"...What's Really Real About It Is How Really Unreal It Really Is...."

Fun with numbers, coming up.

But, first...

NEW YORK, NY (May 11, 2012) – Lifetime has picked up “The Houston Family Chronicles” (working title), an all-new docu-series that will follow the lives of the late Whitney Houston’s family, led by Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and manager, and including Pat’s daughter Rayah, Whitney’s brother Gary, daughter Bobbi Kristina and mother, Grammy® Award-winning singer Cissy Houston. The announcement was made today by Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President, Programming, of Lifetime Networks.

Whitney Houston’s sudden passing left behind a major void felt not only by the world, but also by those who loved her most, her beloved family. “The Houston Family Chronicles” follows those closest to the pop music icon as they try to pick up the pieces after her untimely death. Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law, manager and most trusted confidant, manages the business and estate of the beloved singer and her most prized possession, her daughter Bobbi Kristina. The series will follow Pat and her husband, Gary, Whitney Houston’s brother, as they take on their greatest challenge, supporting and guiding Bobbi Kristina as she faces the world alone, without the one person she relied on the most, her Mother.

A mother to her own teenage daughter, Rayah, Pat understands the difficulty of raising a young woman in a world where social media and peer pressure are the norm. As she tries to guide her own daughter into womanhood, Pat also has the responsibility of raising Bobbi Kristina, who, while trying to move forward with life and make decisions about her future, must also learn to cope with such a devastating loss. With the certainty of a microscopic lens focused on this young woman and her every move, Pat, Gary and their tight-knit group of family and friends are committed to seeing that Bobbi Kristina can grow and experience life unscathed. A true believer in the bond that women share called sisterhood, and a self proclaimed “woman’s woman,” Pat enlists the help of her and Whitney’s inner circle, including Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick and Gospel legend CeCe Winans, to assist her in such difficult times.

“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,” said Sharenow. “In this series, the multi-generations of the Houston family will bravely reveal their lives as they bond together to heal, love, and grow.”

Pat Houston added, “I have been working with Simmons Shelley over the past few years developing a project suitable for myself and our family. The unexpected passing of Whitney certainly affects the direction of the show. However, it is my hope that others will be enlightened as they watch our family heal and move forward.”

Lifetime has ordered ten hour-long episodes of “The Houston Family Chronicles,” which will premiere this year. Jarrett Creative will produce. Julie Insogna-Jarrett, Seth Jarrett, Tracey Baker Simmons, Wanda Shelley and Pat Houston will serve as executive producers with Lifetime’s Rob Sharenow, Gena McCarthy and Noah Pollack.


And now, fun with numbers.

By my count, we are now three reality shows away from there being, or having been, more people in them than watching them.

Can't speak for you, but I think that's pretty damn exciting.

Because I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.