The Lifetime Black-a-Thon Rolls On

Lifetime is looking to beat BET, Centric and WE to the punch with yet another film in their “fade to black” series.

The new “we go hard for pecan tan” female-skewing cable network has tapped Grammy-winners Jill Scott and Eve along with Regina Hall to star in the original “chick flick” With This Ring. The film also features Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of the late disco diva, Donna Summer and NFL Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders (Tracey Edmonds “boo”).

Oddly, this Sony Pictures Television project was filmed in Cleveland over the summer with Gabrielle Union and Tracey Edmonds serving as executive producers.

It is based on Angela Burt-Murray’s novel The Vow which Gabrielle Union optioned five years ago and sold to Sony for Lifetime. This is Union’s first project as a producer and in a prepared statement she says,” I could not be more pleased to produce my first project with Nzingha Stewart (The Game) and to have Regina Hall, one of the most gifted comedic actresses in our business, as one of our leads,” she said. (where are the email from the Sony Hack-a-Thon about this project?)

The romantic comedy centers on three single best friends who attend the lavish wedding of a fourth friend on New Year’s Eve when desperation pushes them to make the vow to be married within the year. (flashback to Baggage Claim.”) “With This Ring airs on January 24, 2015 just in time to distract you from “Whitney,” the biopic.

Sidebar: Is it me or is Lifetime walking in shady boots by only focusing the “biopic” on the Whitney/Bobby years. There is little (more like no) mention of the super producers who “gave the world” the “saaangin”” Whitney we knew. Can you say, Kashif, Babyface or Narada Michael Walden? These uber talents have hits, awards and catalog that’d make our head spin if you only really truly knew all of the music they have given the world over the years.