BET'S Season Of The Tiger

BET's Season Of The Tiger

Los Angeles,CA(BlackNews.com) -

BET is set to premiere the network's original docu-drama SEASON OF THE TIGER, slated for April 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. BET and DaftFilms created the series around the 225-member award-winning Mighty Tiger Marching Band and championship football team from Grambling State University. In their world, champions are made, not born - this gripping series highlights the passion, commitments and challenges of the relationships between the students, band members and football team of Grambling State - and paints a picture of the blood, sweat and tears that go into their daily quest to be great.

While other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) may brag about their football team or their band, none come close to matching the legacy of Grambling, a small HBCU of 4,500 students founded in 1901. The 12-time Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champion Tigers, once led by legendary Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson and later by Super Bowl MVP XXII quarterback Doug Williams, is the winningest football program in HBCU history. And the band is known the world over.

That storied legacy, along with the plethora of issues affecting three musicians and two athletes, are deftly chronicled in this compelling and riveting series. Over the course of six half-hour episodes, SEASON OF THE TIGER reveals what it takes for the students to overcome all the obstacles and hurdles strewn in their respective paths as they strive for excellence on the field and off.

"I think the passion is very important," says James Dubose, one of the show's executive producers. "And you get a chance to see these kids outside of their normal element in the classroom. They dream about playing for Grambling State football from high school and being a part of this incredible band."

With practices held as early as 4 a.m. and as late as midnight for players and musicians alike, SEASON OF THE TIGER shows why it takes a special kind of person to endure the physical and mental demands made by Doc, the no-nonsense band director-and Coach Spears, the unyielding and uncompromising football coach overshadowed by the legends who have come before him.

In the first episode, Doc and Spears are preparing their teams for Grambling's homecoming-the social event of the season. That means extra practice and extra pain. It's an especially challenging time for the Tigers' starting quarterback, who is trying to prove he still 'has it' coming off last year's season-ending knee injury

. It's no cakewalk for some of the musicians either. The female master drill sergeant can't get any respect, one of the best sax players has been kicked out of school, and a talented freshman is growing impatient over having to watch the band's performance from the sidelines. But they endure it all because they want to be part of something great. And in doing so, SEASON OF THE TIGER's cast members have successfully divorced themselves from the stereotypical urban youth who adults often complain want to emulate a bling-rich lifestyle, but are seemingly reluctant to put in the hard work required to achieve it.

"Black kids are often criticized for being low achievers or materialistic," notes Reginald Hudlin, BET President of Entertainment. "But in this show, we see them trying to measure up to the exacting standards of two great Black institutions, Grambling State University football team and marching band."