Lo and behold, TLC’s previously announced
reality show about Alec Baldwin and his family is really happening.
It now has a premiere date -- Sunday, February 23. TLC emailed the announcement on Monday, thus putting to rest
the TV Blog’s skepticism that this show would ever actually be made.
This is no reflection on TLC. It is more a reflection of a journalist’s long
experience on the receiving end of announcements about new, upcoming shows and then, months or even years later, realizing that they never showed up.
For
some reason, I felt this was to have been the fate of “The Baldwins” when the news broke last June that the show was in the works.
The
announcement was made by Alec Baldwin himself on Instagram, not TLC. At the time, I wondered if this idea would ever really see the light of day.
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To be
candid, with all due respect to the fine lineup of shows on TLC that seem to be very popular, Baldwin deciding to put his family on TLC felt like a comedown for an A-list movie and TV star with an
Oscar nomination, Tony nomination and three Emmy wins.
With this show, “The Baldwins” is now
part of a stable of shows that includes spectacles like “Sister Wives,” “1000-lb Sisters,” “MILF Manor” and the “90 Day Fiancé” franchise of nine
shows (at last count).
In addition, going public with his private life seemed counterintuitive at a time when Baldwin and his family were dealing with the
continued fallout over the tragic incident on the set of a Western movie in which he fatally shot the cinematographer and wounded the director with a prop gun that should not have had a live round in
it.
To the credit of TLC and the Baldwins, Monday’s premiere-date announcement hints that the incident and its aftermath will not go
unmentioned.
“[“The Baldwins”] blends the highs and lows of family life with the challenges and humor that come while raising a large
family in the public eye,” said TLC.
The Baldwin family consists of Alec, 66, his wife of 12 years, Hilaria, 41, and their seven children (photo
above).
“In the season premiere, Alec and Hilaria celebrate their oldest son Rafael’s ninth birthday and, in a bid to escape the noise of the
city, they head to East Hampton to continue a yearly summer tradition,” said TLC’s announcement.
“But in the midst of celebration is
uncertainty as Alec faces trial. Alec and Hilaria navigate the emotional complexities of the moment, all while keeping their children’s lives as stable as possible,” it adds.
In the release, Alec and Hilaria had a joint statement. “This series gives viewers a glimpse into our lives as a family -- the good, bad, wild and everything in
between,” they said.
“We hope viewers will connect with our experiences and the love we share. Filming the show has been an amazing
journey, and we’re proud to have TLC as a partner in telling our story.”
Baldwin’s trial date on charges of involuntary manslaughter was July 9,
2024. On July 12, the judge dismissed the case on the grounds that prosecutors had withheld evidence from Baldwin’s defense attorneys. She upheld her decision last October.
The decision seems to have put an end to any criminal prosecution of Baldwin, although he still faces a handful
of civil suits in the matter.