20 classic BET shows we miss

When hip-hop truly came about as a new music genre, artists needed a platform to showcase their music videos, that’s where Rap City became a home for them. Not only did Rap City showcase videos of mainstream and emerging artists, it also featured interviews and freestyles, and became a foundation for artists like Jay-Z and T.I. to get introduced to the world. Some of the hosts included Chris Thomas, Leslie Segar, and Big Tigger, to name a few. The show aired from 1989 to 2008, becoming the longest-running hip-hop show in TV history. 

There was a time when BET was at the top of the game with music programming. One of the network's fan-favorite shows was 106 & Park, which was a daily video countdown show which also included artist interviews and performances. Some of the hosts included AJ and Free, Big Tigger and Julissa, and Rocsi and Terrence J.

BET wasn’t always focused on music programming. The network also wanted to showcase other entertainment and news formats. Teen Summit ran from September 1989 to August 2002, a show tailored as a safe space for teenagers to discuss news topics and issues that they faced in their daily lives. While the show mostly focused on conversations, it also featured performances from artists such as Tupac, Queen Latifah, Destiny’s Child, Missy Elliott, and many others.

For viewers who needed a good laugh, they could tune in to ComicView. It was the perfect show in which established and rising comedians would perform stand-up routines. The show helped launch the careers of many comedians, including D.L. Hughley, Bruce Bruce, Sommore, and Cedric The Entertainer. ComicView ran from September 1992 to December 2008, and it was also briefly rebooted in 2014. 

When other television networks such as MTV refused to air music videos by Black artists, BET made sure that these artists had a platform for them. Hosted by Donnie Simpson, Video Soul was one of those shows, airing from June 1981 to September 1996, that featured music videos from R&B and soul artists. 

Cita’s World is the type of show that would’ve been perfect for the metaverse had it premiered 25 years later. Not only a show that aired music videos, its host Cita was a virtual-reality character. Not only would Cita talk to her audience, but she would also answer letters and questions from the viewers. The show aired from September 20, 1999 to January 3, 2003. 

For viewers who needed a little praise and worship, tuning into Bobby Jones Gospel became a ritual every Sunday. Hosted by Dr. Bobby Jones, the show would feature performances of gospel artists and choirs from across the nation. It was BET’s longest running program, airing from January 1980 — debuting just two days after the network's launch — to July 2016. 

Ever wondered about all the work that goes into creating music videos? Access Granted gave viewers an inside look into the production and filming of artists’ videos, with a world premiere of the video at the end of each episode. The show aired from 2001 to 2009, and one of its most famous episodes was Aaliyah filming “Rock the Boat,” right before her tragic passing. 

For TV viewers who wanted to hear about world news stories from a Black perspective, then tuning in to BET Nightly News was imperative. The show was hosted by journalist Jacque Reid and aired for four years. 

Hits From The Streets was a different type of format programming as it featured music videos, but also had sketch comedy segments. The show aired from 2000 to 2003 and was hosted by Al Shearer.

Once reality television became a popular format for networks, BET made sure to evolve its programming as well. One of the shows introduced was College Hill, which followed the lives of college students at different historically black colleges and universities. The show aired from 2004 to 2009, and was then revived on BET+ in 2022 as College Hill: Celebrity Edition. 

The Real Husbands of Hollywood started off as a spoof at the 2012 BET Awards and flourished into a comedy series. The premise was entertainers playing fictional versions of themselves and showing their daily surreal lives in Hollywood. The show starred Kevin Hart, Robin Thicke, Boris Kodjoe, Nelly, Duane Martin, J.B. Smoove, and Nick Cannon. The show aired from January 2013 to December 2016, before returning for its final season in 2022 on BET+.

BET continued to evolve their reality TV programming with Baldwin Hills, a show that featured the lifestyles of rich Black teenagers. The show was set in Baldwin Hills — which to some people is known as the "Black Beverly Hills" — an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood. The show aired for three seasons from July 2007 to March 2009.

Looking back on it, Hell Date was a ridiculous show that made for a good laugh. It was a prank dating show in which contestants would go on a date, but their potential suitor was an actor who would make the date as unpleasant as possible. Once the date went to the extreme, the dater is informed they’re on a prank show, and a guy dressed in a devil costume would run out telling them “You’re on Hell Date.”  

Who doesn't love a talent competition show? For BET viewers, Sunday Best was a show to discover the world's best gospel talent. Hosted by Kirk Franklin, the show featured a judge panel of gospel greats including Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, and BeBe and CeCe Winans. 

Midnight Love was tailored towards the more grown audiences. It was a late-night video show that presented itself with sexier, quiet-storm vibes, as it aired music videos that were R&B slow jams. The hour-long show would air at midnight on weekdays, and it aired from August 1985 to September 2005. 

Black Girls Rock! was an annual award show that recognized Black women in areas such as entertainment, fashion, education, and philanthropy. Not only would people be honored with awards such as Rock Star and Social Humanitarian, but the show would also feature live music performances.

Airing for only two seasons, comedian and actress Mo'Nique was the host of her own late-night talk show properly titled The Mo'Nique Show. In typical late-night TV form, Mo'Nique would bring on celebrity guests and have artists perform live. 

BET’s Spring Bling wasn’t just television segments — it was an entire event for college students who would flock to Florida for their spring break vacation. The TV segments included live performances, fashion shows like Rip the Runway, as well as other events like dance competitions and rap battles.

The BET Honors was an annual award show that aired between 2008 and 2016. A broadcast held every Black History Month, The BET Honors set out to recognize the successes and achievements of Black entertainers, educators, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. Some of the past honorees include Magic Johnson, Tyler Perry, Queen Latifah, Clarence Avant, and more. In 2012, former First Lady Michelle Obama presented Maya Angelou with the Literary Arts Award.