BET STILL TRYING TO SAVE 'THE GAME': Network says entire cast on board for a fourth season; but licensing issues stand in the way.

       *Black Entertainment Television is reportedly bending over backwards trying to land CW's cancelled series "The Game."

       "BET is doing everything it can to acquire the rights to Mara Brock Akil's 'The Game,'" a source at the cable network tells TVGuide.com.      

       The entire cast is said to be on board for a fourth season, as BET and CBS Television Studios continue to work toward a lower, cable-appropriate licensing fee with which new episodes can be produced.       

       "The licensing issues are very complicated," says the source. Earlier this year, BET acquired the rights to run repeats of the "Girlfriends" spin-off.       

       BET's possible involvement is but the latest "Hail Mary" pass from "The Game." As the CW pondered its plans for the 2009-10 TV season, Akil tried repositioning the sitcom as an hour-long dramedy. To that end, Season 3's wedding-themed finale was scripted and filmed differently, to offer the CW a taste of what could be.      

       If picked up by BET, however, "The Game" would stick to its half-hour comedy roots.