Arts & Culture Candid Conversations with the King; TV Producer Carlos King talks ‘Belle Collective’ and ‘Love & Marriage: Detroit’
July 06, 2023
By ZonD’Amour
Contributing Writer
For over a decade, Carlos King has been a part of some of the most memorable moments in reality TV history. Renowned for his work as a producer on seasons six through nine of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”, King is now at the helm of his own empire, “Kingdom Reign Entertainment” which has created a plethora of series across various networks including “Styling Hollywood” (Netflix), “My Killer Body with K. Michelle” (Lifetime) and “BET Presents The Encore” (BET). King is also on the third season of the Jackson, Mississippi-based series, “Belle Collective” and has three iterations (Huntsville, DC & Detroit) of his “Love and Marriage” franchise. Both series boast the highest ratings for their respective time slots on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In an exclusive with the LA Sentinel, King gives insight into how he became one of the most notable names in the landscape of reality TV while continuing to keep the audience guessing in regard to his next move.
With so many people clamoring to be on reality TV, we asked King his perspective on why it seems as if relationships dissipate when put to the test of a reality TV camera. He shares, “I always tell people TV doesn’t change the dynamics of a relationship unless you allow it to. When people say, ‘Is there a reality TV curse where people's marriages end in divorce?’ I say if your marriage ends in divorce, it was already on rocky ground. And that's also how I feel about friendships–they’re always going to have ups and downs. There will always be people in our lives who we don’t talk to anymore, it just happens. But they [the cast of “Love & Marriage: Detroit”] all know that they have to be themselves, have real conversations, and be honest with each other. These Detroit couples do a great job at making sure that happens and they’re a joy to watch this season.”
A differentiating aspect of King’s series from other reality shows is the fact that the male spouses' perspective is an integral part of the storyline. This season of “Belle Collective” has been a trending topic on social media especially when it comes to the relationship dynamics between husband and wife Cliff and Latrice Rogers as well as Glenn and Lateshia Pearson. Many people have commented that Cliff and Glenn’s behavior is manipulative and controlling.
When asked how he holds his male cast members accountable for how they behave on camera, King said, “We show the reality of what these couples are going through and the reason why we have reunions is to use that as an open forum to address what the audience is seeing how they're feeling. One of the reasons why people love me hosting the reunions is because I do ask all of those questions, I do go there and you can expect that to happen at this reunion.” He added, “The moment you think you have it figured out, you’re going to be surprised. You may feel a way at the top of the season but then towards the season you’re going to feel a very different way so stay tuned, the reunion is where everything is no holds bar.”
Not only is King behind the scenes as an Executive Producer, as mentioned he’s also on-camera as the host of his series reunions and he also hosts a wildly successful YouTube podcast on his Carlos King channel where he interviews various reality tv stars that aren’t just from his shows but also from series like, “Basketball Wives”, “Life After Lockup” and the “Real Housewives” franchise. When asked about his ability to manage his demanding schedule King said, “It’s really about balance. You have to set your schedule to where you’re not trying to juggle everything at once.
I have a great support system in a team of producers who I’m allowed to release the load to for the most part but as you know, if there’s breaking news in reality TV I'm like, 'Raindrops…' (the name of King’s fan club) '...I’m doing a podcast now as I get ready to workout, I got my pre-workout!’ When it comes to the shows I'm producing, I’m very hands-on with them but you also have to schedule “me time”. I have a rule that after a certain time, don't call me unless it's an emergency. That's my time to regroup, reflect and spend downtime with my partner and my dogs.”
While many people know King for his reality niche, he shares that following the resolution of the Writers Strike, he hopes to foray into scripted projects as well. "I definitely want to do both. I am the “King of Reality TV” so unscripted will always be my first love but again I like to challenge myself and tapping into the scripted space would be fascinating for me as well so we definitely have a few projects in that arena once the writers strike is over.
I do believe they’ll come to a resolution soon. I have friends in that industry who I love and support. Once that figures itself out then yes, I want to find a way to continue to develop the projects that I have in the scripted space because I’m all about making sure I do the unexpected. After all, that's the only way the audience is going to always follow you.”
Speaking of being unexpected, in the realm of reality TV, King loves the fact that he’s managed to be unpredictable when it comes to the type of show he’ll produce next. “I still want to pursue cities that don’t get enough shine as we did with Huntsville, Jackson, and now Detroit.
I want to continue to find successful people in those cities who have relatable stories to tell. I never want to be predictable.
I always want to do the unexpected so that my "Raindrops" can say, ‘Chile, I had no idea that you were going to do that!’ That makes me happy. When my fans learned about “Love & Marriage: Detroit” they were like, “Why not Atlanta?’
I get that all of the time. I still want to be able to challenge myself, my Raindrops, and my audience into the unexpected elements of unscripted and continue to create shows that they never thought they needed until they see it.”