeper into the incredible legacy of Don Cornelius and Soul Train in season two." 

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R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.