Entertainment

CeeLo Green's Reality Show Isn't Very Real

by Marisa LaScala

CeeLo Green is everywhere this summer: on tour (with Lionel Richie, no less), in movie theaters (with a role in Begin Again, from the director of Once), and now, on TBS, starring in his own reality show, CeeLo Green's The Good Life. The series has him reuniting with childhood friends Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo, also known as the Goodie Mob. Fun fact: They're the hip-hop group that first coined the phrase "Dirty South." Anyone who tunes in will see the four of them travel from Los Angeles to their hometown of Atlanta, but they have to be doing something along the way to warrant a TV show, right? Here's what you can expect from The Good Life.

Of Course, There Will Be Music

The show gives a behind-the-scenes look at Age Against the Machine, the first full-length Goodie Mob album in 14 years. Sports fans are probably intimately familiar with the last Goodie Mob release, the single "Fight to Win," which served as the theme song for the 2012 NBA Playoffs. The Good Life sees the Goodie Mob prepping for the release of the album and embarking on a mini-tour to support it. The show also follows the wrap-up of Green's Las Vegas show, CeeLo Green is Loberace, where he got to wear some fantastic costumes.

But It's Not Just About the Album

CeeLo wouldn't be CeeLo if there weren't some craziness involved. We're talking creating inappropriate children's cartoons, trying out stand-up comedy, and interacting with live tigers (Oh my!). In the premiere, Green gets the idea to start a limousine business — using only attractive female chauffeurs. At the same time, he has to train to throw out the first pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers. You can get a preview of how that turned out below.

It's Sort of Reality

Can CeeLo Green's life really be that fantastical all the time? Like everything else in the reality TV world, of course there's a little fudging. Executive producer Andrew Jameson described it as a “heightened version of what’s going on in their lives,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The paper then asked the Goodie Mob about their individual portrayals.

In the third episode T Mo has trouble coming up with decent clothing for an upcoming event. T Mo admitted that was tomfoolery. “I know how to dress myself,” he said.

You'd Never Guess His Inspiration

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Plenty of musicians have had their own realty shows: Bret Michaels, Gene Simmons, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. It doesn't seem like Green had any of them in mind when he decided to launch his own. TV Guide reports that Green's actual inspiration for the show was Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm . "It's truly the art imitating the life," he said.

It'll Be Gone Before You Know It

Currently, TBS has only ordered six episodes of CeeLo Green's The Good Life. That's a super-short season, even for cable. If you're interested, you better set your DVR tonight, or you might miss the entire season.

Images: TBS