MULTI-GENRE DEAL INCLUDES ALL BET PLATFORMS INCLUDING LINEAR AND STREAMING

BET+ ALSO CONFIRMS “THE MS. PAT SHOW” FOR A THIRD SEASON IN ADVANCE OF SEASON TWO’S AUGUST 11 PREMIERE

Los Angeles, CA, July 6, 2022 - Comedian, Actress, and Producer Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams is expanding her relationship with BET. The co-creator and Executive Producer of BET+ fan favorite “grown folks sitcom” THE MS. PAT SHOW has signed a multi-year overall deal under which she will produce and perform in new series and other projects across BET. Via her namesake production banner, Williams aims to create content both on screen and behind the camera that inspires conversation through humor and raw honesty.

THE MS. PAT SHOW, which lifts from Williams’ life experiences covered in her memoir “Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat,” tells the story of a former drug dealer and convicted felon turned suburban mom. An updated version of the traditional TV comedy format, the series portrays a modern, multi-generational African American family navigating life’s twists and turns against the backdrop of current cultural chaos with an unfiltered realness. Complete with R-rated language and controversial episode topics including non-binary pronouns, abortion, black hair, school shootings, drug addiction, racism, and child abuse, THE MS PAT SHOW is a rethinking of the American sitcom.

Since its launch in August 2021, the series has resonated with fans and critics alike and been praised for being unapologetically real, unapologetically Black and unapologetically hilarious. The series which hails from Imagine Television and Lee Daniels Entertainment, and is executive produced by Brian Grazer, Lee Daniels, and Jordan E. Cooper alongside Williams, heads to BET+ for a second season on August 11 and has already been confirmed for a third season.

“Since our first viewing of The Ms. Pat Show’s pilot episode, we knew Ms. Pat was something special and we are excited to build our relationship with her and her team to bring our BET+ members more content that is refreshing, raw and real,” said BET CEO Scott Mills. 

“One of the first people to tell me to pursue comedy was my welfare case officer. In that moment, I never could have imagined the success of The Ms. Pat Show or that BET and Paramount Global would give me the chance to tell even more stories,” said Williams. “I’m so excited for this new journey and grateful to BET for believing in me. If you think The Ms. Pat Show is wild, just wait until you see what we come up with! It’s only the beginning!”

In 2017, “Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat” was nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work and Rotten Tomatoes included it on their list of “Books Becoming TV Series We Cannot Wait to See.” Publishers Weekly raved “Williams displays self-deprecating humor in her book’s dramatic moments, and she bares her soul throughout this inspiring, page-turning narrative” while USA Today gushed “Somehow she's managed to pull hilarity out of heartache. And when you are done laughing, you rejoice, her final words ringing in your ears.” 

In addition to her other projects, Ms. Pat has long been a favorite with standup critics and fans. In 2019, she was hailed by Variety as a “Top 10 Comic to Watch.” She has her own Netflix special “Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy?,” which debuted earlier this year and has appeared on Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy, Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing.

Williams is represented by APA, Tigerman Management, and Cohen & Gardner.

About BET:

BET, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA; PARAP), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, a growing BET festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

About BET+:

BET+ is the premium streaming service for the Black community offering thousands of hours of hit movies, TV shows, stage plays and more. With new, exclusive originals premiering each month, BET+, a joint venture between BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios, offers the best of Black culture with titles like First Wives Club, The Ms. Pat Show, Ruthless, Sacrifice, The Family Business and American Gangster: Trap Queens from revered creators like Tracy Oliver, Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels and Carl Weber, to name a few. BET+ members can watch as much as they want anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen and always commercial-free. Visit BET.Plus to learn more and follow @BETPlus for the latest news and updates.