By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos King is the face of Black unscripted storytelling without ever needing to be the star of his hit shows.
Dubbed by fans and peers as the King of Reality TV, the Detroit-born producer has built franchises that travel beyond the coasts. His “Love & Marriage” franchise has turned Huntsville, Alabama, Detroit and Washington, D.C., into must-see television along with “Family Empire: Houston.” His other hit “Belle Collective” put Jackson, Mississippi, on the cultural map and returns with a new season Friday on OWN.
As a former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” producer, King is showing that compelling stories thrive wherever real people live, love and grind. Through his company, Kingdom Reign Entertainment, he says more than 60% of OWN’s original programming carries his imprint, crediting the network’s top executives such as Oprah Winfrey, Tina Perry and Drew Tappon for backing his vision.
Beyond television, King has expanded his reach with the popular podcast “Reality with the King” and on-camera hosting, cementing his status as both creator and voice of the culture.
In a recent conversation with The Associated Press, King opened up about independence, building generational wealth, navigating racism and homophobia as an openly gay Black man. He also touches on how he feels about being called the “Black Andy Cohen,” a nod to the “Real Housewives” executive producer and late-night host who became Bravo’s on-air face.
AP: What does the “King of Reality TV” mean to you?
KING: It solidifies my place in this business of unscripted television. Having a successful production company, Kingdom Reign Television, having the No. 1 show on Oprah Winfrey’s Network, ”Love and Marriage Huntsville,” to a number one podcast, “Reality with the King,” so all those things are underneath me, my brand and my empire. The title means a lot to me and my brand. The audience understands I’m multifaceted and multitalented. It holds a lot of weight, but I’m definitely somebody that understands the assignment.
AP: Why is ownership such a priority for you?
KING: In our business, unfortunately, you create a show and you’re at the mercy of the network, which is just our business. And that’s just the way things are, right? You do the work and once you sell the show to the network, you don’t own the show anymore. I’m all about ownership and the fact that if I put in the sweat equity, then I want all of the profits. I want all of the margins coming to me because I did the work, I created the idea. I found the cast. I developed the show. I want to own everything that I do, and that’s where my vision is right now.
The beauty of my podcast is the fact that I own it. No one can tell me what to do with it. Those opportunities of ownership is fantastic because you’re able to really create your own destiny and look for partnerships that makes sense versus doing the archaic way of this business that I just don’t have the desire to do anymore.
AP: How have you navigated systemic barriers?
KING: I have seen it all, I’ve been through it all: homophobia, racism. I’ve seen that all of my life, personal and professional. However, for me, I never allowed that to be my disadvantage. I found ways to make that my superpower. I found ways to make sure that I stood up for myself and for my people in meetings, in conversations, and inappropriate discussions where shade was thrown very subliminally. I allowed myself to be a disrupter in a very different way.
I didn’t feel the need to be super outspoken in the moment and made a scene out of it. Because I knew that if I did that, I wouldn’t be asked back to do the job. I knew to stand up for myself and my community in a way that was digestible to them. But I always knew that you have learned a valuable lesson, and you take these conversations that are happening around you, and you allow that to fuel you into being an agent of change in other situations.
AP: What are the three keys to building a successful reality show?
KING: No. 1, the cast. A show lives or dies by the cast. You got to find a great cast. No. 2 is what’s the angle? If I did a show about a group of Black people in Atlanta. … oh right, kind of seen it. But if I do a show about Black couples in Huntsville. Well, that piques my interest. Tell me more about it. Find the angle that isn’t already out there. No. 3, authenticity is key. Have an authentic group of people who want to share their lives.
The three things that doesn’t work:
First is a group of cast members who do not want to share their reality. You’re losing. Two, an angle that is familiar. I get pitched sometimes, “I’m going do a show about X, Y and Z. And I’m like, ”That’s already on the air. There’s nothing special about that. Take another big swing at the idea.” Find out what’s missing on television and create that yourself. Don’t create another copy of a show that’s already on the air. And No. 3, fakeness. Oh my gosh, the audience can spot a fake. I can spot a fake.
AP: Why did you set “Love & Marriage” in Huntsville and “Belle Collective” in Jackson?
KING: I wanted to tap into a market that I felt was underserved and just wasn’t getting their just due. I wanted to tell Black stories in inner cities and towns that aren’t prevalent like a LA, New York, Miami. I wanted to be able to show the world that these people do exist, and they should not be forgotten about. Not a lot of people, including me, have heard of Huntsville until I met some of the people and I’m like, “Oh, you guys have a great story.”
AP: How do you feel about being referred to as the Black version of Andy Cohen?
KING: I want people to really pay attention to the individualism that we both offer in this community of unscripted. For me, when it comes to my legacy, I feel very confident that people are now seeing the difference between he and I, and they’re now seeing the amount of work I’m doing with my podcast, my YouTube channel, the work that I’m doing with creating shows in different parts of the world that are untapped. They’re seeing more of that. I want them to keep watching because it’s only going to get better.
