I get so excited whenever there is a new show on TV starring someone who looks like me (read: a black woman). I get even more excited when that black woman is married and she’s got kids and””would you look at that!””a bustling career too. From Claire Huxtable to Vivian Banks to even (kinda) Rochelle from Everybody Hates Chris, I love when I can relate to the characters on a deeply personal level.
I’ve been waiting anxiously for Mary Mary, the award-winning gospel duo, to hit the screen for some time now with their new reality show on WEtv. They are my favorite contemporary gospel artists because they seem to have no problem letting people know how it really is. They’ve got a gang of kids – it’s not easy. They’re highly sought after performers – they’re on the road a lot and it’s exhausting. But in the midst of it all, they’re grateful and thankful for their blessings.
Their show promises much of the same and I will be glued to the TV every night until they give me a reason not to. Yes, I had to put that disclaimer in there. I had a lot of high hopes for reality shows and scripted comedy series in the past, and it hasn’t worked out too well for me and other viewers. The return of BET’s The Game? Feels too stereotypical and too forced now. Let’s Stay Together? Not bad, but not too good either. Reed Between The Lines? Eh, let’s see what changes they make in Season 2.
But I’m hopeful that Erica and Tina can give us something different: positive images of black love and marriage and career success, without it veering too far in either direction. What do you think? Check out a few sneak peeks of their show and tune in Thursday, March 29 at 10 p.m. to see if the show lives up the hype: