Jefferson Pierce is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community.

Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN’s successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008. The final episode aired on February 11, 2008.

When Girlfriends returned in fall 2007 for its eighth season, it became the longest-running live-action sitcom on network television that was on air that year, as well as one of the highest-rated scripted shows on television among African American adults and women 18-34, including its spin-off The Game.

BET’s first hour long scripted drama is a follow-up to the same-titled TV movie that premiered on the network in the summer of 2013. The series returns Gabrielle Union to the lead role of Mary Jane Paul, a successful cable news anchor who has a closet packed with designer clothes and shoes, a beautiful home, a nice car, and the drive to achieve even greater heights. Yet something is missing. As Mary Jane looks to start a family of her own to share life’s greatest gifts, she discovers who she really is and the people who help define her.