Lifetime is developing a new reality show in which military families will be surprised by reunions with their deployed loved ones. It will be hosted by someone who was on “American Idol,” because why on Earth would Lifetime do something like give the job to some stupid veteran who once had to leave his or her family?
Coming Home will feature U.S. soldiers reuniting with loved ones after serving long tours of duty. The show will be paired with Lifetime’s hit drama Army Wives.
Former American Idol Top 12 finalist Matt Rogers will host the program’s 13 hour-long episodes, which will each show five reunions between members of the armed forces and their families. [Inside TV]
There’s no doubt that the subject matter is deeply emotional (see video below), and of course it’s good to make the American populace feel a genuine connection to the military that goes beyond putting a yellow ribbon sticker on their cars. But I’m not particularly thrilled with the notion of war being in any way romanticized. I get the feeling that this is going to be a shallow, sappy music-filled montage of touching moments, with little acknowledgment of the difficulties that military families endure after a service member returns home — and even less acknowledgement of the soldiers and Marines who come home in body bags.
But hey, perhaps I’m being too quick to judge. I mean, it IS Lifetime. They’ve been making movies about rape and abusive husbands for years, maybe this’ll be gritty as hell.
