Famous singing couple Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston has beengiven another shot at fame via reality TV. Bravo partnered with B2Entertainment and Bobby Brown’s Brownhouze Entertainment to launcha reality based, unscripted series tentatively titled “Being BobbyBrown.”
The ten episode, one-hour series is slated to premiere by spring2005. The show’s theme will be Brown’s revitalization of his careerwith New Edition, and his attempts to distance himself from hislegal troubles.
“Being Bobby Brown” follows Brown, who servesas the co-executive producer and his family members over the courseof six months. Executives hope the series will set the recordstraight about Brown’s relationship with his wife, Whitney Houston,their daughter Bobbi Kristina, his children from previousrelationships, La Princia and Bobby Jr., and his personalmanager/brother Tommy.
Brown came up with the idea of a reality showafter he and his wife drew in high ratings for their December 2002interview with Diane Sawyer. In their interview, Brown and Houstondiscussed Brown’s legal woes, their drug use, and marital troubles.
Bobby Brown hit the pop charts in the ’80s asa founding member of the group New Edition with songs “Candy Girl”and “Popcorn Love” and credits himself as being the self-proclaimed “King of R&B.” In 1986, he left the group to begina solo career with hits including “My Prerogative,” and a balladtitled “Roni.” Later, in 1989, he earned a Grammy for Best Rhythmand Blues Vocal Performance, Male, with his song “Every LittleStep.”
Since then, he has become well-known for hismultiple probation violations and jail sentences for chargesincluding drunken driving, marijuana possession, failing to paychild support, and his marital troubles with Whitney Houston.
Bravo President, Lauren Zalaznick said,”‘Being Bobby Brown’ will allow the public to see Brown outside thecontext of a pop icon and bad boy; rather they’ll witness an artiststriving to clean up his life for his future and the future of hisfamily.”
“On the one side there is Bobby as he isportrayed in the media. On the flip side is Bobby as a person. Thisshow, shot cinema verit� style, is an introspective look atBobby Brown the husband, father and friend,” added Tracey Baker,executive producer for B2 Entertainment.
Although network executives are optimisticabout the airing of “Being Bobby Brown,” Dr. Abhik Roy, aCommunication and Culture professor at Howard University isnot.
“Television has lost its charm. There are nomore creative people coming up with good story lines andcharacters,” says Roy. “It appears as though networks are justtrying to come up with the same type of reality shows which displayconflict and sex for ratings.” He continued, “I personally don’tlike reality shows. I will never watch Bobby or Whitney and I amnot at all curious about what goes on in their dailylives.”
Robert Williams, a junior journalism major atHampton University added, ” These reality shows could have aharmful affect on people’s views of Blacks because of thestereotypical, negative way they seem to cast and portray Blackpeople which aren’t necessarily true.”
When asked if he would ever watch the show,Williams replied enthusiastically, “No!”
