T. J. Holmes: Don’t Sleep for an Hour

BET anchor T. J. Holmes announced yesterday that his NYT-acclaimed “social issues” show, Don’t Sleep, will be expanding to an hour by popular demand. Elaborating, T. J. explained that his audience’s “#1 comment has been that [the original 30-minute version of] Don’t Sleep is too short!” In response to his viewers’ desires, T. J. said that BET has extended his program to a new “hour-long format…[that]…will allow us more time to delve into topics and determine how we can all, in our own way, be agents of change.” He added that his program will air at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Congratulations, T.J.!

“Don’t Sleep with T. J. Holmes”: BET or Marilee?

BET’s T. J. Holmes is not returning to CNN as he puckishly indicated Wednesday on Twitter: Rather, the former American Morning Adonis is staying with BET and he will finally have his new show. Yesterday, BET announced the advent of T.J.’s provocatively-dubbed program, Don’t Sleep with T. J. Holmes, to its advertisers at a Los Angeles preview for its advertisers yesterday according to Richard Prince’s Journal-isms. In a show promo, BET described Don’t Sleep as a comedic/political program (akin to Comedy Central’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and promised viewers that it “is not your mama’s late-night talk show.”

Congratulations, T. J.!

[Author’s aside: Re the mention of “Marilee” in the title of this article, Marilee nee Fieburg is the name of T. J.’s beautiful beloved “Mrs. Holmes.”]

BET’s T. J. Holmes: Just a Joke?

CNN’s Don Lemon: @tjholmes could u please stop messing with people Don. I mean Tj.”*  Yesterday, BET’s T. J. Holmes seemingly pulled a fast one on his Tweeps–at least this one. He Tweeted, “On a flight w/ my old CNN boss. We’re negotiating my return. But cant [sic] figure out how me & @donlemoncnn can coexist w/out confusing viewers!” Less than an hour later, he added, “I expect to announce to you all this week some news about my future.” As a result, the author reported that “T. J. Holmes indicated that he is leaving BET after a very brief ‘stint’ there and going back to his home at the self-proclaimed ‘most trusted name in news’ network.” [Italics added for emphasis.]

Unfortunately, T. J. was apparently fooling around with the affections of his CNN fans if his latest announcement is to be believed: Today, he Tweeted, “Big day n LA! I get 2 reveal a secret I’ve been holding on 2 for a while: the title of my new show on BET. But I’ll tell u 1st, of course.”

Stay tuned–to BET. Are you sure, T. J.?

*[Author’s aside (re the subtitle of this article): Yesterday, after Carpe Diem posted the author’s article entitled, “T. J. Holmes: We’re Negotiating My [CNN] Return,” CNN anchor Don Lemon Tweeted, “@tjholmes could u please stop messing with people Don. I mean Tj. Whatever ur name is. Lol.” (In reply, T. J. wrote, “[T]hat’s a good one! Ha.”) Perchance, rather than merely jesting at the odd running joke that the two look alike, Don was also chastising T. J. for his possible practical joke on his CNN fans.]

T. J. Holmes: We’re Negotiating My [CNN] Return

It’s American Morning at CNN again? This morning, former CNN anchor T. J. Holmes indicated that he is leaving BET after a very brief “stint” there and going back to his home at the self-proclaimed “most trusted name in news” network. He Tweeted, “On a flight w/my old CNN boss. We’re negotiating my return.” Later, he wrote, “I expect to announce to you all this week some news about my future.”

Less than four months after bidding his CNN Newsroom weekend viewers adieu (to be a BET “multi-platform” jounalist), is T. J. back to save day for CNN–or, at least, the dawn? CNN honcho Ken Jautz must now be ruing his ill-considered decision to ditch his cellar-dweller morning show American Morning. As the ratings of his 2012 AM replacement shows, Early Start and Starting Point, have tanked (lowest in over a decade), Jautz may be thinking that he probably should have given his original plan more time, i.e., to possibly permanently pair T. J. with former AM anchor Kiran Chetry.

Whether it is “Morning in America,” may depend on one’s political point of view. But the return of the erstwhile trial T. J. and Kiran team would certainly help make it a brighter “American Morning” at CNN. And, AM  fans, T. J.’s return would certainly constitute Kiran’s long-awaited “very special opportunity.”

Update: Apparently, BET’s T. J. Holmes was pulling a practical joke on his CNN fans and Twitter followers. Cf. CarpeDiem’s “BET’s T. J. Holmes: Just a Joke?”

T. J. Holmes: I Could Have Stayed On with CNN

“This wasn’t about me looking for a job.” CNN Newsroom weekend anchor T. J. Holmes seemed rather eager to let his fans know that he was not ushered out of the exit door by the CNN suits. In fact, in an interview with The Root, he asserted, “I could have have stayed on with CNN: This wasn’t about me looking for a job. I chose BET for a reason, for the opportunity that I did not have at CNN just because [they have] a different type of audience.”

As T. J. (or Telious, Jr.) prepared to leave his CNN post in a few weeks for his new “multi-platform deal” with BET, his good friend former CNN biz beauty Stephanie Elam fondly reminisced about their shared past. Responding to a Twitter follower who bemoaned the departure of herself, T. J., and their whilom AM friend Kiran Chetry (and CNN colleagues Betty Nguyen and Tony Harris), Stephanie Tweeted, “It does feel a bit like the end of an era!” Chiming in, Kiran aptly remarked, “We’ll always have the memories!”

Regardless of the reason for the “end of an era,” thanks for those AM memories, T. J., Stephanie, and Kiran!

T. J. Holmes: BET Bound

“Simply ecstatic.” CNN Newsroom weekend host Loutelious Ann “T. J.” Holmes indeed had “another gig lined up” before he bid his CNN colleagues adieu, apparently. According to Deadline Hollywood, CNN’s ebony Adonis has inked a “multi-platform” deal with BET Networks: I.e., T. J. will anchor a new television program for BET and “contribute” to its website.

In a BET.com report, Music Programming and Specials Prez Stephen G. Hill declared, “We are simply ecstatic to have T. J. Holmes coming to our fold. He’s been an outstanding news anchor and we look forward to working with him in a variety of ways on BET.” Perhaps, waxing a whit hyperbolic about his prized new catch, Hill elaborated, “It’s now upon us to develop vehicles that capture his intelligence, curiosity about the world, warmth, humor, and compassion. It’s a challenge that we are happy to have.”

T.J, you and your better half should be proud. Congratulations!

H/t J$P.

Touche! Gretch Gets It Right!

FNC’s Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson got it right today. Yesterday the former Miss America gave MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann her salted saber when she derided him for calling her stupid and ending her tirade with “touche.” (“Touche” is an admission of defeat in a verbal exchange.) However, today at the end of a Hillary Clinton for Veep segment, Gretch redeemed herself. F&F co-host Steve Doocy thanked BET founder Bob Johnson for his appearance, noting that he was the only billionaire on the show today. Johnson responded, “Bring Rupert [Murdoch] in the room. Gretch replied, “Touche: thanks alot, Bob.”

Gretch, did you read yesterday’s entry?

Link: https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/ff-co-hosts-assail-olbermann