Harlem Heights
Harlem’s Finest Gives Reality TV An About-Face
2009-03-13
By Elaine Welteroth
BET’s newest show “Harlem Heights” airs a sexier side of this gritty New York City neighborhood. The same rich soil that gave life to a wave of social revolutionists, artists and activists in the 1920s is home to a new class of young professionals who represent a post-modern renaissance.
The docu-drama follows Harlem’s finest twenty-somethings on their post-grad adventure to the top against a scenic uptown backdrop. Urban identity is given a positive inflection - one that emphasizes social change and professional advancement over sports and hip-hop.
The fresh-faced cast of eight real-life friends (and frienemies) take viewers along as they grind by day, and sip cosmos by night. But don’t get it twisted. Each of these urban elitists has a story to tell and a helping hand to offer on their way to stake claim on a piece of the American dream.
Ebonyjet.com was on the scene for the premiere held aptly at the legendary Apollo Theater.
Meet The Cast:
Pierre: the pretty boy from a broken home who went from college hooping to pounding the non-profit pavement.
Christian: the magazine editor who refused the silver spoon offered by a wealthy family in order to carve out his own success.
Landon: the young politico who takes cues from his influential community activist father.
Jason: the single father with street swag who has set his sights on starting a non-profit for kids with incarcerated parents.
Bridget: the upbeat, opinionated law student and writer who narrates as the drama unfolds.
Briana: the southern-raised, no mess taking, fashionista who works as a designer for Victoria Secret’s Pink Collection.
Ashlie: the aspiring actress, who is slated to be the show’s resident drama queen as her catty nature quickly reveals by the second episode.
Lastly, there’s Brooke: the hot-chick tv producer who claims she’s “misunderstood” after her first 15 minutes of fame on the arm of rapper ex-boyfriend Kanye West.
Episode 1:
The introductory episode tracked the moments surrounding the most memorable event in recent history: election night. Viewers are prompted to relive the emotional tidal wave driven by President Obama’s victory. Emotions run especially high for Landon during a tearful father-son conversation about the passing of the torch to a new generation of leaders. Negative stereotypes about hardened black men who become absent fathers are banished when Jason shares the message of this historic moment with his little girl.
Episode 2:
The unifying effect of Obama’s victory faded fast. By Episode 2, the catty conflict we expect from reality tv reared its head in a face-off between the show’s token prima donnas, Brooke and Ashlie. Tensions mount to an anti-climatic confrontation that ultimately lacked points in the keep-it-real category. To the show’s credit, the divas did right by embodying positive, polished, articulate, ambitious, and relatively wholesome attributes, unlike another reality set of angry black women.
Overall, the show’s refreshing premise overshadows slow moments, others that feel staged and some excessive idealism (yawn).
BET answers the call to action just in time, delivering its classiest act yet with relevent, empowering programming dedicated to celebrating the strides made by the cultural leaders of Harlem’s original renaissance.
Not yet an unequivocal hit, but certainly one to watch. (Monday nights at 10 PM.)
Three stars.
New York resident Elaine Welteroth is a beauty and style reporter for EBONY magazine.
