TV Show Info:
Writer: N/a
Director: Michael McNamara
Cast: Ashley, Moriah, Garnette, Roqui, Sal, Staci, Gaven, Jordan, Willie, Gerren, Daymeon
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: BET/Paramount

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: July 10, 2007 – Present
Season Air Dates: July 10, 2007 – August 28, 2007
DVD Box Set Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon
Episodes: All ten episodes of the first season

Baldwin Hills could have been something special. Alright, scratch that. It probably wouldn’t have been special, but it could have at least been somewhat worthwhile. However, what viewers are offered is something along the same vein as The Hills and Laguna Beach. Supporters of the show will be quick to tell you that parental involvement is more prevalent on Baldwin Hills than it ever was on Laguna Beach and that may be true. That doesn’t make the show any good though. In fact, it doesn’t even come close to good, which is quite sad if I do say so myself.

This is one of the only all African American reality shows that I can think of on television. This could be handled in a way where people could learn about culture and the way of life of African Americans. This is not to say that African Americans are completely different, but this would have been a good way to bust up some stereotypes that are all too common. Unfortunately, the kids go from beginning to break the stereotypes one minute to feeding into them wholeheartedly the next. Considering the fact that this is reality television you can expect to see a lot more acting and drama and a whole lot less of the breaking stereotypes.

The best thing about Baldwin Hills: The Complete First Season is that there are only ten episodes. After watching The Hills and then having to watch this, I was about as through with reality television as I possibly could be. In short, if this was the best reality TV has to offer (and the majority of shows that I’ve seen are similar to this) then I would rather not have to watch it ever again. The cast of Baldwin Hills lives in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. Similar to shows like The Hills, this show is broken up between the upper middle class kids in school and their lives outside of school and activities.

The Baldwin Hills: The Complete First Season Plot
The first season of Baldwin Hills is comprised of the following cast members:

Daymeon: Class clown, wannabe pro-ball (basketball) player, best friend of Earl
Ashley: Close with all the main girls, daughter of an actress, feels more pressure to become a success
Jordan: The one who claims to be the next Diddy. He promotes parties at nightclubs and has dreams of living the high life
Gerren: The sensitive and highly sought after established teen model. At this point she’s already been profiled on Oprah
Moriah: Son of a basketball star and an overprotective mother, known for being naïve with the girls, but young and athletic otherwise
Garnette: The rich “Mean Girl” who thinks she’s all important until she learns that she’s not
Earl: Best friends with Daymeon and one of the ladies men of the show
Gaven: Runs for class president and while somewhat nerdy, manages to be popular
Roqui: Daughter of a basketball coach, athletic, plays the voice of reason and would like her own talk show
Sal: Think Fresh Prince of Bel Air and you have Sal, straight from a rougher neighborhood to his Uncle’s place in Baldwin Hills. Plans to one day be a rapper
Staci: A friend of Sal’s from childhood, still living outside of the Baldwin Hills area, but manages to make friends thanks to a quick tongue and assertive nature
Willie: The peace maker and voice of reason within her circle of friends
Makensy: Gossip, fashion loving best friend of Willie and Garnette

Now that you know who the area residents are, here is a description of the episodes:

“Life! No Limits”: Jordan’s mother is less than pleased to learn that he wants to throw a hip and happening Hollywood club party. Meanwhile, Staci is unsure of attending Jordan’s parties because of all of the rich kids that will be there.

“Party Aftermath”: Jordan keeps all of the party profits, leaving the club owner less than pleased. Earl asks Ashley out and Sal asks Willie to shoot photos for his upcoming album.

“We Wanna Know”: A love triangle gets off and running. Roqui has a fight with her dad about her owning her dream car. Gaven and Staci go on a date.

“Beach Party Fiasco”: Things get bad for Earl at home so he wants to move in with Daymeon. Garnette’s friends all attempt to suck up when her birthday party doesn’t go as planned.

“Date Night Drama”: The Moriah, Gerren, Daymeon love triangle gets even more complicated for one of the people in the triangle.

“Don’t Call Me”: Earl’s life gets more complicated when he bombs at a stand-up show and his date with Ashley turns out awful.

“Setting Things Straight”: Ashley stays busy with a dance recital. Moriah sneaks out to see Garren, upsetting his parents. A confrontation occurs between Garnette and Jordan.

“Prom Night Tears”: Moriah is there for Gerren when she deals with a friend’s death. Everyone prepares for prom. Staci and her mother do some bonding.

“Steppin’ It Up”: Sal asks Willie how she feels about him. Gerren isn’t as into Moriah as originally thought and considers ending the relationship. Staci contemplates whether or not college is the right path for her.

“Road to Success”: Ashley has a graduation party. Sal moves on with his album. Staci still ponders college. This is a lot of the same things that have already been seen.

It’s not impressive. It’s not worth watching. The promising idea is squandered. There isn’t much else to say. If you really feel the need to watch unnecessary, brain dead television that may cause some sort of seizure then this might be for you. Otherwise, I highly suggest you find something better. Anything will do.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Like The Hills, Baldwin Hills offers a decent visual transfer despite offering absolutely nothing in terms of content. It is not watchable in so many ways, and yet, in this area it is indeed watchable. The transfer is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, which offers bright colors and is stable throughout. I did not notice any grain, fuzz, or any compression errors. This part of the show was just fine.

The audio also came through just fine. Dolby Digital Stereo suited this release perfectly. Closed Captioning is available, but subtitles and languages beyond English are not present. I did not spend any time playing with the volume. The dialogue came through loud and clear, so there isn’t much to complain about.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
As you would expect, this crap show has plenty of extras. On the first disc, “Ashley’s Home Tour” and “Hangin’ with Sal” offer a little bit of nothing, but will be positive features for fans of Ashley and Sal. On the second disc, viewers can watch “Casting Tapes”, “Cast Interviews” and “The Creators.” The casting tapes were amusing because it showed the depth that some of these people have. Unfortunately, they don’t really show this on the show. Likewise, the interviews offer plenty of information. For example, the majority of the teenagers didn’t know each other prior to filming. Fans will be in hog heaven with all of these bonuses, though for people like me, not only were they not great, they were a complete waste of time.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Baldwin Hills: The Complete First Season offers a little more substance than The Hills, but not enough to bother even watching. It shocks me that major networks would bother to keep playing such crap when there are better options out there. I cannot in good conscious recommend purchasing this. It’s just not worth it. Find something else better and save yourself the time and money.

Overall Rating:

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