BET Buys Two Entertainment Studios Sitcoms

BET Networks announced today it has licensed more than 100 episodes each of two sitcoms, The First Family and Mr. Box Office, from Entertainment Studios to air on its Centric channel starting April, 2013. Both first-run original series are scheduled to premiere in primetime on Centric weeknights beginning Friday April 19.

The First Family is a scripted comedy about a presidential African-American family residing in the White House. Christopher B. Duncan is President William Johnson and Kellita Smith stars as his wife, First Lady Katherine Johnson. Together, they run the free world and raise four children. Co-stars Gladys Knight, Jackeé, John Witherspoon, and Marla Gibbs round out their extended family.

Mr. Box Office is the story of  one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars who got himself into trouble with the law, and is ordered to give back by fulfilling an unlikely sentence: community service as a high school English teacher in South Central Los Angeles. Bill Bellamy leads a cast that includes Jon Lovitz, Vivica A. Fox, Gary Busey, Essence Atkins, Tim Meadows and Rick Fox.