OWN viewers were introduced to a new family with the premiere of “Beverly’s Full House.” Many of us are already familiar with both Beverly Johnson’s and her daughter Anansa’s careers as models. In a life filled with perfect pictures, their own relationship was far from it. When Anansa was young, Beverly was the center of attention traveling the world as a supermodel…leaving her absent as a parent. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, every child craves their mother in their lives. Unfortunately both of them aren’t as close as they wished they could be. Luckily their show on OWN may fix that!
Kicking the show off with the birth of Beverly’s granddaughter, Ava, we learn quickly that we are watching two strong women. Following the birth, the plan was for Anansa, her husband David and Ava to all move in with Beverly for a few months. Despite wanting to create a closer relationship, both Beverly and Anansa find themselves guarded and uncomfortable.
Little misunderstandings about offered babysitting and mattresses to bigger ones about christenings and “ugly” baby comments all played out in front of the world. However, David, Anansa’s husband, did impress me. When the moments got tough, he caringly told his wife that they could pack up and leave….his priority was a safe and happy family. But he continued to be supportive of their attempt to bond.
What I noticed was that both women loved each other but the communication was way off. At first it seemed as if they tried to find a polite way around the camera which possibly had them feeling a little sensitive. Slowly they let the guard down to on occasion lift it up again. Unsure of where to begin, they just jumped in. They appeared nervous around each other. Instead of spending the first night around a table together at home, they were still living separate. Finding their way around the awkwardness, we began to get a good feel for everyone and their insecurities. Trust, abandonment, apprehension, vulnerability, boundaries and walls. In time, I am certain that most if not all of these issues will improve, but it will take time and probably several arguments.
In fact there were already a few. Beverly calling her daughter’s baby ugly…a bad slip that I am certain she fully regrets. Another argument surfaced about being left out of the christening and even a conversation about a horribly uncomfortable mattress. In fairness, the bed was bad. But one thing is clear, they are trying! While Beverly is really trying and has her therapist on one line and a Feng Shui expert on the other, Anansa was keeping a safe distance. When you are literally on top of one another, it can be hard. David couldn’t help but wonder what they got into. “The people here are not normal,” he told the camera. However it can’t be easy being normal as cameras follow you everywhere. Overall, I think they did a great job with all the baggage and new living arrangements.
By the close of the first episode, Beverly apologized to her daughter and even purchased a new mattress which she recognized as a metaphor for her not hearing her daughter. Both of them want change and that is a great start!
Want to watch the FULL premiere episode online? Well thanks to OWN, you can. Check it out below and be sure to set your DVR for the second episode of Beverly’s Full House Saturday at 10/9C…only on OWN!