Tuesday, November 28, 2006

BET Preps 'American Gangster,' Programming Hits iTunes

BET viewers will now be able to watch the network’s latest slate of programming, by downloading them on iTunes.
Available shows include BET’s new docudrama American Gangster as well as DMX: Soul of a Man, Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown and Beef: The Series.
BET's latest series American Gangster chronicles the life and times of some of Black America's most notorious
crime figures.
The show, which premieres Tuesday (Nov. 28), will showcase profiles of Leroy Nicky Barnes, "Freeway" Ricky Ross, The Chambers Brothers, Fat Cat Nicholas and Stanley "Tookie" Williams and how their actions affected their community.
"Crime is a cancer that eats away at our communities," said Reginald Hudlin, BET President of Entertainment. "But for a generation that grew up thinking greed is good -- whether on Wall Street or Martin Luther King Boulevard -- they're not quite so sure whether crime pays or not. We wanted to take an honest look at the
criminal life, demystify that world and show what it does to our community."
In addition to exploring the lives of
drug dealers, murderers and thieves, each American Gangster episode will include segments with those affected by the subjects profiled, as well as news footage, photographs and interviews.
The six-part docu-drama is narrated by actor Ving Rhames and executive produced by Nelson George, Frank Sinton (Asylum Entertainment), Mark Rowland and BET.
"We picked figures whose crimes were legendary in their cities and had national, and in some cases, an international dimension," George added. "U.S. presidents play a key role in four of the six episodes, which shows you these
criminals were not just purse snatchers."
Viewers can download the first episode of American Gangster right now for free on iTunes.