The kings of dubious TV

The Woodland Hills mansion appeared serene from the outside -- a stark contrast to the controlled chaos within. “Charm School” was in session.

An army of technicians paraded around a mass of wires, production equipment and heavy lights. In one particularly cramped space, two producers huddled in front of several TV monitors, looking at several women in custom “schoolgirl” uniforms.

Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego gazed at a live picture transmitted from another room where an etiquette class was being conducted. When one camera zoomed in on a frowning “pupil” with a history of troubled relationships, they exchanged triumphant glances.

“Look at her, she’s about to lose it,” said Cronin with barely restrained glee. Abrego nodded in agreement: “Yeah, she’s going to start crying any minute.”

It was another day in the frantic world of unscripted television for Cronin and Abrego, who in the last few years have emerged as one of TV’s hottest producing teams. Their in-your-face VH1 series such as “The Surreal Life,” “The Surreal Life: Fame Games,” “My Fair Brady,” “Flavor of Love” and “Strange Love” spotlight the seldom good, often bad and frequently ugly behavior of D-list celebrities well past their glory days.

With a steadily growing fan base, the shows have turned VH1 and the so-called celebreality brand into a cable powerhouse. Produced by their respective production companies, Mindless Entertainment and 51 Pictures, the Cronin-Abrego formula has proved to be reliable: Recruit a bunch of aging, egomaniacal stars-that-were or stars-that-wanna-be, inject a situation fraught with competition, conflict or humiliation, pour on alcohol, light match, roll camera and let the fireworks begin. Thousands of hours of footage are then creatively edited for maximum comic effect, then supplemented with interviews.

Two editions of “Flavor of Love,” a parody of “The Bachelor” starring clock-wearing rapper Flavor Flav, were among the top-rated shows in the network’s history, and the second-season finale was the network’s highest-ranked telecast. “I Love New York,” a “Flavor of Love” spinoff featuring a foul-mouthed, admittedly spoiled temptress, reaches its finale tonight as a hit that may well surpass “Flavor of Love 2.”

And “Charm School,” another “Flavor of Love” offspring, which premieres April 15, may be a TV first -- a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff of a reality show that premiered on another network. (“The Surreal Life” began on the WB.)

The popularity of the celebreality brand, including “Breaking Bonaduce” and “Dice Undisputed,” which are not produced by Cronin and Abrego, has changed the whole programming dynamic of VH1, which used to specialize in vintage videos and installments of “Behind the Music.”

Jeff Olde, the network’s senior vice president of production and programming, said: “It’s a huge measure of our success. It’s comedy, and it’s also celebratory. The shows are very loud, and we don’t shy away from those moments. Mark and Cris are great storytellers, and we love what they do. It’s really rare in the relationship between a network and producer. Their shows are built out of great creativity.”

But along with the high ratings, the shows, particularly “Flavor of Love” and “I Love New York,” have been disparaged for perpetuating negative cultural images.

“I have a hard time stomaching these shows,” said Byron Hurt, a documentary filmmaker whose “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” which aired recently on the “Independent Lens” series on PBS, explored the impact of images in hip-hop culture. “These shows clearly reach audiences, and that scares me. The way they’re edited is very titillating. It’s fun, like fast food. But in the end, we may look back on them and really see the larger societal implications.”

Cronin and Abrego argue that those who criticize their shows as being racially offensive are missing the point -- that they are creating a new kind of pop culture by bringing outrageousness to the reality-show genre in showcasing larger-than-life characters. The shows do not perpetuate racial stereotypes, they say, but feature unique personalities that represent no one but themselves.

They point out that their shows, which feature interracial couplings, actually celebrate multiculturalism.

“We’re being responsible,” Cronin said. “And we’re a lot more inclusive than ‘he Bachelor’ or ‘he Bachelorette,’ which don’t have any diversity. It’s just not realistic.”

What they will take credit for is being reality-show pioneers. Abrego said, “We really brought comedy to reality.”

But be warned. Viewers who are squeamish or easily offended should keep their remote controls within easy reach.

The season opener of “Flavor of Love 2” spotlighted one woman who defecated on the stairs of the show’s house, saying she couldn’t wait until she got to the bathroom. On “The Surreal Life,” Verne Troyer, Mini-Me from the “Austin Powers” movies, became so inebriated that he relieved himself in a corner of a house. “My Fair Brady,” about the love match between former “Brady Bunch” cast member Christopher Knight and former “America’s Next Top Model” Adrianne Curry, showed one ocean romp when an underwater Curry was struck in the face by a more spontaneous bodily discharge from Knight. Even fans of “Flavor of Love” found some of the star’s make-out sessions with his costars stomach-churning.

Abrego focuses on channeling intriguing story lines for the personalities while Cronin searches for how to create humor: “It’s important for us to have strong story lines as we create the conflict,” Abrego said.

Sometimes the approach leads to some heated discussions.

“Network officials have been called in at times to cast the deciding vote if there is an impasse,” Cronin said with a chuckle. But as he and Abrego discuss their projects at their nondescript Sunset Boulevard offices, the two display an easygoing chemistry that seems to mesh well. Cronin, 34, who is single, fires off wisecracks and oneliners. Abrego, 42, who has young children, is lower-key.

They are both pleased with the success of “I Love New York,” which revolves around 25-year-old Tiffany Pollard, a.k.a. New York, who was jilted twice by Flavor Flav in “Flavor of Love.”

Pollard, who will select her Prince Alarming tonight after whittling down the initial group of 20 suitors, isn’t exactly the kind of girl you’d take home to mother -- unless mother wouldn’t mind a shrill, garishly made-up siren with fake hair, a “Princess” tattoo on her prominent cleavage and an insatiable appetite for “thugs” and bad boys.

Pollard said those tuning in were fascinated by her “realness.”

“What you see is what you get. I’m not putting on a show for TV,” she said. “And working with Mark and Cris is one of the most liberating experiences I’ve ever had. They don’t guide me or influence me, although sometimes I might want to fly off the handle, and they say, ‘Maybe you should second guess that.’ ”

Asked about her TV image, Pollard, who hopes to launch her own clothing and jewelry line, said, “Am I over-the-top? Yes. You either love me or hate me.”

The upcoming “Charm School,” which will be hosted by the brash comedian Mo’Nique, will represent a bit of a reversal.

“The girls are competing to be better people,” Cronin said. Added Abrego, “We’re hoping to show some personal growth.”

But the mischievous gleam in their eyes indicates that they hope there will be some fireworks on the journey.

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