BET's 'Being Mary Jane' with Gabrielle Union renewed for second season
When I interviewed Gabrielle Union in December before the debut of the TV series of "Being Mary Jane" in January, she was confident the show would get a second season.
Indeed, the original movie last July pulled in huge numbers, so her confidence was well placed. And she had, of course, acted in the first eight episodes, taped in the spring of 2013, much of it at EUE Screen Gems.
The TV show itself did in fact pull in really strong numbers for BET, averaging just shy of 3 million viewers for each original airing and a very respectable 1.3 rating among 18 to 49 year olds.
Fans of the show said it felt like less like a season finale and more like a series finale the way plotlines were cleaned up. Some found it dull and wanted more of a cliffhanger, "Scandal" style. (Read StraightFromtheA's recap along with comments.)
As BET's first hour-long drama, "Being Mary Jane" was a home run and the day after the show finished with 3.2 million viewers in its season finale, it was immediately renewed.
The press release last week did not state how many episodes but the show will return for production in Atlanta this spring.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
