TVSquad

Ever since I first heard about Hot Ghetto Mess, I've been intrigued. The new BET series courted some controversy from folks who felt it exploited black stereotypes, and at least two sponsors, State Farm Insurance and Home Depot, have pulled their ads. Both BET entertainment chief Reginald Hudlin and Jam Donaldson (creator of the HotGhettoMess.com site on which the new series is based) say the purpose of the series is to encourage people, in a humorous manner, to take a look at themselves and their communities and try to affect positive change. The series mixes user-submitted video clips with man-on-the-street interviews.

Speaking of change, the series is now called We Got to Do Better. The actual content of the show won't change, but the new title more clearly explains the intent of the series. I discovered this last night while trying to find Hot Ghetto Mess on my Tivo with no luck. The series, hosted by Charlie Murphy (Chappelle's Show) debuts tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:30 p.m.

Hot Ghetto Mess, a new series on BET based on the Web site HotGhettoMess.com, has already courted some controversy before its July 25 premiere.

The new series features user-submitted videos and street interviews meant to encourage viewers to change themselves and their communities for the better.

Or, it's a show that exploits stereotypes, and it's the reason both Home Depot and State Farm Insurance have asked to be dropped from the series.

Starting tomorrow evening, Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio will celebrate Black History Month with repeats of episodes featuring Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker and Queen Latifah. On February 19 at 8 p.m., a new two-hour episode will feature Diana Ross in an exclusive interview with host James Lipton. Ross will also perform some of her songs during the episode. The schedule is below:

• Eddie Murphy: February 5 at 7 p.m.
• Will Smith: February 11 at 2 p.m.
• Dave Chappelle: February 12 at 6 p.m.
• Jamie Foxx: February 12 at 8 p.m.
• Diana Ross: February 19 at 8 p.m.
• Forrest Whitaker: February 20 at 4 p.m.
• Queen Latifah: February 26 at 9 a.m.

Here's another addition to my list of upcoming television programming honoring Black History Month:

According to Sitcoms Online, TV Land will be re-airing the Wayne Brady talkfest That's What I'm Talking About on February 3. The three-part series featured Brady as he conversed with big names in black entertainment and politics such as Al Sharpton, Spike Lee, D.L. Hughley, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carrol, Wanda Sykes and many others. TV Land does not currently seem to have any information on what time the repeats will air, but you can watch clips from the shows here (I had to sneak through the back door with my Google key to find the site).

I'll be sure to post about other TV shows and specials dedicated to Black History Month as they become available. If you know of any I missed, let me know in the comments.

One of the many stories left out of our history books about World War Two is the heroics of the 761st Tank Battalion, a group of black soldiers that history forgot. But not the History Channel. This month, presumably in honor of Black History Month, the History Channel is airing Honor Deferred. Narrated by Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary pairs historical photos and video archives with interviews of the black men who served in the 761st. The men spent 183 consecutive days in combat, fighting Nazi Germany and its allies. It comes highly recommended by reviewers as an important piece of American history.

Black Entertainment Television (BET) has struggled ever since its inception to be seen as a legitimate, and reputable, source of entertainment and information for the black community. It's most fatal flaw, in my non-expert opinion, was that rather than filling timeslots with quality black programming, it filled its schedule with ANY black programming. The network has been panned by critics for perpetuating stereotypes and putting way too much focus on music videos and other shows that glamorize materialism and exploit women. Hiring Reginald Hudlin as president of entertainment and chief programmerseems tohave been a step in the right direction. Hudlin helmed such movies as House Party and Boomerang, helped bring The Boondocks to television, and directed episodes of The Bernie Mac Show and Everybody Hates Chris. More recently, according to Aaron Barnhart, BET insiders planted questions in the audience at an event in Pasadena. Barnhart, rightfully so, felt that was more than a little tacky. That's true, but at the same time it shows that BET knows how to play the game. Perhaps it will finally become the channel it should have been all along, and if it has to play by the dubious rules of the television industry to do so, I say right on.