JAMES DUBOSE: REALITY? CHECK. PT. 2: Producer writing the reality TV rules.

“Someone once said to me that Frankie is just trying to go back to the time that she remembers before she started doing drugs. She doesn’t remember from 20 on being clean, so she’s going back trying to make up for what she’s missed. I’m not a therapist or a doctor, but I can see that.”

      *James DuBose is the man behind some of BET’s very popular programming including 2006-08’s “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” and its spin-off “Frankie & Neffe,” and “Tiny & Toya,” and the new series “Monica: Still Standing.”

      And while some of his work is considered controversial, the producer and CEO of DuBose Entertainment took time out to explain that his programs are more than just unscripted entertainment. “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” was DuBose’s breakout show though he’d been working in the industry since 1991.

      “That was my biggest show,” he said. “When Interscope and BET approached me about doing the show, everybody had a different take on what they thought the show would be. Once I met Keyshia and got a chance to know who she was as a person, I wanted to portray her in a different way and thank God it worked out.”

      Upon the closing of that show came the natural spin-off of “Frankie & Neffe,” starring Cole’s mother and sister who had reoccurring appearances that built up their personalities in the original “Keyshia Cole” show.

      Of “Frankie & Neffe” DuBose said, “It’s a different show for me. Most people would think they’d be in better situations. I think in Frankie and Neffe’s case, they made mistakes along the way and what I wanted to show is that they understand each other now and understand themselves a little better and they realize how much work has to go into the individual.”

      DuBose explained that for him the show felt like an experiment that everyone could learn from.

      “The three things that I try to do in these shows are entertain you, educate you, and inspire you,” he said of his hopes for this particular show. “If I can hit all those things, then I think the show has a great shot of being successful. And without a shadow of a doubt, Frankie and Neffe are definitely entertaining, but you could learn a lot from their stories.”

      “There are a lot of things I think don’t belong on TV,” he continued referring to a close look at Frankie’s battle with drugs. “I always care for the people I’m working with more than the TV show. I want to continue to have a genuine relationship with the people I’ve been blessed to work with.”

      “She (Frankie) is definitely trying to move past the mistakes that she’s made,” he said. “And this is a prime example of, ‘Yes, we did the TV show and it’s done for the first season, but I care about her and I want to see her get herself together and stand on her own again.’”

     DuBose prides himself on the fact that his reality series, or docu-series as he refers to them, are based more on how they can help the stars and the viewers, and he particularly has hope for help for Frankie.

      “Someone once said to me that Frankie is just trying to go back to the time that she remembers before she started doing drugs. She doesn’t remember from 20 on being clean, so she’s going back trying to make up for what she’s missed. I’m not a therapist or a doctor, but I can see that,” he said of her outrageous behavior.

      “But she’s bright and she’s smart,” he stated. “People love to have her come and tell her story. She’s very open and honest and you can tell there’s a lot of pain there. I just want to help her get herself together beyond the TV show.”

      On the flip side, DuBose has his new production, “Monica: Still Standing.” The show is about R&B singer Monica who rose to fame in the 90s only to quietly begin to fade into the background in the new millennium.

      “I approached Monica and I had this concept called ‘The Single’ that we did with Peachtree TV and it was basically taking someone that had it all in the music business and had sort of gone away and I wanted to bring them back with one single,” DuBose described. “From that I got a chance to really know Monica and I thought her story was entertaining and inspiring. I just felt that she was someone that the world should know.”

     DuBose took “The Single” one-hour special to BET where it did well with audiences and opened the door for the reality series.

      With a clear panache for reality TV based on some very entertaining African Americans, it may come as a surprise that DuBose is not a part of one of the most popular shows of its kind, Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

      “I was approached by True Entertainment to produce ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’” he revealed. “Things didn’t work out. Then I saw the show and I realized that it was probably not something that I would do. I just think there’s more to those ladies than what we’re seeing on TV – at least I hope so.”

      “It’s a great hit,” he added, “but what’s success? Is it simply ratings or is it when this TV show is over with, are you really setting yourself up. Did the TV show use you or did you use the TV show. Will you be able to go out and garner any legitimate business or did you do what you had to do for the sake of a TV show?”

      Check www.bet.com for the latest on James DuBose’s docu-series and be on the lookout for his new reality show on NFL star Michael Vick. For more on DuBode Entertainment, visit www.duboseent.com.

Read Pt 1. here.