The original cast of BET’s “Hell Date”
Remember when BET had more than Tyler Perry shows? (I love him but I mean...anyway!) The show is centered around setting up singles on a blind date that takes a dramatic turn for the worst. This show was HILARIOUS. OCD behavior, Ex pop ups, annoying children, sex workers, etc are just a few crazy examples of what the singles experienced. The fact that a midget dressed in a satan costume screaming “You’re on Hell Date” let’s you further know how crazy this show is. I’m still surprised no one officially got their ass whooped or maybe they just cut those episodes.
In the early 2000s Reality TV was slowly introduced to the scene that brought a lot creativity to television. Hell Date set the tone for the next generation of underground sketch comedians before Vine, YouTube, and Instagram in my opinion. The various personalities they came up with were extremely creative. Diversity played a key role in this show. The cast itself was a mix of up and coming actors and actresses from different backgrounds, some who are still working today. Most of the date locations were black owned small businesses. I loved that the activities showed different 1st date experiences that enhance their crazy concepts. All in all, the spin on Blind Date left a stamp on the culture and enhanced BET’s programming in it’s prime.
Top nigga moments: It’s hard to say because there were sooooo many however a few stick out more than the rest.
#1 Darryl plays a hustler trying to sell any and everything including personal items out of his dates bathroom. The young lady goes completely off and starts throwing plates of food at him. If they didn’t stop the prank fast enough, I’m pretty sure she would of caught a case. You know you can’t play with black woman like that!
#2 Monna plays a woman who was adopted and just finds out she’s black while going on her first “black date” with a single gentleman from Inglewood. She becomes obsessed with learning slang, dancing black, and develops a stereotypical “black girl attitude” that ruins the date. It’s safe to say her fake date was NOT prepared.
My favorite characters: Farelle Walker was the most extreme. She really went the extra mile with over the top physical comedy. Kiya Roberts displayed real acting chops with seductively torching her dates. Some other favorites like Donnivin Jordan and Simone Shepherd are still blossoming in their careers with stand up and popular original content. (Sidenote: Was anyone completely obsessed with Simone’s natural blond fro? Uh, Me!) The entire cast was full of talent as I hope they’re all doing well!
Where to watch: You can catch both Seasons on Prime Video and BET +. If you haven’t seen this show, you’re definitely too young for me. I’m binging them right now! It’s HOOD approved √