Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams-Lee is not slowing down. BET Studios announced today an expanded exclusive overall deal with the comedian, actress, creator, and executive producer, one that stretches her creative footprint across BET’s platforms, Paramount’s broader portfolio, and third-party studios. The multi-year agreement covers developing, producing, writing, and performing in original programming, and it signals that BET is betting everything on one of the most singular voices in the game right now.
The deal encompasses Ms. Pat’s full existing slate. Her critically acclaimed R-rated sitcom “The Ms. Pat Show,” renewed for a sixth season, has already racked up three Emmy nominations, and under this new arrangement, Paramount and BET are pushing deeper into awards season with expanded Emmy submissions that now include categories for directing, writing, guest star, and comedy series. The show has always punched hard, taking on addiction, abortion, racism, and generational trauma without blinking. Season six will land on Paramount+, which has become the new streaming home for BET content and brings the series to a global platform with roughly 80 million subscribers, a significant jump from BET+’s previous reach.
Then there is the other side of Ms. Pat’s empire. Her unscripted courtroom series “Ms. Pat Settles It” is back with new episodes of season three premiering Tuesday, June 30 at 9 PM ET/CT, and this batch does not disappoint. Ms. Pat returns to the bench armed with a jury of comedian friends and celebrity guests to rule on real-life disputes covering everything from imposter designer karma to family conflicts and court-ordered marriage ultimatums. Celebrity jurors this season include Carmen Barton, DeRay Davis, Karlous Miller, NeNe Leakes, Jasmin Brown, Safaree Samuels, and Navv Greene. Season three also has a twist: some cases will feature popular influencers dragging their drama, and their followers, right into the courtroom.
“Ms. Pat Settles It” returns as part of Comedy Fun Night on BET, a curated weekly comedy block airing every Tuesday designed to deliver a full spectrum of funny, from breezy feel-good laughs to sharper late-night comedy.
BET Studios EVP and Head of Creative Aisha Summers-Burke called Williams-Lee “one of the most distinctive voices working in television today,” while BET President Louis Carr described her as “bold, authentic, and deeply rooted in the lived experiences of our community.” Ms. Pat’s own response was characteristically unfiltered: “BET took a chance on my story when it was messy, loud, and unapologetically mine. I’m just getting started!”
Between a sitcom moving to one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world and a courtroom show that delivers genuine chaos every week, it is safe to say the docket is full.
“The Ms. Pat Show” is produced by Imagine Entertainment, Jordan E. Cooper’s Cookout Entertainment, and Lee Daniels Entertainment. “Ms. Pat Settles It” is produced by 495 Productions.