BET Networks Announces Continued Partnership with Emmy(R) Award-Winning Creator, Writer, and Actor Lena Waithe on New Original Series "Twenties"
The project was originally shot as a pilot for TBS last year.
[via press release from BET] BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNING CREATOR, WRITER, AND ACTOR LENA WAITHE ON NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "TWENTIES"
NEW YORK, NY - April 15, 2019 - On the heels of the second season pick up of critically- acclaimed BOOMERANG series BET Networks announces continued partnership with Lena Waithe as it green lights her single-camera comedy series "Twenties." Created and written by Waithe when she was in her early 20s the eight-episode half-hour series, follows the adventures of a queer black girl, Hattie, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia, who spend most of their days talking 'ish' and chasing their dreams. "Twenties" is a scripted show about friendship, finding love, and messing everything up along the way.
"BET Networks is thrilled to partner once again with the creative visionary Lena Waithe on both BOOMERANG and TWENTIES 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, BET Networks. "BET is committed to the elevation of inclusive and authentic storytelling that viewers continue to expect from the brand."
"TWENTIES has been a project I've been dreaming about for as long as I can remember. I think a lot of people were interested, but didn't see the vision. I'm so grateful Scott Mills and Connie Orlando did. I couldn't be more excited to deepen my relationship with BET. I know audiences have been waiting a long time for this one," said Waithe.
"I'm deeply grateful to Lena Waithe for dragging me out of the crypt to run her groundbreaking series about women of color who are as intelligent as they are funny, as ambitious and driven as they are confused. It is exhilarating to be back in television, at BET at a moment of unprecedented multicultural inclusion in the entertainment industry," said Fales-Hill.
"TWENTIES" is Executive Produced by Lena Waithe, Susan Fales-Hill who will also serve as co-showrunner,Rishi Rajani and Andrew Coles.
ABOUT LENA WAITHE
Emmy(R) Award-winning creator, writer and actor Lena Waithe, first made headlines in front of the camera as Denise in the critically acclaimed Netflix series MASTER OF NONE. Waithe co-wrote the "Thanksgiving" episode, for which she received an Emmy(R) Award in the category of "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series" and a NAACP Image Award nomination. She currently serves as creator and executive producer of the Showtime drama series THE CHI. As a writer, producer, Waithe's credits include STEP SISTERS and DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. Waithe's upcoming projects include TWENTIES which she created, wrote and will produce for TBS and QUEEN & SLIM which she wrote, starring Daniel Kaluuya and directed by Melina Matsoukas. She also has THEM a horror anthology series for Amazon and HBO's Untitled Kid Fury Project, both of which she will produce.
About Susan Fales-Hill
Award-winning television writer-producer, author, and arts advocate Susan Fales-Hill began her career as a writer's apprentice/warm up person on the "Cosby Show." At twenty eight, she was named head writerCo-/Executive Producer of its spin-off, "A Different World." She co-created Showtime's first scripted series, "Linc's" with Tim Reid, a dramedy starring Pam Grier and George Stanford Brown. Susan is the author of two novels, and an acclaimed memoir about her mother the late actress/singer/dancer Josephine Premice, "Always Wear Joy" which was nominated for an Image Award. Her writings have appeared in Vogue, Architectural Digest, Essence, Ebony, Glamour and the New York Times. She is a contributing editor at Town and Country Magazine and her TED Talk is available at Ted Ex Met. She is a graduate of the Lycee Francais de New York and Harvard College (with honors.) In 2007, she helped spearhead American Ballet Theatre's diversity program and now serves as Chairman of its Trustee Emeriti Council."
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER (formerly CENTRIC), a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.
The project was originally shot as a pilot for TBS last year.
[via press release from BET] BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNING CREATOR, WRITER, AND ACTOR LENA WAITHE ON NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "TWENTIES"
NEW YORK, NY - April 15, 2019 - On the heels of the second season pick up of critically- acclaimed BOOMERANG series BET Networks announces continued partnership with Lena Waithe as it green lights her single-camera comedy series "Twenties." Created and written by Waithe when she was in her early 20s the eight-episode half-hour series, follows the adventures of a queer black girl, Hattie, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia, who spend most of their days talking 'ish' and chasing their dreams. "Twenties" is a scripted show about friendship, finding love, and messing everything up along the way.
"BET Networks is thrilled to partner once again with the creative visionary Lena Waithe on both BOOMERANG and TWENTIES 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, BET Networks. "BET is committed to the elevation of inclusive and authentic storytelling that viewers continue to expect from the brand."
"TWENTIES has been a project I've been dreaming about for as long as I can remember. I think a lot of people were interested, but didn't see the vision. I'm so grateful Scott Mills and Connie Orlando did. I couldn't be more excited to deepen my relationship with BET. I know audiences have been waiting a long time for this one," said Waithe.
"I'm deeply grateful to Lena Waithe for dragging me out of the crypt to run her groundbreaking series about women of color who are as intelligent as they are funny, as ambitious and driven as they are confused. It is exhilarating to be back in television, at BET at a moment of unprecedented multicultural inclusion in the entertainment industry," said Fales-Hill.
"TWENTIES" is Executive Produced by Lena Waithe, Susan Fales-Hill who will also serve as co-showrunner,Rishi Rajani and Andrew Coles.
ABOUT LENA WAITHE
Emmy(R) Award-winning creator, writer and actor Lena Waithe, first made headlines in front of the camera as Denise in the critically acclaimed Netflix series MASTER OF NONE. Waithe co-wrote the "Thanksgiving" episode, for which she received an Emmy(R) Award in the category of "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series" and a NAACP Image Award nomination. She currently serves as creator and executive producer of the Showtime drama series THE CHI. As a writer, producer, Waithe's credits include STEP SISTERS and DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. Waithe's upcoming projects include TWENTIES which she created, wrote and will produce for TBS and QUEEN & SLIM which she wrote, starring Daniel Kaluuya and directed by Melina Matsoukas. She also has THEM a horror anthology series for Amazon and HBO's Untitled Kid Fury Project, both of which she will produce.
About Susan Fales-Hill
Award-winning television writer-producer, author, and arts advocate Susan Fales-Hill began her career as a writer's apprentice/warm up person on the "Cosby Show." At twenty eight, she was named head writerCo-/Executive Producer of its spin-off, "A Different World." She co-created Showtime's first scripted series, "Linc's" with Tim Reid, a dramedy starring Pam Grier and George Stanford Brown. Susan is the author of two novels, and an acclaimed memoir about her mother the late actress/singer/dancer Josephine Premice, "Always Wear Joy" which was nominated for an Image Award. Her writings have appeared in Vogue, Architectural Digest, Essence, Ebony, Glamour and the New York Times. She is a contributing editor at Town and Country Magazine and her TED Talk is available at Ted Ex Met. She is a graduate of the Lycee Francais de New York and Harvard College (with honors.) In 2007, she helped spearhead American Ballet Theatre's diversity program and now serves as Chairman of its Trustee Emeriti Council."
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER (formerly CENTRIC), a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.
