Black early 2000s reality shows ruled pop culture and created an unparalleled legacy that still stands in 2024.
Throughout 2000-2010, we saw all kinds of on-camera craziness that would (ultimately) serve as a blueprint for today’s theme of erratic entertainment. From watching a group of women crazily vie for one man’s heart to dropping our mouths at family dysfunction far beyond what we’d ever seen, we stayed seated with our popcorn for the weekly madness.
Many of the same individuals subsequently stamped their position at Mount Rushmore of raw television. They became infamous for their hall-of-fame antics, marking some of the most historical segments in the modern-day African-American community.
However, those outlandish moments eventually set the standard for its successors, such as the Real Housewives, Basketball Wives, and Love & Hip Hop franchises.
Take a trip down memory lane with us, shall you?
Black Early 2000s Reality Shows You May Have Forgotten About
Twenty years later, we still remember the 2004 introduction of College Hill.
College Hill hit the ground running in 2004. The BET sensation recorded the day-to-day lives of HBCU students under one roof.
Its original franchise aired from 2004-2009 and included six seasons. The show included students from Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Langston University (Langston, Oklahoma), Virginia State University (Ettrick, Virginia), University of the Virgin Islands (U.S. Virgin Islands), Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia), University of Miami, Florida International University, Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Broward Community College, University of Florida, and Florida Memorial University (South Beach – Miami, Florida).
The spin-off, College Hill: Interns, aired in 2007. BET+ revitalized the series in 2022, which saw celebrities as the participants.
Being Bobby Brown debuted on Bravo in 2005.
In 2005, R&B singer Bobby Brown landed his own reality phenomenon on Bravo titled Being Bobby Brown. The short-lived series followed the New Edition icon’s life outside the spotlight with his dynamic family, including his then-wife (the late songstress Whitney Houston) and children (Bobbi Kristina Brown, La’Princia Brown, Bobby Brown Jr.)
Unfortunately, Being Bobby Brown only ran for one season, which featured ten episodes, but it’s still raved about today. Although the show was highly successful, it also received mixed reviews for its bizarre behaviors from the controversial couple. Viewers often accused production of exploiting Houston’s battle with drug addiction due to her wild interactions during filming.
Reportedly, Houston refused to return for season two, and Brown even had a run-in with the law throughout the run of Being Bobby Brown. So, ultimately, it was axed.
Run’s House gave us new-age Cosby vibes that same year.
Rapper-turned-minister Rev. Run (from the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC) brought his real life to the limelight when Run’s House premiered.
The MTV-produced series (which debuted in 2005) documented Run, his wife, Justine, and their beautifully blended family in their New Jersey home. Run’s oldest children, JoJo, Angela, and Vanessa, were from a previous relationship. He shared his youngest, Diggy and Russy, with Justine. The couple later adopted a daughter named Miley.
Run’s House concluded in 2009 after six seasons. The show was famous for its inspirational messages and positive theme.
Flavor of Love was the most talked-about dating show of 2006.
Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav shocked the world when he popped out with a dating show called Flavor of Love in 2006.
Following his time on VH1’s The Surreal Life (where he met then-ex-girlfriend Brigitte Nielsen) and Strange Love, documenting their tumultuous relationship (2004-2005), Flav embarked on a new journey to find romance.
Like ABC’s The Bachelor, Flavor of Love chronicled twenty women living under a California mansion competing in a series of challenges to win the ultimate crown as Flav’s one and only. The show is most notable for spawning the socialite careers of Tiffany “New York” Pollard, Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander, Shay “Buckeey” Johnson (later seen on Love & Hip Hop), and London “Deelishis” Charles (season one winner), among others.
Flavor of Love saw three seasons (officially ending in 2008), with I Love New York (2007), Charm School (2007), and I Love Money (2008) serving as simultaneous spin-offs.
We could never forget Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is either.
Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is was the epitome of generational trauma. The reality series displayed celebrated singer Keyshia Cole’s life after reaching worldwide stardom and the drama within it.
Throughout the show, we had a front-row seat to the dysfunction between Cole and her battered relationship with her biological mother, the late Frankie Lons, and her estranged siblings.
Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is delivered three seasons and became one of BET’s most-watched programs in their history. After its 2008 closing, BET aired Frankie & Neffe, a spin-off centered on Cole’s mother and controversial sister, Neffe, which took place in 2009.
I Love New York was the talk of the tabloids in 2007.
After losing Flavor of Love, reality icon Tiffany “New York” Pollard went on to find her knight in shining armor elsewhere.
In 2007, her own dating show, I Love New York, premiered on VH1, which starred a group of fellas fighting to earn the title of New York’s lucky guy. The show is responsible for bringing Ahmad “Real” Givens and Kamal “Chance” Givens (aka rap group The Stallionares) to prominence.
Shortly after their time on I Love New York, the brothers launched their dating competition series, Real Chance of Love, on the network in 2008.
To this day, I Love New York is at the forefront of many memes and OG viral moments.
Many wondered if Hell Date was real when it was released in 2007.
Hell Date had to be one of the most bizarre prank shows of the 2000s.
Having debuted in 2007, the series captured a crew of actors who’d go on (seemingly legitimate) blind dates with random individuals who–unbeknownst to the other parties–would purposely make it a date from hell.
The program’s goal was to see how far the Hell Daters could push the prank to garner a real-time reaction from the participant.
During its run, many debates spiraled from viewers wondering if the (alleged) victims of Hell Date were in on the prank and only acted surprised for shock value.
The final episode aired in 2008.
Which of these Black early 2000s reality shows do you remember? Comment below!
Readers May Also Like:
How Beauty Influencer Jools Lebron Made The Term “Demure” Explode; Turning Into A Lifechanging Move
Famous Alpha Phi Alpha Members You Should Know: 10 Men Of The First Black Fraternity
Meet The 20 Black Billionaires of the World… (Yeah, ONLY 20 In The Whole World!)
9 Entertainers Who You Didn’t Know Have Stage Names
Pras Blames Lauryn Hill For Cancelled Fugees Tour in the U.S., Releases Diss Record