BET Networks to Air THE BACK STORY: 12 YEARS A SLAVE Tonight

BET NETWORKS PRESENTS AN EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL - "THE BACK STORY: 12 YEARS A SLAVE" - THE STARS EXPLORE THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FILM

ONE HOUR SPECIAL PREMIERES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST AT 9:00 P.M.* ET/PT ON BET NETWORKS AND WILL ALSO DEBUT THE SAME NIGHT ON Centric AT 10:00 P.M. ET/PT

"THE BACK STORY: 12 YEARS A SLAVE" - Airs Friday, November 1st at 9:00 P.M. ET/PT on BET.

The cast and creators of this season's most buzzed about drama, 12 Years A Slave, sit down for an in-depth one-hour special examining "the backstory" of the film's most provocative themes. Lauded actors Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard and Lupita Nyong'o join acclaimed director Steve McQueen, as they offer an insider's look at the harrowing, heartfelt and historically significant true story of Solomon Northrup, a free man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Veteran celebrity journalist and "Access Hollywood" anchor, Shaun Robinson, engages the actors in a vibrant discussion with noted scholars, cultural critics and respected historians before a studio audience. The special's impassioned discourse is punctuated with clips from the film.

Encores of the special will air Saturday, November 2nd at 12 P.M. ET/PT on BET, and 10 A.M. PT/ET on Centric.

For more information about the special, visit http://www.BET.com.