The ‘Exes’ key factor: Moving on
VH1’S “HOLLYWOOD Exes” does enough familiar things well to make itself into a slightly better than average “let’s stare at the rich” reality show. No indelible characters, no real jerks.
The five exes are Nicole Murphy, divorced from Eddie Murphy; Jessica Canseco, divorced from Jose; Sheree Fletcher, divorced from Will Smith; Andrea Kelly, ex-wife of R. Kelly; and Mayte Garcia, ex-wife of Prince.
What may be most shocking is that with all this potential star gossip in the air, none of the ex-wives spends much time dissing, or dishing on, their former spouses.
It steers much more into the present lives of the women, and while that may seem like a risky move, it serves the show well. A one-liner about Eddie Murphy might carry a scene, but ultimately the show isn’t going to work unless we care about these women as characters, not as gossipers.
The five “Hollywood Exes” also more or less get along. The disagreements on the show never get anywhere near the point where they become the focal point of the series.
Instead, they mostly talk about things like money and men.
The biggest drama is Andrea Kelly moving from Chicago to L.A. and temporarily leaving her children behind. Sheree Fletcher is adjusting to her new life as the first lady of new husband Terrell Fletcher’s Christian church.
The wild card turns out to be an ex, Jose Canseco. No surprise there. Or, really, anywhere else.
David Hinckley