BET Drops TJ Holmes, Cancels ‘Don’t Sleep’ Show

One of BET’s newer non-traditional shows, has officially gotten the ax. Last year, BET brought viewers ‘Don’t Sleep’, hosted by ex CNN’er TJ Holmes. If you never had an opportunity to tune in, the half-hour late-night show targeted an African American audience, focusing on an array of topics–entertainment, politics, social commentary, etc. It had more of a journalism feel, with a bit of humor.

So what happened? Our guess were the unimpressive ratings. According to R. Thomas Umstead, initially, the show generated a series-high 1 million viewers for its Oct. 9 episode. The series averaged less than 400,000 viewers before being revamped into a weekly, one-hour format on Nov. 14. Holmes confirmed the show’s cancelation and his departure with Journal-isms: 

I will never, ever regret thinking that my heart was in the right place a young black man taking his skills to do something that was not being done for our community, that is, providing a daily news show geared toward African Americans. You learn from the mistakes, there are questions I should have asked, things that should have been cleared up, but reaching the black community in that way was an opportunity I would love to have.” 

Before the show ended, Holmes did an interview with ‘The Breakfast Club’, where he explained his true intentions for the show:

‘The show is our opportunity and our platform. We now have a place. Black family, finance, black problems. That is what I intended for the show to be.’

Unfortunately, the show only lasted 8 months. What are your thoughts on why the show may’ve tanked? Was it content, the wrong network or perhaps another journalist may’ve been a better fit? 

[The Root, Twitter]