Mariah Carey [1] is heading to the small screen. The singer, whose dad is of Afro-Venezuelan descent, is filming a brand-new series for E! called Mariah's World that centers on her real life as she tours the world and plans her wedding to Australian billionaire James Packer [2]. In an interview with The New York Times [3], Mariah spoke about the endeavor and made some assurances about what's in store. For these seven reasons — and many more — Mariah's World just might be the next must-watch show.
- It's not a reality show, per se. "I refuse to call it a reality show," Mariah said to The Times. She sees the series more as an opportunity for fans to get to know her better.
- Her dancers and backup singers are costars. The series will follow the ups and downs of Mariah's entourage as they travel the world on tour; filming began recently during a stint in Las Vegas.
- Her kids — and fiancé — won't be central to the story. Mariah isn't keen to have her young children, Moroccan and Monroe [4], on the program. "They haven't been filmed at all yet," she said. "There might be a couple of moments, but it's not about making them the stars of the show." Likewise, James Packer won't be featured due to his own preference.
- Each episode is one-hour long.
- The show begins this year. The premiere date is TBD, but Mariah expects the series to launch at some time in 2016.
- There's a Kardashian connection. The show is being produced by the team behind Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Bunim/Murray Productions.
- Future seasons are TBD. Mariah is going to see how this one goes before she commits.