Award-Winning Comedienne and Actress Mo'Nique Makes a Highly Anticipated Return to BET for New Late Night Show Debut, 'THE MO'NIQUE SHOW,' Premiering this Fall

Mo'Nique Brings Side-Splitting Laughs Every Weeknight, Plus Special Celebrity Guest Appearances and Red-Hot Music Performances

PASADENA, Calif., July 30 -- The sassy and sultry Queen of Comedy Mo'Nique returns to BET this fall for her highly anticipated late night show debut, THE MO'NIQUE SHOW, on Monday, October 5 (time TBD). Carving out a well-deserved spot on the night show circuit, comedienne Mo'Nique takes the show host helm, granting BET viewers VIP access to the hottest party on television.

From A-list celebrity guests to sizzling performances by the hottest musical artists in the game, Mo'Nique delivers viewers a fun-filled hour of entertainment every night. With a resident deejay to keep the studio audience on their feet and Mo'Nique bringing the funny as only she can, THE MO'NIQUE SHOW will undoubtedly force viewers to extend their bedtime an extra hour.

BET's new late night show bridges the gap between "old school" and today's entertainment culture through innovative and humored-filled segments that pay homage to legendary stars, as well as spotlight today's celebrities and their contributions to better our communities and the world at large.

"I'm very excited to finally bring my signature voice and comedy to late night television," said Mo'Nique, host of new BET late night show THE MO'NIQUE SHOW. "This show will definitely give BET viewers the late night show experience, but at the same time, offer something uniquely different to the late show circuit, and I can't think of a better home to welcome cable's late night female host but BET."

Tune in every week night beginning October 5 for a late night party that only the biggest queen in the comedy game can deliver.

About MO'NIQUE

Many people are surprised to hear that Mo'Nique's meteoric career began in her early 20s, when she took the Improv comedy stage on a dare from her brother. That spontaneous decision and standing ovation changed her life, convincing her to pursue a career in stand-up comedy, which led her to such notable shows as Showtime at the Apollo, HBO's Def Comedy Jam, Apollo Comedy Hour, HBO's Snaps, BET's Comic View, The Montreal Comedy Festival and Uptown Comedy Club.

This fall, fans can find Mo'Nique on BET, where she'll be hosting her own late night show, THE MO'NIQUE SHOW, featuring celebrity guests, hit music and comedy acts. Also, Mo'Nique is slated to star in upcoming Lee Daniels film Precious, which took home the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and depicts the story of an overweight, illiterate teenager who is emotionally abused by her deadbeat mother and father. The film was recently purchased by Lionsgate Films with support from Oprah and Harpo Productions, as well as Tyler Perry, and will be released in late 2009.

A pivotal career move landed the talented comedienne in the memorable role of "Nikki Parker" on the UPN comedy series The Parkers. The show's five-year run earned Mo'Nique numerous awards, including four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. Mo'Nique also served as host of legendary talent show Showtime at the Apollo for three years, making history as the first comedienne to serve in that coveted capacity.

Along with Mo'Nique's commercial success and award recognition came popular and visible movie roles in films such as Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Farce of the Penguins, Beerfest, Shadowboxer, Phat Girlz, Domino, Soul Plane, Hair Show, Three Strikes, Baby Boy and Two Can Play That Game, which earned her a NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and the Showtime tele-film Good Fences, opposite Whoopi Goldberg.

In 2002, Mo'Nique joined Adele Givens, Laura Hayes and Sommore for the mega comedy tour, The Queens of Comedy, also released as a film by Paramount Home Entertainment in 2002, and as an album of the same title, which earned a GRAMMY(� )nomination for Best Spoken Comedy Album.

In 2005, Mo'Nique created, executive produced and hosted the Oxygen television special Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance, America's first full-figured reality beauty pageant, marking the program as the highest-rated network special on Oxygen. In 2006, the show earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Variety Special, and the third season was shot entirely on location in Paris - a network first. Mo'Nique's other reality show credits include the VH1 series Charm School, which was a ratings winner for the network.

Always embracing her full-figured woman status, Mo'Nique has used her celebrity and gift of comedy to advocate for voluptuous women everywhere. Her funny and inspiring book Skinny Women Are Evil, released in April 2003, was published by Atria Books, and became a New York Times bestseller. She and co-author Sherri McGee McCovey released a follow-up called Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted for Amistad Press, a division of Harper Collins. The duo also co-authors the teen fiction series, Beacon Hills High, which was just nominated for a 2009 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens.

While effortlessly managing all of these projects, Mo'Nique still found time to host BET's signature BET AWARDS show in 2003, 2004 and 2007.

Taping from Atlanta's Turner Studios, Mo'Nique, Sidney Hicks and Marilyn Gill serve as the show's executive producer. Get ready for Mo Laughs. Mo Love. Mo'Nique on Late Night. Only on BET!

Viewers can visit www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows for more information about THE MO'NIQUE SHOW.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIA.B), 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 reaches more than 98 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.