Posts Tagged ‘Lifetime’

And it’s not “Being Bobby Brown”. It’s called “The Houston Family Chronicles”. The Houston family has pumped a new pulse with Lifetime for a new reality series . We think if Whitney knew, she would turn over in her grave. There’s a reason why she didn’t agree to sign on for another season of “Being Bobby Brown”, seven years ago.

“The tragic loss of Whitney Houston left a void in the hearts of people all over the world, but certainly none more so than her

beloved family,” Rob Sharenow, executive vice president of programming at Lifetime Networks, said in a statement. “In this series, the multi-generations of the Houston family will bravely reveal their lives as they bond together to heal, love, and grow.”

Whitney’s mom Cissy, daughter Bobbie Kristina, sister-in-law and manager Pat Houston, Pat’s daughter Rayah and Whitney’s brother Gary will all be featured in the late Whitney Houston’s chronicles.

The Houston entourage will support and guide Bobbi Kristina through a lens as she faces the world without her Mother. I’m sure the cameras will help. Lifetime has ordered 10 hour-long episodes of “The Houston Family Chronicles” to premiere this year.

So where’s Roxbury native Bobby Brown? He’s making every little step he can to sign his own reality deal. Humpin Around networks,  “The Bad Boy of R&B: The Bobby Brown Story”. It’s Bobby’s prerogative! Reports say Bobby wants his estranged daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to costar with him.  Bobbi Kristina who was rumored to change her name to “Kristina Houston” after her mother died. Isn’t singing the same tune.

But will be tuning up the 2012 Billboard Music Awards show this Sunday, May 20th. Bobbi Kristina, is one of many who will be paying tribute to her mom. She will also be accepting the Millennium Award on Houston’s behalf. We will always love you Whitney! Rest in peace.

As the summer approaches, the academic calendar at most colleges, universities, and school systems are winding their way down. Many of these schools feature art programs with a variety of media, whose graduating students display their works at year-end shows. The Boston area is no exception, and with the plethora of institutions around the city and beyond, those that have fashion design programs will be hosting shows to illuminate their senior students’ best work. This year, the Fashion Group International of Boston  will be celebrating the area’s graduate fashion with a number of fashion shows and exhibitions featuring designs by students at school like Lasell College, Fisher College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the School of Fashion Design. These shows started April 10th, and will go throughout most of May. For more information on dates of shows, click here.

Fans of fashion and good design are encouraged to attend and support these young creative minds as any one of them could be the next big thing. All of the students are being openly encouraged to try out for the next season of “Project Runway”, which is currently casting for season 8. The most recent season of the popular reality show airing on the Lifetime network, now in its 7th season, featured a 2009 MassArt graduate, Maya Luz, who made it to the top 6 before choosing to leave the competition. If you are a fashion student, freelance designer, or other creatively minded, fashion oriented individual, then you too can try out for the hit reality show, hosted by Heidi Klum. Casting is currently going on, so check out http://www.bunim-murray.com/prcasting or email [email protected] immediately so you don’t miss your chance!

After successfully making it to top 6 contestants on season 7 of “Project Runway”, former Massachusetts College of Art student Maya Luz opted to leave the competition on Thursday night’s show. The elegantly creative 22 year old student had been experiencing a largely successful run on the show, landing in the “best 3” designs 6 out of 10 weeks, including the last 4 weeks in row, though she never won any of the challenges outright. Citing her youthful inexperience as a reason for contributing to her feelings of being overwhelmed by the pressures of the competition, Luz, who is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, was in fact the youngest competitor on this year’s show.

Luz, a  2009 graduate with a degree in Fashion Design, received honors from Gen Art, as a finalist in the Avant-Garde category for a Styles 2009 competition. At the insistence of one of her professors, Luz applied for and was cast in the 7th season of “Project Runway”. Filmed in New York City and hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum on the Lifetime network, this season commenced with 16 designers, which also originally included New Englanders 30 year-old Ben Chmura of South Meriden, Connecticut, and 47 year-old Pamela Ptak from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Remaining in the competition is 29 year-old Jonathan Peters, from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, though his designs have landed him in the bottom 3 for the past 3 challenges in a row.

Click here to check out Maya Luz’s audition tape for “Project Runway”, filmed at the MassArt campus.

Each year, more than 750,000 teens get pregnant, according to information posted on the Rural Assistance Center, a health and human services information for rural America. So, when Lifetime Original Movie aired “The Pregnancy Pact” last month, it helped raise awareness in an obvious problem nationally among young girls. The film educates teens by exploring different topics of pregnancy and that there’s nothing easy about having a child at 16. We spoke with a popular Massachusetts high school sophomore to find out if she was being educated about getting pregnant and if she wanted to have a child at 16. “Teen Pregnancy has never been talked about in our high school. I don’t know why any teenager would think that it would be “fun” or “cool” to be pregnant and I know all my friends agree with me on that.”

“The Pregnancy Pact” was inspired by the 2008 Gloucester High School debacle in Gloucester, MA, after 18 girls in this year’s graduating class became pregnant. But it wasn’t until Principal Sullivan was quoted by TIME magazine calling the spike in pregnancy at Gloucester High a “pact” that the story received national attention. Sullivan, who was under a lot of scrutiny, stood by what he said and believed everything he said was accurate.  According to The Gloucester Daily Times, school Superintendent Christopher Farmer said he had never heard the term “pact” from students, parents, teachers or administrators at the high school.  Not one of the 18 girls or their friends and family has ever confessed of such a “pact”. The only “pact” that would be considered true is that the girls wanted to stay in school and raise their kids together.

It seems that the inspired movie was based on a false accusation from either Principal Sullivan or glamorized by TIME but at least the film has helped raise awareness in young teens not only in Massachusetts but nationally. You can read comments on the Lifetime discussion board where teens talk openly about getting pregnant.

Local filmmakers also took it upon themselves to create “The Gloucester 18,” a documentary about the actual events including interviews with the girls. Their website features original stories surrounding the events, film production staff bios, and even their own synopsis of what really happened. A free screening of the film will take place at the Kendall Theater in Cambridge, Mass. on March 4th at 7:30 p.m. It will be hosted by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy and will include a panel of experts to talk about some of the larger issues around teen pregnancy after the screening.

★ Filmed-in-MA, The Proposal helps make Sandra Bullock the top box office star of 2009.

★ Stephen Colbert gives a shout out to Connecticut.

★ “Southland” star and East Bridgewater native Tom Everett Scott comes to Ned Devine’s for premiere last week.

★ RSVP for the 2010 IMAGINE awards at the Liberty Hotel in Boston on January 12.

★ “Pregnancy Pact” movie to air on Lifetime cable network, based on story of Gloucester teens.

★ Former bodyguard to the stars in Norfolk county prison for ripping off the MBTA.

★ First ever conservative film festival being held at the Portsmouth Public Library in NH.

★ Mass Art graduate makes it to the 7th season of “Project Runway”.