It was by chance that I heard about Harlem Heights, a new reality show that premiered on BET in March. I must admit BET does not inspire confidence and I was cynical about it. Relieved that this was not a Flavor of Love meets The Real World meets The Apprentice, I started to think the show might actually be good.
What stood out most was that this was "allegedly" a show about young professional African American men and women living in Harlem. Naturally hard selling the "young professionals" aspect of the show seperates it from your typical "reality" program. I expected this to be a focal point throughout the season.
I liked the use of President Obanma's election into office as a back-drop for the first episode.
Six episodes in and what is my opinion so far? Good concept. Bad execution.The idea of getting a glimpse into the lives of eight individuals working towards their professional goals was refreshing. Everyone can relate to the growing pains of adulthood and making your dreams a reality so the show could succeed based on that alone.
The issue I (like most people)have with "reality" tv programs is that it is obviously not 100% real/reality. I mean how can it be if it is actually shown on tv and has to fill a 22 minute framework? I get that it is for entertainment value and like any soap or sitcom it must have a storyline but some parts seem heavily scripted.
At times characters converse in an awkward manner as if the producer said "Can you read that line again. Yeah but with more emotion" which is annoying. I cringe when Jason aka Young Harlem and Natai, his daughter, have their one on one talks. She is so adorable and very smart but sometimes her eyes stray towards the camera and I wonder if she is being coaxed into one of those
Kids Say the Darndest Things kind of moments.
Another thing that irritates me is product placements. Like in episode 5 when Pierre visits his family in Trenton, NJ and Jason happens to drop by thanks to his trusty [insert product placement] SatNav (sigh). Memo to producers: Product placements should be subtle and inconspicuous
Cut to the following episodes (2-6) and it's all about the DRAMA!!! Each episode somehow ties into the feud between Brooke aka Kanye's Ex and Ashlie (watch the show to fully understand it). I'm disappointed that the female castmates are overdosing on the Mean Girl juice. For real.I hope things mellow out as Brooke and Ashlie finally talk it out and will decide whether their past friendship can be rekindled.
**Sidebar:If Brooke and Ashlie talked it out between themselves things would have been resolved sooner and without other people's interference.I like both girls and think a break down in communication and hurt feelings ended their relationship. I hope they work it out even if they decide too much damage has been done to be close friends and decide to at least respect one another and kill the drama."Young. Successful. Ambitious. Reaching for new heights, Harlem Heights"My take on the cast
l to r: Pierre, Brooke, Landon, Bridget, Jason, Ashlie, Christian, Briana
Pierre is a sweetheart. He's ambitious, idealistic, humble, kind and corny as hell and I like it. He helps build low income housing and seems determined to improve his community. He's a cross between Will Smith and President Obama IMO. Not in looks but in character.
Brooke is probably the most misunderstood. I think she is honest and real and that takes courage. I don't agree with how she handled some of the situations on the show but she shows her vulnerability. She seems cool but comes across as cocky rather than confident. She might ruffle some feathers but I like her. She works at MTv as a producer I believe. I hope we see 360 degrees of her.
Landon already comes across as the type to want to walk in his father's footsteps but might not have found his own path yet. We haven't seen enough of him to really feel him out yet.
Bridget at first seems to be the common denominator but after the first episode that doesn't seem to be the case. I thought she would be more objective and play the peacekeeper but she has instigated on more than one occasion. She is definitely a team player and has the ability to bring out the best (and hopefully not the worst) in the castmates or crew as she calls them. I hope to see her in her professional roles. She is a law student and writer I think.
Jason is the only parent of the group (according to the show anyway)and seems to be a doting father to his daughter. Career wise he seems eager to make his mark although I'm not sure how his non-profit organization will pan out. Only time will tell. He's mellow and gets along with everyone, which is cool.
Ashlie is an aspiring actress. Definitely level-headed. She handles situations with maturity most of the time and is always gracious even when telling Christian where to go (laugh). Hope to see more of her sans the beefing with Brooke.
Christian is a lifestyle editor at a magazine. I want to see more of his work life than his love life though. He hasn't made a very good impression. I'll leave it at that.
Briana is definitely a friend to the end but her loyalty can make her very bias. She shouldn't offer advice or opinions on the Brooke and Ashlie situation unless it is constructive or objective. I really dislike her consistent dogging of Ashlie. She dislikes her more than Brooke and I'm not sure why. She has a hard exterior but I think it's a defense mechanism. I would like to reserve full judgement until I see how Brooke and Ashlie work things out. She is a bag designer and works at Victoria's Secret Pink.
