NENE LEAKES, RAY J, LAMAR ODOM, BIG FREEDIA, STACEY DASH, DREAMDOLL, INDIA LOVE, SLIM THUG WILL JOIN THE REIMAGINED NEW SEASON TO PURSUE DREAMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
NEW SEASON WILL PREMIERE THIS SUMMER ON BET
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BET goes back to school to revive the nostalgic reality series “COLLEGE HILL: CELEBRITY EDITION.” In the reimagined new season, celebrities will live together and join the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Texas Southern University as students. Nene Leakes, Ray J, Lamar Odom, Big Freedia, Stacey Dash, DreamDoll, India Love, and Slim Thug will head back to class to expand their educational horizons. Premiering Summer 2022, the 8-episode series will explore college life through a celebrity lens while showcasing the unique cultural and academic experience of HBCUs. Despite their respective fame and notoriety, each cast member is committed to focusing on their higher education as a personal challenge to prove it’s never too late. Enrolled alongside current Texas Southern University students, the cast will work towards completing a specialty certificate program to cross the graduation stage. Though to triumph, like any ordinary college student, they must complete their course work along with required internships, extra credit opportunities, group projects, and more. Who will take the lead on group projects? Who will pull an all-nighter?
“We’re excited ‘COLLEGE HILL’ will be returning with a new celebrity edition of the franchise that will bring more awareness to the significance of HBCUs, which has a rich legacy and continued tradition of bolstering excellence through education for some of the brightest minds in the Black community,” said Tiffany Lea Williams, Executive Vice President of BET Unscripted Programming. “Furthermore, we couldn’t be more thrilled about filming on the campus of the illustrious Texas Southern University. We’re proud to be a part of this personal journey as the cast proves to themselves and the world that they’re up to the challenge of enriching their lives through education.”
“As the original creator and Executive Producer of ‘COLLEGE HILL,’” said Tracey Edmonds, CEO, and President of Edmonds Entertainment. “I am so elated to partner with Texas Southern University and be able to bring back this cherished franchise with an exciting new twist that I am sure will entertain and inspire new and old fans across the board. We intend to provide a fun but sometimes challenging journey that will show viewers it’s never too late to go back to school.”
“This Way Out Media is excited to partner with BET, series creator Edmonds Entertainment and Texas Southern University as we relaunch and reimagine the wildly popular ‘COLLEGE HILL’ franchise,” said Sean Rankine, CEO and Co-President of This Way Out Media, Inc. “We look forward to bringing the spotlight to HBCUs that they so rightly deserve, while entertainingly highlighting relevant conversations within the culture.”
“Texas Southern University is committed to transforming the lives of its students,” said Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, President of Texas Southern University. “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome our new Tigers to campus, where they will be immersed in TSU history, academics and student life against the background of our beautiful, urban campus. Professors expect these celebrity Tigers to attend class and successfully complete their curated multi-disciplinary academic program. National exposure highlighting the positive attributes of HBCUs benefits Texas Southern University and all institutions who share a common mission.”
Previous seasons of “COLLEGE HILL” are available to stream now on BET+.
“COLLEGE HILL” is executive produced by Tracey Edmonds for Edmonds Entertainment, Sean Rankine and Mark Seliga for This Way Out Media, and Tiffany Lea Williams for BET.
ABOUT BET:
BET, a subsidiary of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA; PARAP), is the leading provider of premium entertainment, music, news, digital and public affairs content for Black audiences worldwide. BET linear is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is one of the most well-known Black consumer brands worldwide, with multi-platform business extensions including BET Studios, an unprecedented studio venture that offers equity ownership for Black content creators; BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET Digital, including BET’s wide reaching social platforms and 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, BET’s events and experience business; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT EDMONDS ENTERTAINMENT:
Edmonds Entertainment is an award-winning multi-media production company that specializes in diverse television, film, and digital content featuring top level talent and engaging, thought-provoking stories. Our projects have included Soul Food (20th Century Fox), Soul Food: The Series (Showtime), Jumping the Broom (Sony), With This Ring (Lifetime), Games People Play (BET), College Hill (BET) and more. Edmonds Entertainment will premiere the feature film, End of the Road, starring Queen Latifah and Ludacris on Netflix this year (2022).
ABOUT THIS WAY OUT MEDIA:
This Way Out Media is a production company with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. This Way Out Media specializes in broadcast and cable television, digital and streaming content and media consulting. We pride ourselves on creative content that captivates audiences and cultivates conversations. This Way Out produces diverse content that ranges from hard hitting topics, pop culture icons and exploration, and incredible cast ensembles in unique locations or professions that culminate in a unique approach to entertaining the audiences of today and tomorrow.
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY:
Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of more than 7,500 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.
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