Upfronts 2013: BET Greenlights 'Being Mary Jane' to Series

Complete Coverage: Upfronts 2013

BET continued to build its scripted portfolio by greenlighting a full season of Being Mary Jane and renewing hitsThe Game and Let's Stay Together for additional seasons, the network announced during its upfront presentation Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The network will debut in first quarter 2014 Being Mary Jane, which stars Gabrielle Union as a successful TV news anchor trying to balance her work and personal life. The series will join on BET's scripted series lineupThe Game, which has been renewed for a sixth season; Let's Stay Together, which will return for a third campaign; and freshman comedy series Real Husbands of Hollywood, which was recently renewed for a second season.

On the reality front, the network will launch in second quarter 2014 Burns BBQ, which follows the fortunes of a small family barbeque business changing hands from one generation to the next. In addition, BET picked up for a second season The Sheards, which follows the children of gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard and Bishop Drew Sheard.

Click here to read the full story at Multichannel.com.

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.