Siblings and professional tennis rivals Venus and Serena Williams have signed on for a half-hour reality show for ABC Family. The sisters will be followed on and off the court during the series, of which six episodes have been ordered.
Though the as-yet-untitled series will feature footage from their matches, the show will not focus exclusively on their play. “ESPN does a fabulous job of covering their matches; we’re going to be looking at their lives,” said Paul Lee, president of ABC Family.
Critics have trashed reality shows such as The Apprentice and America’s Next Top Model for portraying African-Americans, particularly women, as overly aggressive villains. The Williams sisters have a role-model image and have recently written a book offering advice to pre-teens, an ABC Family demographic.
“They’ve spent the past decade pounding tennis courts and now they’re looking outside to figure out what they’re doing with the rest of their lives,” said Lee. “They are perfect for ABC Family.”