Written by | Ray Cornelius
It was all about the ALA this past Friday afternoon as the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) hosted a special media brunch in Atlanta to promote the newest edition to their sizzling Saturday evening lineup—Love & Marriage: Huntsville.
The docu-series, which was previously titled Rocket City Revival, follows the lives of three successful and powerful African American couples in the thriving city of Huntsville, Alabama who come together to help revitalize the region through their joint real estate venture – The Comeback Group.
The eight-episode series features Melody and Martell Holt, Marsau and LaTisha Scott and soon-to-be-married duo, Maurice Scott and Kimmi Grant. The triad are longtime friends whose goals are to put Huntsville back on the map but must navigate through the realities of dealing with love and marriage while attempting to focus on making this huge undertaking a success.
Two episodes of Love & Marriage: Huntsville have already aired and Twitter is up in arms over Martell’s admission to having an extramarital affair on Melody. “Wooo! Martel is lying. He’s still cheating,” said Juelz Santana’s Wedding Dentures.
And then there’s Marsau’s traditional views on marriage and family and his displeasure over LaTisha’s desire to join the workforce that have many women…well…just plain mad. Oh, and let’s not forget the phrase “respectful cheating” which has already become a popular #hashtag.
RC got a chance to dish with the ladies about this and whether they were concerned about public opinions putting a strain on their marriages.
“We didn’t think about our marriage not making it because of the reality TV show. We have a solid foundation. My husband and I have been married and together for 12 years,” said LaTisha Scott. “What you see on TV are truly the conversations we have at home without the cameras being there. We were like, ‘there are couples out here that can relate to what we’re going through’ and if they can see that we’re going through this and survive it, so can they.'”
In addition, the ladies were very open and honest about their friendships being real and genuine. Despite how it may appear in upcoming episodes, they truly see each other as “sisters” and not competitors. For Melody Holt aka “Miss Bougie,” their bond is bigger and stronger than the falsities of most reality show casts.
“I don’t think reality TV can mess up a friendship or mess up a marriage. I think it matters on the foundation and where you were when you walked into it. For us, I don’t see reality messing up our friendship.”
“Were like sisters and we’re like family, said newly wed Kimmi Grant. “Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t have disagreements and we don’t have conversations. Part of the show is about conflict resolution…proper conflict resolution without tossing tables up. Now don’t get it twisted. We’re not always on the same page at the same time because that’s not reality.”
Love & Marriage: Huntsville is the brainchild of reality show guru Carlos King, who has produced such hit series as the Real Housewives of Atlanta and TV One’s Hollywood Divas. To my knowledge, this is the first of its kind to focus on the African American real estate experience. For each of the ladies, this new platform also serves as a springboard for some very personal agendas that are far more reaching than the show.
Check out Love & Marriage Huntsville this Saturday night at 9 p.m. on OWN.
Photo Credits: OWN and RayCornelius.com
