Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown is a reality television series which premiered on March 9, 2006 on BET. The 6-part show followed Lil' Kim's last 14 days of freedom before she entered the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a 366-day sentence.
| Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality |
| Starring | Lil' Kim Hillary Weston Latisha 'Lala' Crosby Kirk Fraser |
| Opening theme | "Whoa" (performed by Lil' Kim) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes (with commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | BET |
| Release | March 9 – April 20, 2006 |
The series never got an official DVD release. It was however released on iTunes in late 2006.[1] It has since been taken down for unknown reasons.
Cast members
edit- Lil' Kim
- Hillary Weston - Kim's manager
- Kirk Fraser - Video director
- Nate Bassett - Kim's personal assistant
- Latisha 'Lala' Crosby - Kim's cousin/personal assistant
- Gene Nelson - A&R executive for Queen Bee Records
- L. Londell McMillan - Kim's attorney
- Tracy Nguyen - Kim's publicist
Production and broadcast
editThe original title for the television series was "Lil' Kim Goes to the Big House" and was produced by Queen Bee Productions and Tracey Edmonds of Edmonds Entertainment. The show was filmed in September 2005. Edmonds stated in the Daily Variety that several networks have expressed interest. BET picked the series up and re-titled the show "Countdown To Lockdown".[2]
Almost six months after Lil' Kim's incarceration, the show premiered on BET on March 9, 2006 and, at the time, was the most watched series debut in BET's 25 year-history with 1.9 million viewers nationwide.[3] It was also the highest rated cable original series among black viewers that year.[4] Filming for the second series began shortly after Lil' Kim was released from prison but for unknown reasons, the project was cancelled.[5]
Promotion
editOn March 8, 2006, the entire cast (with the exception of Lil' Kim) appeared on The Tyra Banks Show and discussed the show before its BET premiere.[6]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Lighters Up" | March 9, 2006 | |
|
Viewers are informed about Kim's upcoming prison stay and how it came to be. Kim hates her new video, "Lighter's Up". | |||
| 2 | "Moe & La La" | March 16, 2006 | |
|
Kim gets approval to re-shoot her "Lighter's Up" video. Her reality show director, Kirk Fraser, is chosen as director. | |||
| 3 | "Video Re-Shoot Drama" | March 30, 2006 | |
|
Kim re-shoots "Lighter's Up" and still hates the new footage. The "Whoa" video is shot. | |||
| 4 | "Fashion Week" | April 6, 2006 | |
|
Kim and crew prepare for an exclusive Marc Jacobs fashion show in her honor. | |||
| 5 | "Murphy's Law" | April 13, 2006 | |
|
Kim says goodbye to her loved ones at an emotional farewell dinner the night before she turns herself in to federal prison. | |||
| 6 | "Farewell" | April 20, 2006 | |
|
Kim embarks on her journey to Philadelphia in an RV with family and friends. She turns herself in to start her sentence. | |||
References
edit- ^ "BET Networks Is Breaking New Ground With Hot Programming Now Available on iTunes Store". PRNewswire. 2006-12-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ Ross, Dalton (2005-09-16). "Lil' Kim's schedule: Celebreality, then prison | PopWatch | EW.com". Popwatch.ew.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ Washington, The (2007-07-30). "Tuning In". Washington Times. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
- ^ "Rap Star's Final Hours of Freedom Documented in BET's Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown Season Finale". PR Newswire. 2006-04-20. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
- ^ Nolan Strong (2006-08-01). "Lil' Kim Off House Arrest Aug 3., Preparing Season 2 Of 'Countdown To Lockdown'". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "The Tyra Show Episode Guide 2006 - Lil' Kim". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown - Episode List". IMDb. Retrieved 2012-10-20.