“BAPs,” St. Louis’ latest foray into reality TV, is ready for its national debut.
The Lifetime series follows a group of affluent African-American friends over the course of six hour-long episodes beginning Wednesday.
The cast proclaims itself as BAPs or Black American Princesses and Princes, a description that has raised the ire of some potential viewers. (The show has no connection to the 1997 Halle Berry comedy “B.A.P.S.”)
“I’m a BAP,” said cast member Anisha Morrell, 36, a public relations contractor and owner of KingMaker LLC. “Sure I am. I own it. People say it’s elitist. But I don’t want people to get disillusioned with the term BAP. It’s a celebration for me.”
Morrell and other cast members gave interviews this month at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, where the show had its world premiere.
Also there were Kristen Gipson Jones, 35, operations manager for several family-owned McDonald’s; Gina Cheatham, 44, a marketing and business development consultant; and Jason Wilson, 41, owner of Chronicle Coffee and Northwest Coffee Roasting Co.
The show also features Brandon Williams, 36, a lawyer; Ra-ina “Rai Rai” Evans, 28, a biology major at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; Kendrick Evans, 37, founder of Redy Rock Enterprises; and Riccarda Lacey, 34, a television producer/development executive from Wildwood, now living in Los Angeles, who helped bring the show to fruition.
For Gipson Jones, being a BAP refers to “someone who has the luxury of not having to worry about necessities and having access to resources and experiences that most people have not. It’s about being well educated and well traveled, knowing what RSVP means and how to conduct yourself in certain situations.”
She says the show is about upward mobility, success and hard work, but there’s a flip side.
“Most people think I haven’t had a lot of exposure to black people, or talk about how ‘white’ I talk or dress,” she said. “I had to operate in multiple worlds and play to my audience. I had to learn to do that at a young age.
“There are black people who speak well and who are well educated. This show addresses that.”
Cheatham promises the show isn’t like some other shows of its genre. “Reality isn’t just about those (other) people on the screen and the silly things that go on with them. This show is more like ‘The Cosby Show’ and opening that dialogue about greater issues. It’s giving a large group of people a voice.”
Wilson signed on to the show for its promise of looking at the complexity of what it means to be a black American, particularly in the middle class.
“It’s being a minority within a minority. When you grew up in a family with access, doing what white people did, there’s an identity crisis,” he said.
Still, Wilson is aware of negative connotations that can come with identifying as a BAP. “I’m not a BAP,” he said.
“You know this is a show called ‘BAPs,’ right?” reminded Cheatham.
“A BAP is seen as someone who is stuck up, somebody who has an elitist attitude or may be a little bit disconnected,” Wilson said. “But there’s some good things too.”
“BAPs” executive producer Jonathan Koch of Asylum Entertainment, who also worked on “Being: Mike Tyson,” “Hollywood Hillbillies,” “Beverly Hills Pawn” and “Natural Born Sellers,” says a show such as “BAPs” is rare.
“Very few times do you come across real friends who’ve known each other for a lifetime and act like a family, love like a family and fight like a family,” Koch said. “There’s a special DNA about their relationship. And as a reality show producer, to me that’s the magic bullet.”
Koch is exposed to numerous potential casts for new shows, and most of them never make it to air. Lacey managed to get the idea of “BAPs” in front of him.
“She broke down my door and left a big impression,” he said.
He was drawn to the people and their hometown. “I saw Anisha on tape. She’s spectacular, a soundbite machine with a great amount of ability to comment eloquently but also in a gripping way.
“We’re used to hearing about Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. St. Louis is untapped territory.”
Koch figured what he had on his hands was more of a “docu-series” than a reality show because the latter is more about crafting a show.
“We’re really documenting what’s going on with a real group of people more than other formatted shows,” he said.
The first episode reveals tension between Morrell and Gipson Jones, longtime friends who had a falling out. The show also features scenes of Morrell co-parenting her son with her ex-husband Mario Pascal; Morrell hanging out with her boyfriend, Evans; and Cheatham talking about her love life to her mother.
The show filmed in and around St. Louis beginning last year and wrapped a couple of months ago. Locations for the series include Powell Symphony Hall, Sub Zero Vodka Bar, Chronicle Coffee, Pin-Up Bowl, Mad Art Gallery, Gamlin Whiskey House and Forest Park.
Since wrapping, the cast has been busy promoting the show on social media, in interviews and with key appearances. At the Essence Music Festival, though, the group got a taste of harsh criticism.
After days spent receiving VIP treatment from Lifetime and Essence staff, the cast was greeted with a half-full crowd for the debut screening of “BAPs.”
One attendee loudly said she was “disgusted” after seeing the first episode. She said any positive depiction the cast claimed the show had was not reflected on screen. A man who identified himself as a friend of Wilson’s commended his friend but took exception to a comment Morrell makes — “If you stuck us in the projects with one of our white friends, we’d look at each other and say, ‘Now how the hell are we going to get out of here?’ ” — in the show’s trailer.
Andrea Toppes, a project manager for AT&T in St. Louis who attended the premiere screening, said she had been excited about “BAPs” because it featured people from her hometown, including a friend.
But then she saw the show.
“I was disappointed with the first episode because I was expecting something different,” she said. “I was expecting it to come across more positive than what the first episode displayed. We have enough negativity in terms of reality TV. It was very discouraging.” Topps said she particularly found Morrell arrogant and condescending.
“If I had been watching it on TV, I might have turned it off,” Toppes said.
The cast members at the New Orleans screening said viewers who didn’t like the first episode should give the show another chance and see how it develops. They also point out that the first episode included scenes to reel in viewers.
Producer Koch, who says he didn’t have to ramp up conflict on the show because it was already there, adds that viewers will relate to what’s on screen.
“I think anybody can watch them whether you have aspirations to be great in business, in a divorce situation or co-parenting. It’s the same situations anyone is dealing with.”
‘BAPs’
When • 9 p.m.
Where • Lifetime
More info • mylifetime.com/shows/baps
‘BAPs’ season premiere party and cast meet and greet
When • 9 p.m. Wednesday (doors at 5 p.m.)
Where • Marquee Restaurant and Lounge, 1911 Locust Street, hosted by Ericca Willis
How much • Free
More info • 314-473-5272
‘BAPs’ viewing party
When • 9 p.m. Wednesday (party at 6:30 p.m.)
Where • Brennan’s, 4659 Maryland Avenue
How much • Free
More info • 314-361-9444
