Sunday, January 10, 2010

Lets start our Black History Month activities early shall we?

*TV One will honor Black History Month with a set of specials under the banner "Way Black When," which celebrates the dramatic, musical, and comedic portrayals of African American life from the 70s, 80s and early 90s.

During primetime each weeknight, the channel will spotlight a variety of black cult classics from film and television with commentary from industry experts, including actors, producers and musical artists who helped create, or were influenced by the productions.

One of four genres popular with African Americans will be featured each week throughout February: comedy/variety TV, film soundtracks, classic sitcoms, and blaxploitation movies.

Below is the schedule:

Comedy/Variety Week (Monday, Feb. 1 – Friday, Feb. 5):

• Viewers will be treated to encore presentations of "The Flip Wilson Show," the first successful broadcast network variety series starring an African American, and the never before re-aired "The Richard Pryor Show," which first ran on NBC in 1977.

Soundtracks Week (Monday, Feb. 8 – Friday, Feb. 12)

• TV One will honor the films with soundtracks that underscored our lives… such as the hip hop classic, "Krush Groove" and the quintessential coming-of-age treasure, "Cooley High." Host Chris “Kid” Reid (House Party) will be joined by musical artists Brian McKnight, Kurtis Blow and El DeBarge, along with producer/director Warrington Hudlin, actor Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and actor Glynn Turman.

Classic Sitcoms Week (Monday, Feb. 15 – Friday, Feb. 19)

• This week will be hosted by actor Darryl Bell from "A Different World," one of the featured sitcoms. He will be joined by a panel that includes other actors and actresses from this week’s featured sitcoms including Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson from "What’s Happening!"; "The Jeffersons’" Marla Gibbs; "Good Times’" Jimmie Walker and BernNadette Stanis; and Ajai Sanders from "A Different World."

Blaxploitation Film Week – (Monday, Feb. 22 – Friday, Feb. 26)

• "The Mack," "Cleopatra Jones," "Foxy Brown," "Three Hard Way," and "Sweet Jesus Preacher Man" will be screened under host Mario Van Peebles. A panel includes his father, legendary director Melvin Van Peebles, and actors Michael Jai, Fred Williamson, Anne-Marie Johnson and Roger E. Mosley.

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