Michael Vick to star in docu-series

The BET program is due in early 2010 and will examine the quarterback's NFL comeback and legal troubles in connection with dogfighting.



The tone of Vick's show, say producers, will be serious and somber as it focuses on his personal struggles since his release. Vick is aware that the series may do little to alter the negative perception some hold against him. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press / September 29, 2009)





By Greg Braxton October 7, 2009



He's out of prison, back in the NFL, and now Michael Vick is going to star in his own television series.

The quarterback, who took his first regular-season pro snap just two weeks ago after serving 18 months in prison, is partnering with BET for a new eight-part docu-series scheduled to air early next year. The program, tentatively titled "The Michael Vick Project," spotlights his controversial comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles while also examining his tumultuous past -- including his troubled childhood and his 2007 arrest for running a dogfighting ring.

"I just want people to really get to know me as an individual," Vick said last week in an interview from his home in Philadelphia. "What I want to do is change the perception of me. I am a human being. I've made some mistakes in the past, and I wish it had never happened. But it's not about how you fall, but about how you pick yourself up."

The onetime NFL star's decision to expose his private life to a television audience follows a flurry of recent news and sports media interviews, which began with "60 Minutes" in mid-August. The Vick series is a gamble for a quarterback who is eager to rehabilitate his tarnished image but also doesn't want to incur the further wrath of animal rights protesters, many of whom argued against his reinstatement to the NFL.

That may be difficult. Officials with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals expressed skepticism about the project.

"People who abuse animals don't deserve to be rewarded," said PETA spokesman Dan Shannon. "They shouldn't be given multimillion-dollar contracts . . . or given the privilege of being a role model.

"We don't believe Michael Vick understands the seriousness of his crime. I think he's sorry he got caught, but only time will tell if he's truly remorseful."

The project is being produced by DuBose Entertainment; Vick's production company, MV7 Productions; and Category 5 Entertainment. No one associated with the production would comment on Vick's compensation for the series. In August, a federal judge approved Vick's six-year plan to repay creditors an estimated $20 million and emerge from bankruptcy.

Producers of the Vick series emphasized the program should be considered a docu-series -- not a typical reality show like VH-1's "The T.O. Show," which revels in the excesses of its flamboyant star, wide receiver Terrell Owens. The tone of Vick's show, say producers, will be serious and somber as it focuses on his personal struggles since his release, including the strains on his relationships with his fiancée, Kijafa Frink, and his children. It will also revisit the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., where Vick spent 1 1/2 years behind bars and the Virginia property where he ran and financed a dogfighting ring.

"This show can be a blueprint for so many kids," he said. "I want to show them that things are going to happen, that they're not going to get through life without dealing with some kind of adversity. I want to show that if they have a fall from grace, this is how they can turn it around. We want this to be a story of hope."

James DuBose, executive producer for the project, said the series would be much more illuminating than Vick's recent media interviews.

"We've heard the results, but we have not seen the process of how Michael got to where he was," said DuBose, who has produced several reality-based series for BET.

"This is the raw storytelling of what happened, why and how."

The project has the support of the Eagles, the NFL and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who has acted as Vick's mentor since his imprisonment, say the producers. Also on board, they say, is the Humane Society, which has enlisted Vick in its battle to end the widespread abuse of dogs in the inner city.

BET's new entertainment chief, Loretha Jones, says the Vick project fits squarely into the network's new branding strategy of family values, cultural uplift and community pride. When she learned several months ago that Vick was being released, Jones was immediately interested in developing a series around him.

"I did not reach out for this show in order to court controversy," said Jones. "That's not where we're taking the network. . . . It's important for us to capture this important moment to see what someone does when they have the opportunity to rebuild themselves. It might serve as a road map for young men facing the same challenge."

The series will not downplay Vick's notorious past, Jones emphasized.

"No way are we excusing or minimizing the atrocity that Michael was involved in," she said. "Michael makes no attempt to do that. It is inexcusable. However, there are numerous public figures who have engaged in egregious behavior and have been given a second chance."

Vick is aware that the series may do little to alter the negative perception some hold against him.

"All I can ask is that people are receptive and come to this with an open mind," said Vick. "I can't change the past, I can only change the present. I know there are people who can't forget what I did, but I hope they can someday forgive me."

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you know, i had been point my finger at michael vick since the beginning of all this. but i heard something on the radio the other day that made put my finger back in my pocket.

all this advocacy for animal rights, yet the state of human and civil rights is at an all time low, not just in this country, but world wide. Human trafficking, for example, is a major issue in this country - major. But it's very rare that you see people going to jail for it, because no one is looking out for it. I wonder, in comparison, would the number of organizations who advocate animal rights out number those that advocate against human trafficking.

yeah, they did him wrong; but that's how it is.

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Hopefully BET won't fuck this up.

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I love dogs(I have 3 pit bulls myself). The Peta folks get on my damn nerves this man has done a lot to try to redeem himself and lost many dollars in the process. The Peta folks are hypocrits, didnt a Peta executive lock her dog and the car and the dog died from heat exhaustion..smdh

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If BET is looking to counter-program against Cesar Millan, well, job done.

If they're looking to find a sympathetic audience for Michael Vick's newly announced reality show, well, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the freshly reinstated (sorry, Kendra & Hank) NFL star will feature in an eight-part documentary-style reality show to air early next year on the cable net.

The show, tentatively if not creatively titled The Michael Vick Project, will follow the dogfighting ringmaster as he joins up with the Philadelphia Eagles, rebuilds relationships with his fiancée and kids and attempts to make amends—presumably of both the court-ordered and PR-advised variety—for his 2007 arrest.

"I just want people to really get to know me as an individual," he told the paper. "What I want to do is change the perception of me. I am a human being. I've made some mistakes in the past, and I wish it had never happened. But it's not about how you fall, but about how you pick yourself up."

And it just so happens Vick will be picking himself up with help from a possibly lucrative TV contract and a rather unexpected supporter.

Potential Very Special Episodes will revolve around his revisiting the federal prison where he served 18 months and the Virginia property on which he ran the inhumane operation.

PETA, as expected, has already spoken out in opposition to the series and, more specifically, to the idea of Vick profiting in the wake of his atrocious acts. There's no word on how much Vick, whose company is also coproducing the show, is being paid.

Somewhat surprisingly on Vick's side—in addition to the Eagles—is the Humane Society, which has recruited the footballer to help in their campaign to end inner-city abuse of dogs.

Good for Vick! Haters need to fall back! He has paid his debt to society and is moving forward with his life!

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I will be watching.

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I may want to see this.

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Im STILL tryna figure who fights dogs when u have a 8 figure salary..? this nikka a crash dummy..

Go Michael Vick, If that racist Dog hunter can get one than Michael Vick sure can.

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I'm sure Mike will do great in the documentary...he is an eloquent speaker and if I can say so myself has the eye-candy to make anything on TV work. Good for him!!

Interesting discussion - in reference to what I posted concerning many humans valuing the lives of animals, non-homo sapiens, over other human geings; go to 5:25

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Here's promo for Mike Vick's new reality show, looks pretty interesting.
Per YBF "I’m hearing this is actually a really good show and an insightful look of how a man rectifies his wrongs and gets his life back together...."

Can't embed the video so here's the link again:
Micheal Vick's New Reality Show Promo on Vimeo

*le sigh*
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