Kingdom Business has music, faith, family, and dysfunction — all factors the show’s producers say bring realism to the BET+ series about the gospel music industry and the conflicts that come with money, fame and success.
The team behind the drama held a screening and mini-concert on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California, to celebrate the show’s season 2 premiere.
Executive producer Holly Carter, founder of Relevé Entertainment, said the drama’s creative team had a specific goal in mind when they brought the series to the screen.
“We wanted to tell a story about faith that was authentic,” Carter told the audience.
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The show stars Grammy-winning gospel artist Yolanda Adams and actress Serayah, whose characters come from different worlds that collide on screen.
Season 2 unfolds after a traumatic event involving Denita Jordan (Adams), a queen of gospel music and first lady of First Kingdom Church.
The cast also includes Chaundre A. Hall-Broomfield, Michael Beach, Michael Jai White, and Kiandra Richardson, along with recurring guest stars Tamar Braxton, La’Miya Good, Loretta Devine, and Louis Gossett Jr.
The central themes of the season are love, lust and denial.
“I think we all deal with a measure of denial, and the season really explores each character denying a lot of what the truth is,” said co-executive producer DeVon Franklin.
“The truth has a way of getting our attention. And so when you watch season 2, you see characters grappling with truth that they don’t want to accept. But that truth keeps persisting until it gets their attention,” Franklin added.
Also attending the event were show creators John J. Sakmar and Kerry Lenhart, along with executive producers Michael Van Dyck, Deb Evans, Kirk Franklin, and soundtrack co-ep Warryn Campbell.
The cast did not attend because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Music is a main character on the show, and this season includes special appearances by gospel stars Erica Campbell, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Israel Houghton, and Michelle Williams.
To celebrate the show’s musical roots, Kirk Franklin held a mini-concert at Tuesday’s gathering.
Franklin and his backing singers performed a medley of the gospel legend’s hits, including “I Smile,” “Stomp,” and “Melodies From Heaven.”
The audience responded by singing along, “church clapping” and some people danced in the aisles.
Season 2 of Kingdom Business premiered on Nov. 2 and is currently streaming on BET+
