Michael Vick to Star in Serious Documentary

Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is set to star in a TV series documenting his troubled life, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Photo: Michael Vick to Star in Serious Documentary

Vick will be the subject of an eight-part series on BET he hopes will humanize him and show his good side to the legion of people outraged by his crimes - and highlight the fact that he's been able to resume a football career so soon after spending 18 months in prison for running a dog-fighting ring.

"I just want people to really get to know me as an individual," Vick told the L.A. Times. "What I want to do is change the perception of me. I am a human being. I've made some mistakes in the past, and I wish it had never happened. But it's not about how you fall, but about how you pick yourself up."

It's no surprise, however, that animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has already denounced the series, which is set to air next year, New York Daily News reports.

It was also reported, Michael Vick was released from prison and returned to the NFL.

The quarterback, who took his first regular-season pro snap just two weeks ago after serving 18 months in prison, is partnering with BET for a new eight-part docu-series scheduled to air early next year. The program, tentatively titled "The Michael Vick Project," spotlights his controversial comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles while also examining his tumultuous past -- including his troubled childhood and his 2007 arrest for running a dogfighting ring, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Meanwhile, producers of the project are DuBose Entertainment; Vick's production company, MV7 Productions; and Category 5 Entertainment. No one associated with the production would comment to the Times on how much Vick would be paid.

"We've heard the results, but we have not seen the process of how Michael got to where he was," executive producer James DuBose told the newspaper. "This is the raw storytelling of what happened, why and how."

Producers said the tone of the show would be serious and somber and include visits to the federal prison in Leavenworth and the Virginia property that was home to the dogfighting ring.

BET entertainment chief Loretha Jones told the Times that she reached out to Vick several months ago when he was being released from prison. "It's important for us to capture this important moment to see what someone does when they have the opportunity to rebuild themselves," Jones said. "It might serve as a road map for young men facing the same challenge," Philadelphia Inquirer reports.