Caribbean Reality Series ‘Carib Life ATL’ Promises Plenty while Searching for Storylines

What do you discover when you follow savvy entrepreneurs, DJ heartthrobs, Dancehall divas, strong-headed cultural connoisseurs, and passionate community activists for ten weeks? According to Executive Producer Damon “Bware” Vanzant, you get a ‘gripping’ reality series about Atlanta’s insanely popular Caribbean carnival season.

Along with a cast of intriguing characters, “Carib Life ATL” promises to tell a story about tackling greater obstacles, deception, violence, immigration drama, forging unlikely alliances, and destroying friendships.

Four years ago, Atlanta’s Caribbean carnival scene split into two tribes (Downtown and Dekalb), and now the community is feeling the strain of supporting two massive but similar events. If they don’t find a way to innovate and reconcile, the 12-million-dollar industry could collapse, and the Caribbean community will lose its most cherished cultural celebration.

“Carib Life ATL,” which premieres on One Caribbean Television, opens with a 2-part episode about Escape Sundays, a popular monthly B.Y.O.B. event organized by cast member Marlon Revo. During the two episodes, we meet Atlanta Downtown Carnival President Patricia, Alex and Brandon of Unique Soundz, Chinnks from Chink & Chicks Bottle Service, Soca sweetheart Annie Love, radio personality Red Carpet Shelley and others.

In the two episodes, the show attempts to introduce all the key players and define the series’s stakes. Understanding that this is a first-time television venture for the producers, “Carib Life ATL” shows great potential but doesn’t quite meet expectations.

Making television pilots is notoriously challenging, even more so with reality TV. It’s not like fiction where you get multiple takes and get to fictionalize storylines. Contrary to how basic reality television generally looks, it takes effort and lots of luck to find compelling subjects and storylines.

The Caribbean reality series, which will air in 19 countries, is not “Love and Hip Hop.” And it shouldn’t strive to be. It has the potential to be riveting and memorable without low-brow behavior.

The reality show presents all the elements of a great story but fails to show that to viewers in the first two episodes. Supporting cast members Josh Cumberbatch, Michelle and Curry Crusader, and Blade Supnelse are barely introduced. Instead, we spend over ten minutes watching non-cast members party during the first Escape Sunday of the Carnival season. It feels like we enjoy Caribbean music more than we get to learn about the cast members.

Speaking of music, that’s one of the few things “Carib Life ATL” gets right. The reality series features music by Vybrant, Annie Love, Ronnie Homer, and Rally Banks. As the series develops, we’re hoping to get a better look into the world of Atlanta’s Caribbean carnival scene.

‘Carib Life ATL’ on One Caribbean Television premieres Monday Oct 26th at 8PM EST.