Posted by | Ray Cornelius
TV One is celebrating #AllThingsBlackandBeautiful throughout the entire month of February and we are here for it! Beginning Wednesday, February 1, the “Creators of Cool” Campaign will feature inspiring and insightful commentary from the cast of the network’s new original movie, “MEDIA.” The two-hour film, which will eventually become a series, stars Brian White, Pooch Hall and Gary Dourdan and explores the drama and secrets behind a powerful family dynasty who will stop at nothing to keep their status and position in the communication industry.
In addition to “MEDIA,” viewers will also get a chance to see new episodes of “Unsung” as well as special feature segments on NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, the telecast of the the highly anticipated NAACP Images Awards and much more!
If you haven’t noticed, both TV One and BET have beefed up their original programming to include more biopics, films, TV series, award shows and special programs geared toward the total Black experience. These networks have moved past just music and occasional features but are now full pledge producing empires and it is an exciting thing to see it all unfold.
Check out the entire “Creators of Cool” Campaign below:
ORIGINAL SERIES
NEWS ONE NOW
Live Weekdays: 7-8 a.m. ET (All Month Long)
TV One is the exclusive home of NewsOne Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers, hosted by award-winning journalist Roland S. Martin. Now in its third season, each morning, Martin – who also serves as the program’s managing editor – focuses on the issues that impact the Black community, from politics and public policy to entertainment and beyond.
UNSUNG
Season 10: New Episodes Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET
Premiere Dates: Feb. 1 (Case), Feb, 8 (Dave Hollister), Feb. 15 (After 7), Feb. 22 (Tribute to James Brown)
Through first-hand accounts, interviews with family and friends, and archival footage, each episode of TV One’s signature series weaves a tale of the highs and lows of a life in the limelight. The poignant stories of Unsung offer insight into the trials and triumphs faced by musical artists in both private and public forums. Season 10 continues during the month of February with episodes featuring Case, Dave Hollister, After 7 and a special tribute to the legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
ORIGINAL SPECIALS & MOVIES:
A NEWS ONE NOW PRIMETIME SPECIAL: EXCELLENCE IN BLACK HOLLYWOOD
Special Premiere: Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET
In the days leading up to the 48TH NAACP Image Awards, NewsOne Now Managing Editor and Host Roland S. Martin sits down with John Legend, Issa Rae and other members of the Black Hollywood community to discuss entertainment, culture and the Black experience in television and film.
48TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS
Live Red Carpet Pre-Show: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Live Telecast: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 9-11 p.m. ET
Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. The nominees include Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, Viola Davis, Kevin Hart, Issa Rae, Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, Kerry Washington, Donald Glover, Nate Parker, Omari Hardwick, Anika Noni Rose and Sterling K. Brown among others. Additionally, LeBron R. James will receive the NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award and Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. will receive the Chairman’s Award.
MEDIA
Original Movie Premiere: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET
MEDIA focuses on the Jones family, who owns and operates JUMP, a dynasty that has dominated the national urban media scene for years. Between affairs and conspiracies, backdoor deals, fierce rivalries and even murder, the Jones family is doing everything they can to stop anyone or anything trying to tear them apart. MEDIA stars Penny Johnson Jerald, Brian White, Gary Dourdan, Stephen Bishop, Pooch Hall, Chrystee Pharris, Denise Boutte, Finesse Mitchell and Blue Kimble. The original movie is executive produced by Radio One Founder and Chairperson Cathy Hughes with showrunner/writer Kevin Arkadie (New York Undercover, Soul Food, The Shield).
NETWORK DOCUMENTARY AND MOVIE PREMIERES:
SOUL FOOD JUNKIES
Network Documentary Premiere: Sunday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. ET
Encores: Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. ET
Filmmaker Byron Hurt sets out on a historical and culinary journey to learn more about the soul food tradition and its relevance to black cultural identity. Through candid interviews with soul food cooks, historians, and scholars, the film puts this culinary tradition under the microscope to examine both its positive and negative consequences.
THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM
Network Movie Premiere: Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET
Encores: Sunday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
Directed by Kenny Leon (The Wiz Live!, Hairspray Live!), The Watsons Go To Birmingham is set in the Summer of 1963. Daniel (Wood Harris) and Wilona Watson (Anika Noni Rose) take their three kids on a road trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama to spend the summer with Grandma Sands (LaTanya Richardson Jackson) and her friend, Mr. Robert (David Alan Grier) who show them around town. The Watsons discover that life is very different there than in Flint – and not necessarily for the better. During that historic summer, the Watsons find themselves caught up in a historic milestone of the Civil Rights Movement.
YOU BELONG TO ME: SEX, RACE AND MURDER IN THE SOUTH
Network Documentary Premiere: Monday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET
Encores: Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 1 a.m. ET and Thursday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET
The story of Ruby McCollum, a prominent black woman in the Jim Crow south who killed a white doctor in Florida after suffering years of sexual abuse tied to practices in the Jim Crow South.
Will you be watching?