TikTok star Boman Martinez-Reid has made the switch to making real reality television with his new series Made For TV With Boman Martinez-Reid.
The new six-episode series on Canada’s Crave streaming service is out now on The Roku Channel and is a combo of a sitcom, mockumentary, and a reality series. In each episode, follows host Martinez-Reid tackles a new genre of television with the help of celebrity advisors and “real” people.
Read our interview with him below!
How did the idea for Made For TV come about?
With Made For TV, it was important to me to take the persona, humour, and comedic perspective that I’ve been fostering for the last five years online and translate it in a way that made sense. Early on in the process, my show runner Natalie Metcalfe and I sat in a room for about three days and talked about reality TV and what we love about it. I kept telling her that the challenges and premises of these shows seem easy. Of course, she looked at me sideways and that’s where this idea was born. It’s based on the backseat driver mentality that we all have when we watch reality television.
Where did this need to be a creator come from?
Growing up, I had always been entertaining others. When I was 10, my parents got my sister and I a camcorder. From then on, we were always making skits together and finding ways to entertain our friends and family. When I was in my final year of university, there was this up-and-coming app called ‘TikTok.’ Some of my friends urged me to start making videos and eventually I caved. I thought it would be a great way to get my name out there and show people what I’m able to do . I used to kick myself over not making a YouTube channel back in the day. When TikTok became popular I saw my moment!
How has it been like for you going from doing social media-based content to doing a whole 30-minute series?
It has been a very exciting experience! Being an executive producer on the show, it has been the joy of a lifetime working with so many talented people on something larger than a 130 minute video. As well, I was able to give so many others a space to create and work on a project that allowed for so much creativity. Our set designers, stylists, writers, producers all did such an amazing job.
What have been some of your favorite moments in the series so far?
Playing basketball in episode four was definitely a favourite moment. While filming, It took me a while to really lock into this heightened version of myself but that day I think I finally understood what this character’s purpose and point of view is. Also, in the drag episode I have a very intimate and personal conversation with Priyanka – a stark and refreshing contrast from the rest of the series. I had never opened up like that before and I think people will enjoy seeing a more vulnerable side of me.
As a queer creator, where do you see LGBTQ media going — especially with where we are at in the world?
I’m very excited to see how the queer perspective will shift in media. I recently saw someone made a TikTok saying they’re tired of gay male pop stars just defaulting to being sexy – wondering when queer male pop stars and musicians will create art that means something to them rather than making content for the queer male gaze. I think that’s indicative of a larger shift we’re going to start seeing: People are going to create art and media that relates to them rather than trying to fulfill the expectations of others. I think we’re going to take a step away from irony and towards earnestness. I myself am excited to create more earnest comedic content. I have been writing a lot recently about past experiences that I’ve gone through and I can’t wait to see these stories come to fruition!
Besides the fun and comedy, what do you hope people take away from the series?
That’s a hard question because, for me, creating a space for people to laugh and disconnect was the point. In any case, I hope people see themselves in the version of Boman that I play on the show. I hope it inspires others to be confident and delusional and go confidently and “delusionally” towards their dreams or anything they set out to do.
How would it have been like for you to see a show like Made For TV when you were younger?
When I was younger, many of the queer celebrities, and online creators were categorized by their sexuality. To see a show like Made For TV, that exists far outside of the category of the star’s sexuality would have been so inspiring. To be part of a generation that’s paving a way for artists to create outside of the bounds of preexisting ‘boxes’ and ‘categories’ is so exciting and fulfilling. I hope someone younger than me watches Made For TV and feels as boundless as I do!