Two years following the passing of their sister Traci Braxton, the Braxton sisters will be returning to We TV with their landmark reality TV series “Braxton Family Values.”
The network confirmed the revival of the show on Tuesday, Feb. 6, as part of AMC Networks’ segment at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2024 press tour. They revealed that all of the surviving sisters, in addition to their mother, Ms. Evelyn, will be rejoining the series, which originally ran for seven seasons starting in 2011, only to abruptly halt in 2020.
Each episode of this upcoming season will be an hour long. According to the network, it will allow fans to follow “the fast-paced lives of Toni, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar as they balance relationships, motherhood, careers, family, and most importantly, their sisterhood,” according to Variety.
“It is not overstating things to say this is one of the most significant developments in the history of We TV and a moment the fans have been waiting for since the final episode of ‘Braxton Family Values’ aired on December 17, 2020,” said Brett Dismuke, head of content at We TV and ALLBLK.
“The Braxtons are one of the founding families of reality television and We TV viewers were along for the ride through every moment of their original pioneering series, which spanned 148 unforgettable episodes,” he added. “We are thrilled to welcome them back and once again be able to share these dynamic relationships and all the highs, lows, triumphs, setbacks and drama that fall in between.”
The network also made a social media post with a series of videos and photos of the ladies laughing and hugging each other, reminding fans of the sisterly affection and feel-good nature of the show.
“WElcome Home to The Braxtons! Toni, Towanda, Trina, Tamar and Ms. Evelyn are back to share love, heartbreak, success, family dynamics and so much more. The all-new series is coming soon,” the caption on Instagram read.
Fans seemed excited to hear the news but noted, “It won’t be the same without Traci.”
“Yaaaaasssss. Miss my girls on TV,” a comment read, adding, “Really gone miss seeing Traci.” “I’m so excited for this. They have been through so much and they have grown over the years!” one fan said.
However, some critics said they were “confused” about the reunion between the family and the network after previously being at odds for so long.
“I am confused to why they would go back after complaining for years,” the person said, adding “Without Tracy, I am not interested.”
The Braxton sisters were very public about their beef with We TV and how they felt they were being poorly compensated.
In June 2018, the sisters refused to film unless they received a higher and fairer pay rate, considering their contribution to the success of the show. Then, by the second half of season 6, Tamar stopped filming and her concerns got louder.
Many people loved “BFV” and believed that as a family reality show it was on par with E! Series “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.”
I miss family reality shows like Braxton Family Values. That show was so good in the beginning seasons. Hell, that show did a lot for me, social media wise, and I’ll forever be grateful for it. It was really a fun time/era pic.twitter.com/gmsiOTuysd
— Will Smith Slapped Me (@AshleyShyMiller) October 2, 2022
During a conversation on “Dish Nation,” where Tamar co-hosts with Jessie Woo, Headkrack, Gary With Da Tea, and Tanner Thomason, the “Love & War” singer shared that there were clear disparities between the way the two shows were produced and marketed, despite being owned by the same people.
“The pay is not fair,” the singer claimed. “The pay is not fair between Kim Kardashian, the Braxtons, or Atlanta Housewives. That’s not fair, I’m sorry!”
Tamar continued, “We’re doing the same thing, why are we not getting the same price?”
Tamar, who was the second highest-paid person on her family’s reality show under the living legend Toni Braxton, left the show in 2020. She said, despite having at the time a spinoff show, “Get Ya Life!” that the network “betrayed … overworked, and underpaid” her.
She also said that she needed to sever ties because We TV was making “excessive and unfair” work demands.
The singer took to social media in a now-deleted post to talk about her leaving and her vow to do things differently in the future.
She said, “They promise us opportunity but produce exploitation, which has only developed a poor portrayal of Black people in show business. I will make it my mission to establish the initiative that fights for ethical business practices in reality TV, fights the ownership of our businesses, promotes growth and evolution of our stories, and gives us 100% equity in our freedom.”
Braxton publicly accused We TV of exploiting her and wearing on her mental state which led to a failed suicide attempt. She also accused them of playing a role in her unexpected departure from the daytime talk show “The Real” in 2016.
None of the sisters has released a statement or made a post about the new Braxton family series. However, their mother did — sort of.
Ms. Evelyn wrote in part, “Thank you all for sharing our lives. I hope that through each one of our experiences, you’ll grow with us.”
