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Show:		4.0
Picture:		5.0
Sound:		7.0
Extras:		5.0
Score:		5.0

Director(s):	Mike L. Taylor
Starring:	Corde Broadus • Cordell Broadus • Cori Broadus • Shante Broadus • Snoop Dogg
Genre:	Television
Website:	http://www.eonline.com/on/shows/snoopdogg/index.jsp
Release Date:	June 16, 2009

List Price:	DVD: $10.49
Amazon:

Reality TV has hit the hood. Father Hood. It’s amazing that I haven’t gotten used to the cockamamie ideas for new reality shows that hit the likes of MTV or Bravo. After years of new shows popping up on the entertainment radar, it’s a wonder any shows surprise us. Either you want to be a model, you want to be the best animal groomer in all the land or you’re a celebrity with a semi-interesting family.

Who is Calvin Broudus? Calvin is a loving husband. Calvin is a devoted father. But, Calvin on his own probably doesn’t make for a very interest television show. Now throw in a little hip and a little hop. What do you get? Reality TV. Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broudus may not have been the subject of a reality show ten years ago…but the Snoop of today is a daddy three times over. Add a snappy theme song and get an 'OK' from the wife, and it’s entertainment on E! Apparently. Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood is a great example of a show that is essentially about nothing. Not Seinfeld nothing. Reality TV nothing. The entire point of the reality series is to pass hours. The brains of the Father Hood operation must’ve been thinking that Snoop was a big enough Hollywood fish to float the boat, so why not set the sails?

No reality television show is actually good. It’s just good enough. This particular E! show is literally about nothing. The goal of this set was to feature the best eight episodes from Father Hood’s first two seasons. The 30-minute episodes revolve around Snoop, his wife Shante and his three children: Corde, Cordell, and Cori. Corde is Snoop’s oldest son at 13 and is in training to be a quarterback. Cordell, 10, and daughter Cori, 8, are growing up while their mom and Snoop try to get the knack for parenthood. While Shante is constantly trying to get her family to eat right, Snoop is trying to keep the clan in shape by introducing new sports.

In one episode, dad takes Corde to football camp and has some of the sport’s biggest names teach him how to succeed as a quarterback. In another, Snoop tries to get the group interested in soccer, bringing David Beckham on the show to play coach. In another Snoop learns to box while Shante tries to dance her way into shape. After watching what’s considered to be “best” of Father Hood, it’s clear that there is no “best.” There is only the same.

Every episode of the show is just like every other. You’d think that the better episodes would be the ones that stand out from the rest. The only episode that sticks out is called “Vows,” in which Snoop has his assistant/manager Kevin, set up a surprise vow renewal ceremony for Shante. This episode is slightly different than the others because instead of seeing the normal routine, which gets old quick, we get to see a softer side of Snoop.

At its root, the soft side of Snoop is what the show is about. Everyone knows who this man is. He’s a rapper. He’s a gangster. He’s a dancer. He’s a pothead. But at home, the man is a father. He’s a little less Snoop, a little more Calvin. According to the show, he is a father first and foremost. Whether he’s challenging Corde to a push-up contest or spending $1 million to start a little league football team in the neighborhood—he puts his kids first.

Even though it makes for a semi-boring reality show, it’s appreciated in its own way. One of the biggest problems with reality shows is faking drama. When drama is created in the editing process, it’s not worthy of any screen. Because of Father Hood’s simplicity, you can count on it never creating drama. Although this means it lacks the suspense of Project Runway or the thrill of Deadliest Catch, it has something the others don’t: reality.

DVD Bonus Features

The extras are pretty minimal on this DVD. With Snoop Dogg at the focal point, the extras could have gone in a million ways, but instead they only went in two. The first feature is a look at Snoop’s vernacular. He instructs the audience on the meaning of one of his creations. The second is a featurette on Snoop’s cars. The problem is…the host of this section is not Snoop. What’s the point? It seems it’d be best if the host of the car section, were the owner of the cars.