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For Coby Bell, rumors that the sitcom 'The Game' would find a new network after The CW gave it the ax in 2008 weren't enough to keep him from holding out on working.
The actor who plays the hunky Jason Pitts on the Mara Brock-Akil-helmed dramedy -- about football players and the women who love and hate them -- said lucky for him he got a new role as Jesse Porter on the USA series 'Burn Notice' during the hiatus.
"The show was done and there were always rumors that BET was going to pick it up, but those were just rumors and they were just going on for a long time," the former 'Third Watch' star told BlackVoices.com. "So, the next pilot season, luckily I didn't get a pilot, I got a show that was already on and already successful so there's no way you can walk away from that just with the hopes that 'The Game' would come back."
"When I got 'Burn Notice,' I asked NBC/Universal if 'The Game' comes back would it be possible for me to do more than just three episodes," he continued. "Three is, kind of, the limit if you are a regular on another show. You can do three guest spots. They were like, 'We'll see what happens.'"
Coincidentally, news that 'The Game' was officially getting a fourth season on BET came while Bell was filming his second episode of 'Burn Notice' -- something he thought would hinder his being a part of the resurrected sitcom.
"I thought that most likely I wouldn't be able to be a part of that, but for whatever reason, the people at NBC/Universal said 'Go ahead as long as it doesn't get in the way of 'Burn Notice.'"
Thanks to some amazing timing - 'Burn Notice' wrapped its season just a week and a half before 'The Game' commenced filming - he was even able to film more than just three episodes.
"I was able to do eight of the thirteen episodes. Way more than I thought I would be able to because I really wanted to be a part of the show," he revealed. "I went from blowing stuff up in Miami to trying to make people laugh in Atlanta. It was a trip, but it is a good problem to have."
The happily married father of four believes his character, Jason Pitts, is going through a tough spot. In addition to holding out on signing a new football contract with the San Diego Sabers, he's pursuing a new gig opposite former NBA star Chris Webber as a sports show anchor. His marriage to Kelly (played by Britney Daniel) is over, but they are trying to raise their daughter despite hating each other. 
"However dysfunctional their relationship was [when they were married,] I think they kind of kept each other in check and from going completely buck wild," Bell said. "This season we see when they are not together to keep each other in line, they go nuts. She's on a reality show and he's being more of a butthead to everybody, including her and they are trying to figure out how to deal with their teenage/tween-age daughter."
He's mum on sharing whether Kelly and Jason will get back together, but he made sure to add that BET is telling their story the right way.
"I don't think CW ever really understood the show or every really understood what they had," he confessed. "On the CW, it was like we were stepkids and on BET it's like 'No, you are our sons and our daughters and we love you.' We knew we had something special going on and that special feeling translated on the screen and BET understands that and gets the show."
"We all felt like we had a second chance at life. This isn't an appropriate analogy, but you know when people have a near-death experience and they feel like they have a second shot. They want to live their life differently. On a different level, that's how we feel about the show," Bell joked.
"The show had a near-death experience and the show had no heartbeat for a year and a half and came back to life. So, we put our all in it."
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'The Game' airs Tuesdays at 10 pm EST on BET.