BET Original Productions

Background

BET (also known as Black Entertainment Television) is an American cable television network owned by the BET Networks unit of CBS Entertainment Group. The network launched as a USA Network timeshare on January 25, 1980, and later as a full-time channel on July 1, 1983.

Contents

1st Logo (October 30, 2001-2005)	2nd Logo (2005-2007)	3rd Logo (2007-2010)	4th Logo (2010-2016)


5th Logo (2016-April 2022)	6th Logo (October 5, 2021-June 16, 2022)	7th Logo (February 7-March 1, 2022)	8th Logo (February 27, 2022-)

1st Logo (October 30, 2001-2005)

Visuals: On a black background, there is the following text:

Most of the text is in the Times New Roman font, except for the "BET" in the copyright stamp, which is shown as the BET logo of the time.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on the 7th Annual BET Walk of Fame.

2nd Logo (2005-2007)

Visuals: Just the 2005-2010 BET logo on a black background.

Variants:

A copyright stamp may appear below the logo on some shows.
Sometimes, the logo is in a white rectangle.
On season 1 of American Gangster, the logo is stretched.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: None or the closing theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on BET shows from 2005 to 2007.

3rd Logo (2007-2010)

Smaller copyright stamp variant (2009)

Visuals: An audio waveform is seen zooming out. After a few seconds, it morphs into the BET logo, which flickers for a while. A copyright stamp fades in below.

Trivia: BET was initially referred to as Black Entertainment Television. This name is still used as the legal name of BET Networks, BET's parent company.

Variants:

From 2007 to 2009, the logo was stretched for 16:9 programming.
Starting in 2009, the audio waveform is slightly enhanced and the copyright stamp is smaller. On 16:9 programming, the logo is not stretched.
On the 2010 Black Panther animated series, the animation is sped up.
On season 6 episode 9 of College Hill, the logo is squished.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A hip-hop beat accompanied by static and whoosh sounds. Otherwise, the logo is silent or has the closing theme playing over.

Availability: Seen on BET shows from 2007 to 2010.

4th Logo (2010-2016)

2010 "Original Productions" variant
2011 "Original Production" variant on green BG
2011 "Original Production" variant on blue BG
2010 "Productions" variant
2011 "Production" variant
Logo & copyright stamp variant
"Networks" variant
The explosion (Green)
The explosion (Purple)

Visuals: On a blue, green, or purple gradient background, there is a flash of light. The flash dies down to reveal the BET logo from before, but the star is filled in. Copyright info is seen below as the logo slowly zooms in.

Trivia: This is part of BET's 2010 rebrand for the network's 30th anniversary, created by INTERspectacular.

Variants:

A long version exists. It starts with the star in the middle of the screen. The star then "explodes" into 3D iterations of the star and the BET logo. After a few seconds, the "explosion" is reversed (the 3D objects zoom back into the star in the BET logo), seguing into the rest of the animation. This can be seen here.
For original BET productions, the background is green. "ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS" (set in the custom font called "Phat A*s") is seen below, with the copyright stamp below it. This was seen on shows like Being Terry Kennedy.
For other productions that air on BET, the background is purple. "PRODUCTIONS" is seen below, with the copyright stamp below it. This was seen on My Black is Beautiful and INTERspectacular's reel for BET's 2010 rebrand.
- Starting in 2011 for the green "Original Productions" and purple "Productions" variants, "THIS HAS BEEN A" was added above the BET logo, and the word "PRODUCTIONS" was changed to "PRODUCTION".
Season 4 of The Game has the 2011 Original Production variant on a blue background. The copyright stamp is not seen in this variant.
The flash was enhanced in 2012.
On The Book of Negroes, the 2005 BET logo (with an outline of the star) is used, with "NETWORKS" underneath, on a blue background.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A loud static whoosh sound, followed by a boom and a ding.

Audio Variants:

The long version starts with a quieter static whoosh, followed by a bass drop sound and a 5-note guitar theme with synths on the first 2 notes and the 4th note, a cymbal roll on the last 2 notes, and a ding on the last note, and then the loud static whoosh is heard.
Starting in 2011, 4 piano notes are heard after the whoosh.
A version of the 2011 sound variant exists where only 1 piano note is heard after the whoosh.
On some shows, the closing theme may play over, or none.

Availability: Seen on BET shows from 2010 to 2016.

5th Logo (2016-April 2022)

2016 "Original Production" variant
2016 "Production" variant
Logo & copyright stamp variant
2019 "Original Production" variant
2019 "Production" variant
Logo & copyright stamp variant
"In association with" variant
Gradient-less variant

Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with several white, blue and pink lines appearing and splitting to reveal the BET logo on a dark gray gradient background. The copyright stamp is seen below.

