Being Bobby Brown
Reality series following Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston.
The reality series *Being Bobby Brown* premiered on Bravo on June 30, 2005. It followed R&B singer Bobby Brown, his wife Whitney Houston, and their family through their daily life, including time at home, shopping trips to London’s Harrods (where they met owner Mohamed Al-Fayed), and vacations in the Bahamas. The show aired on Thursdays but sometimes ran multiple times a week. It was highly popular, earning Bravo its highest-ever ratings and continuing Houston’s streak of successful television and film projects. Despite its success, the series lasted only one season; Houston declined to appear in a second, and Bravo and Brown could not agree on continuing the show.
In Italy, the series aired on 7 Gold as *Bobby Brown - Vite familiari* from December 15, 2014, to February 2, 2015, in an afternoon slot. It had been planned for Telecapri News in 2007 but remained unaired there for seven years. In Romania, it aired on Antena 1 as *Familia Brown*. In Poland, it has aired occasionally on Polsat JimJam since 2024 under the title *Bycie Bobby Brown*. The series has not been released on DVD; a Bravo spokesperson stated it would remain in the network’s archives. NBC Universal currently holds the rights.
The show popularized the phrase “Hell to the no,” used by Houston, who was nominated for a VH-1 “Big In ’05 Award” for “Quote of the Year.” The phrase also appeared on T-shirts. The television series *The Soup* featured Houston shouting “Kiss my ass!” as a recurring gag, naming it its “Clip of the Year.”
*Entertainment Weekly* gave the series a “B” grade, noting how relaxed the couple appeared with the cameras. Critic Barry Garron, however, called it “the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television,” citing remarks about sexual and excretory functions. Despite such criticism, the show was extremely popular, winning its time slot and achieving Bravo’s highest ratings.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality
- Starring
- Bobby Brown / Whitney Houston / Bobbi Kristina Brown
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 11
- Executive Producer
- Bobby Brown / Frances Berwick / Rachel Smith / Tommy Brown / Tracey Baker-Simmons / Wanda Shelley
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Runtime
- 20 minutes
- Company
- B2 Entertainment / Brownhouze Entertainment
- Channel
- Bravo
- First Aired
- 2005-06-30
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series ran on Thursdays, occasionally airing several times a week, and was extremely popular throughout its run, receiving the highest ratings ever for the Bravo network. The show continued Houston's unbroken string of hit motion pictures and television projects. Despite its success, the highly rated show ran for only one season and ended after Houston stated she would not appear in a second season; thus, Bravo and Brown could not reach an agreement to continue the show.
In Italy, the series aired on 7 Gold under the title 'Bobby Brown - Vite familiari' from December 15, 2014, to February 2, 2015, after being initially slated for Telecapri News in 2007 but remaining unaired for seven years. In Romania, it aired on Antena 1 as 'Familia Brown', and in Poland, it has aired occasionally on Polsat JimJam since 2024 as 'Bycie Bobby Brown'. The series has not been released on DVD, and a Bravo spokesperson stated it will be kept in the Bravo archives; rights are currently held by NBC Universal.
Reader's Guide
Being Bobby Brown holds significance as a reality television milestone, achieving the highest ratings ever for the Bravo network and continuing Whitney Houston's successful run in television projects. The series is notable for Houston's popularization of the phrase 'Hell to the no', which earned a VH-1 'Big In '05 Award' nomination for 'Quote of the Year' and appeared on T-shirts. The Soup television series also featured Houston shouting 'Kiss my ass!' as a running gag, naming it 'Clip of the Year'. Reception was mixed: Entertainment Weekly gave a good review with a grade of 'B', praising the couple's relaxed demeanor, while reviewer Barry Garron called it 'the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television', citing remarks about sexual and excretory functions. Despite the so-called train-wreck nature, the series won its time slot and gave Bravo its highest ratings ever. Its legacy includes being a one-season phenomenon that captured public attention and remains in the Bravo archives, never released on DVD.
Did You Know?
- Whitney Houston popularized the phrase 'Hell to the no' on the series, earning a VH-1 'Big In '05 Award' nomination for 'Quote of the Year'.
- The series was not released on DVD and is kept in the Bravo archives.
- In Italy, the show aired seven years after its initial planned broadcast, from December 15, 2014, to February 2, 2015.
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