Tia & Tamara (VOD Hidden Gem)September 16, 2011
Style Network
Every Thursday, media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention.
Tia & Tamara (VOD Hidden Gem)
The time has finally come where we have a reality show that is b*tch free and as close to being G rated for adults as humanly possible. In fact, so close that some of my Twitter friends have called this show “Tia & Tamera zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.” Style Channel has swooped up this twins who first graced our small screen as cute pre-teens in "Sister Sister" starring as twins separated at birth and reunited under one roof with Tia’s mom, played by "227" great Jackee, and Tamera’s dad, played by Venus Flytrapp himself, Tim Reid. Yes, it sounds remarkably like PARENT TRAP and that’s because it was the chocolate version. What better way to set the goodie goodie stage than to have light and fluffy twin hyjinx?
But now they are grown and college educated. Tia is married (was preggo) and stars on the former CW now BET show "The Game" (moved after cancellation due to a strong fan campaign) and Tamera who was engaged (now married) and acts in various things on television. Style Channel has decided that these two are worth their own reality show because they are sweet, light, twins and well, don’t rock too many boats. As I watched the first few episodes, I realized that I had questions.
Are we ready for G rated family reality shows? "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" is definitely not for kids nor is it for people who have sensitive gag reflexes. WE TV’s Downsized about a blended family trying to keep it together financially might be a bummer. Tia & Tamera focuses on Tia going through pregnancy and Tamera as a fiancee and then newlywed. It’s like somebody split Lucille Ball in two.
Who is the audience? One of my favorite cousins is religious but not to the point where you keep saying “awkward” after everything slip that comes out of your mouth. She’s light, funny, smart and would probably love the things Tia & Tamera go through because she doesn’t have to worry about any of her kids repeating “slore” like Khloe Kardashian Odom does. Have reality television execs realized that some people actually like clean adult female fun? BTW, their first episode had 1.5 million viewers and was the most watched Style premier ever.
How long can it last?
Why isn’t it On Demand? With viewership hovering around 1 million viewers per episode (in the 18 - 49 demographic) why isn’t Style Channel grabbing On Demand audiences? Style professes to cater to fashion, urban lifestyle and interior decorating but all those folks (ahem, me!) are busy like the twins! A few internet boards have posted questions about finding Style On Demand but nothing so far.
The bottom line is that as actresses who have a reality show, it’s going to be interesting to see how this affects their careers as we’re breaking the 4th wall here. But in this case, those careers belong to early 30s born again twins who don’t have that much to hide. It’s not like they are Mary-Kate and Ashley who went from Cabbage Patch Kids to mini Marlene Dietrich-like fashion moguls who barely say a peep about their personal lives. Hey...that wouldn’t be a half bad show either...
T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk.