Variants:

Like the previous logo, for original BET productions, "THIS HAS BEEN A" and "ORIGINAL PRODUCTION" are seen above and below the logo, with the copyright stamp below the latter.
Also like the last logo, for other productions that air on BET, "THIS HAS BEEN A" and "PRODUCTION" are seen above and below the logo, with the copyright stamp below the latter.
A different font for the text is used starting in 2019.
Also starting in 2019, for shows produced in association with BET, a variant exists that has "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" above the logo, and a larger copyright stamp underneath the logo.
On season 9 of Sunday Best and Long Slow Exhale, the gradient effect on the background is absent.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A bass drop sound, followed by a whoosh.

Audio Variants:

The theme from the previous logo is heard on some shows.
Starting in 2021, 3 hip-hop drums/record scratching sounds are heard, followed by a 4-note trumpet jingle, which echoes at the end. The bass drop and whoosh can still be heard.
On season 2 of First Wives Club and Real Husbands of Hollywood: More Kevin, More Problems, only the 4-note trumpet jingle is heard with the bass drop and whoosh. On the former, it is high-pitched.
On some shows, the logo is silent or the closing theme plays over.
Season 4 episode 11 of Tyler Perry's Sistas has the theme from the next logo due to an error.

Availability: Seen on BET shows starting in 2016 and was used in tandem with the next logo until 2022.

Legacy: Even though BET debuted a new logo (the one below this one) on June 27, 2021, this logo was still being used on a few of BET's shows until 2022, like Long Slow Exhale, House of Payne, and Assisted Living.

6th Logo (October 5, 2021-June 16, 2022)

2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards variant

Visuals: On a light red background, there is the BET logo (with the letters in a different font) in a black rectangle. The "BE" letters move up and to the right, while the "T" and the star move down and to the left, forming a square version of BET's current logo with the "BE" at the top and the "T" and the star at the bottom. The logo then zooms in, changing the background to black and causing the letters to separate and zoom into corners. Then, the letters and star join together and turn black in a light red square. The logo then zooms out, revealing the copyright stamp in the Proxima Nova typeface.

Trivia: This logo, as well as the entire branding package it is part of, won a Bronze Clio Entertainment Award in 2022.

Variants:

Sometimes, the logo is brighter in contrast.
On Martin: The Reunion, the logo is shortened to where the BET letters & star in all 4 corners of the screen, join together, but it takes place on a white background before switching to a black background. When the logo zooms out, "A PARAMOUNT COMPANY" in the Paramount Peak Sans typeface appears underneath the logo (a la the Microsoft PowerPoint "Peek In" effect).

Technique: 2D animation done by Sibling Rivalry.

Audio: The closing theme plays over or none. Later on, it uses the music from the 8th logo.

Availability: First seen at the end of the 2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards, and last appeared on Martin: The Reunion.

Legacy: This is part of BET's network rebrand that started on June 27, 2021 with the 2021 BET Awards. This didn't start being used as a production logo until 4 months later.

7th Logo (February 7-March 1, 2022)

Visuals: Over a white background, the logo starts with tiles of flashing BET letters and stars, before zooming into the letters, segueing into the rest of the animation from the previous logo, which now takes place on a white background, with the copyright stamp in black.

Technique: More 2D animation done by Sibling Rivalry.

Audio: Just the ending theme of the show.

Availability: Only seen on season 1 of Dating Black, a BET UK digital series.

8th Logo (February 27, 2022-)

ViacomCBS byline
Paramount byline
Tyler Perry's Sistas variant

Visuals: There is a large black rectangle canvas with two stars above and below on the background from before. Inside the canvas is a slightly different BET logo in horizontal form. The surrounding stars move into the canvas as it zooms out and the BET logo zooms in. Then, the "BE" letters move up and to the right, and the "T" and star move down and to the left as the shape of the canvas changes to a square. The finished product then flashes white, then back to black, then to red on a black background. A byline appears below the logo.

Bylines:

February 27, 2022-June 1, 2022: "A ViacomCBS Company" in the ViacomCBS Raisonné typeface.
June 1, 2022-: "A PARAMOUNT COMPANY" in the Paramount Peak Sans typeface.
2023-: The Paramount corporate wordmark.

Variants:

Like the 6th logo, the logo is sometimes brighter in contrast.
An extended version exists.

Technique: 2D animation done by Sibling Rivalry.

Audio: A short hip-hop beat with repeating vocals saying "Hey!". Sometimes, the closing theme plays over or none.

Availability: It debuted at the end of the 2022 NAACP Image Awards. The Paramount byline debuted on the Tyler Perry's Sistas episode "Goodbye At The Door".