‘Prime Time’ comes to primetime

Preview by Joshua Maloni
Niagara Frontier Publications, April 12, 2008

“Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love.” Pictured are Pilar and Deion Sanders. (Oxygen Photo)

He is a former All-Pro NFL cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder. She is a former model and television star. Together, Deion and Pilar Sanders are a happily married couple raising five children in a plush mansion in the quiet town of Prosper, Texas.

Never one to shy away from the camera, and eager to show the world how a positive, Christian black family lives, Deion pitched a reality series to the Oxygen Network. Convinced this program would be affirming, while offering an entertaining, behind-the-scenes look into a well known (and often misunderstood) celebrity, executives green lit the show. “Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love” premieres on Oxygen on Tuesday, April 15, at 10:30 p.m.

Earlier this week, Deion and Pilar shared their goals for the show with the Sentinel.

Joshua Maloni: Hey Prime Time and Mrs. Prime Time.

Deion Sanders: How are you doing, sir?

Pilar Sanders: Hi.

JM: How did the idea of the show come about? Was it something that they pitched to you or that you pitched to them?

Deion: No, it’s something I pitched to them. I mean, we were just sitting up at home watching – you know, we’re really reality fans and we watch a lot of television, having five kids.

Therefore, just seeing nothing of the sort and thinking back to some of the shows that we love…

Pilar: Just to run home to watch, you know?

Deion: Yeah, so many shows that we love and …

Pilar: (like) “The Cosby Show.”

JM: Let me ask you two this, so many couples and families have suffered as a result of doing these reality shows (Jessica and Nick; Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler; the Hogans), did that come into your thinking at all? How will you make sure that doesn’t happen?

Deion: Well, you know, we really argue at least once a week out of the month so there’s nothing (that can come as a result, which would) focus … more attention on that.

But no, we are who we are. And, you know, I don’t think any of these shows that have been on there, (the people) that suffered, really has Christian values and have their faith as the first and foremost thing.

And that couples this relationship; that balances this relationship. We do a wonderful job. We’re realists. We’re not opportunists. We’re not – unlike some couples, we’re not taking this show as an opportunity to launch into something else.

We’re doing this really to substantiate the claim that there are many African American families that live properly and not necessarily argumentative, in disarray and total chaos.

So, we’re not using this show as a stepping-stone into launching into something else, and I think many other people that are partaking in the reality forum and – they’ve done that as a means.

JM: Pilar, obviously we know Deion as a great athlete and as a personality. Tell us a little bit about Deion the husband, and Deion the father.

Pilar: Wow. He’s very loving as both. He’s extremely humorous and he is comedic all the time. Like I can wake him up at 4 o’clock in the morning and he will really have something very funny to say.

So he’s very hands-on. He’s very involved and it’s – he’s just a great father. And I couldn’t ask for a better husband – very supportive. And he keeps us on our toes all the time. So he definitely brings a lot of light and color in the home.

JM: Deion, tell us a little bit about the change in your life. I mean, obviously, you know, you were known as something of a partier, someone who likes to go out and have a good time. And now you’ve turned into a mentor. Tell us a little bit about the change in your life and about what you try to do these days with your celebrity.

Deion: Well honestly, I think what you’re associating this – me with, was really a persona. And this is the wonderful thing about this show. It will really negate the stereotypes that people had of you.

I mean, just because I high stepped and danced on the football field, people thought I partied all the time and that wasn’t the case. You know, I’ve never drank or smoked, or never been high a day of my life.

I stopped using profanity my sophomore year in college. So, a lot of things that people never knew about me will probably be exposed on this show. They’re seeing that I’m a homebody. I love home.

You know, I leave the house when I have to go and earn a living and work, but I coach all the kids’ teams. I’m there. We take them to school together every morning or we alternate, or picking them up or taking them to practice.

So I’m always here. So a lot of the stereotypes will be broken when you see this show.

JM: Assuming the show does well – that the ratings are good – would you be interested in a second season or was this a one-time deal?

Pilar: No.

Deion: Well you never do – the only thing you want to do one time is get married.

So no, we definitely plan on second, third, fourth and really as long as we’re productive, we’re growing as a family, you see the kids mature in the process – we’re definitely more than willing to do different years of shows.

JM: What can you tell us about Prosper, Texas?

Deion: I love it. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. It’s growing like crazy. I love it. I mean, it’s like an unwritten rule where they – people don’t really bother me. Not that I’m some type of superstar, but they don’t ask for autographs.

I eat the country – the breakfast place every morning at the Cotton Gin. Many of my friends that are athletes – Torii Hunter from the California – LA Angels now, and Omar Stoutmire, Washington Redskins, Kevin Mastis, LaTroy Hawkins – different guys in Major League Baseball as well as football – they live, you know, in approximately the same place. Mario Evitts, former Cowboy; and I’ve lured them to Prosper because we want our kids to be raised together and it’s a peaceful, loving city.

Oxygen is Ch. 68 on Time Warner Cable.