accessAtlanta

In his heyday in the 1990s, Deion "Prime Time" Sanders loved basking in fame as a multisport phenom, dominating the diamond as a Brave and the gridiron as a Falcon. He became a fixture on ESPN "SportsCenter" highlight reels and now picks apart current NFL players as an analyst on the NFL Network.

Matt Callahan/Oxygen (ENLARGE)
Deion Sanders takes some time out with three of his five children, Shilo (from left), Shedeur and Shelomi, at their home in the small town of Prosper, Texas.
Matt Callahan (ENLARGE)
Pilar Sanders says she, Deion and their family have conflicts, 'but it's never conflict we can't recover from.'
MOST POPULAR STORIES Police: Jeffrey Donovan arrested, suspected of DUI Report: Abdul's return to 'American Idol' doubtful Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has 'very treatable' cancer Fallon's '7th Floor West' is a silly, soapy treat Chris Brown apologizes for Rihanna beating
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
TV TUESDAY "Deion and Pilar: Prime Time Love" 10:30 p.m. Oxygen. Tonight's episode, Pilar bets Deion she can do better then him in picking winning NFL teams, and Deion sweats when his oldest daughter goes on a date. RELATED LINKS: • PHOTOS: When reality TV show is all relative • BLOG: Radio and TV Talk

So what the heck is he doing co-starring in an Oxygen TV series with his wife, Pilar, and five kids?

"We don't see that many shows that depict African-American families in a bright light," Pilar said. "We offer a wonderful balance of conflict, but it's never conflict we can't recover from. Our family is based on love, and we're committed to making things work."

Sanders agreed, adding, "We're not taking this show as a steppingstone for something else. We're doing this to substantiate African-American families that live properly."

"Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love" is the latest example of a mini-genre within reality TV — the celebrity family. They're just like us!

Credit — or blame — the 2002 breakthrough success of MTV's "The Osbournes" and rocker Ozzy Osbourne's bumbling behavior. The concept has been replicated ad nauseam ever since. A sampling includes MTV's "Run's House" (Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC), A&E's "Family Jewels" (KISS frontman Gene Simmons), VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" (wrestler Hulk Hogan) and E!'s "Father Hood" (rapper Snoop Dogg).

In the first episode of "Prime Time," the Sanderses good-naturedly argue over housework. Deion also frets about his older daughter Deiondra's first date, cradling a baseball bat when he meets the scared teen boy at the door.

Despite the TV spotlight, "I'm really a very, very private person. Deion is, too," Pilar said. But "a lot of our stuff gets exposed anyway," she said. "Why not go for the full gamut?"

Sanders said he's actually a "homebody." "I leave the house when I have to for work," he said. "I coach all the kids' teams. We take them to school. We take them to practice."

He has no complex about being on Oxygen. "My guy friends understand the tactic," he said. "I'm on the NFL Network, which is mostly for men. Oxygen is mostly for women. Together, you have a great team."

Sanders then ticks off Oxygen's signature programs, proving he can hype a cable network as well as he can hype himself: "I love 'Snapped' [a true crime series about women who kill their boyfriends or spouses]. "Sue Johanson [the grandmotherly sex therapist] is off the chain. And 'Bad Girls Club' ['The Real World' with only drama queens] is one of the best shows on television."