BET Renews 'ComicView: Rooftop Series' for Season 2 With 20 New Episodes

BET has ordered 20 more episodes of its revived stand-up franchise, renewing "ComicView: Rooftop Series" for a second season. Chris "CP" Powell returns as host. The new season will feature 60 comedians performing on a Hollywood rooftop.

The pickup confirms the reboot's traction. The franchise returned in June as "ComicView: Rooftop Series," a reworking of the show that first aired in 1992 as a nationally broadcast showcase for up-and-coming comics.

Season 2 will mix veteran and emerging talent. Veteran comics Affion Crockett, Cocoa Brown, Lavell Crawford and Luenell join the lineup alongside rising comedians.

"I'm beyond proud and excited to be back at the helm for Season 2 of 'ComicView: Rooftop Series,'" Powell said. "Season 1 was amazing, and this season promises to be even better, with bigger comics and even bigger laughs. BET being back at the forefront of stand-up comedy just feels right!"

Why does 'ComicView' matter?

The original series ran from 1992 to 2008 and rotated hosts throughout its initial run. It became a pillar of Black comedy and a launchpad for talent that would go on to become huge names in stand-up, including D.L. Hughley, Sommore, Cedric the Entertainer and Bruce Bruce.

The franchise's history includes stops and starts. It was briefly revived in 2014. After a nine-year absence, the show returned in 2024 as a four-episode series hosted by Mike Epps, taped at Kevin Hart's Hartbeat Weekend in Las Vegas.

The rooftop format followed that trial run. It moved the franchise from Las Vegas to Hollywood and expanded the episode count with Powell at the helm.

What does the renewal change for BET?

For BET, the order signals a sustained commitment to stand-up rather than a one-off nostalgia play. Aisha Summers-Burke, EVP, head of creative, BET Studios, framed the renewal as a response to audience demand.

"'ComicView' is part of BET's DNA, and this rooftop proved our audience is still hungry for it," Summers-Burke said. "Season 2 puts a whole new class of comics in front of them, and there's no one better than CP to hand them the mic."

The renewal also gives a new generation of comedians a national platform of the kind that propelled the show's alumni. The original run helped establish performers who became headline names across stand-up, television and film.

"ComicView: Rooftop Series" is executive produced by Jeru Tillman for Southfield Village Entertainment.

With 20 episodes and 60 comedians confirmed, Season 2 more than triples the footprint of the 2024 four-episode revival, positioning the franchise as a fixture of BET's slate rather than a brief return.