Nick , Aaron and the family

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter maintains that he's not the father to his four younger siblings in "House of Carters." The reality series puts the five Carters, including pop star Aaron, under the same roof.

"We've come from a broken family that's been in the spotlight," Nick said Tuesday. "I think to connect to my family better would be to be the big brother, to not be a father figure."

After all, all five Carters are adults: Nick is 26. Bobbie Jean, who is 24, has no interest in show business and wants a career in cooking. Leslie, 19, is striving for a music career. Angel, who is 18 and Aaron's twin, hopes to be a model.

"House of Carters" debuts in October on E! Entertainment. The Carters promoted the series to TV critics who are in Pasadena, Calif., to preview the fall lineup. Being in front of the cameras is no sweat for the Carters.

"Their whole lives have been before the public eye," said executive producer Kenneth Crear, who manages Nick and Aaron.

The Carters' divorced parents, Robert and Jane, will be a recurring topic on the show. Robert has remarried to a younger woman. Nick said the parents made the sons' careers the family's priority, shortchanging the three daughters. Bobbie Jean and Leslie said the parents had put the children through a lot at early ages. Nick said a TV show was "the only way" to explain the Carters' story.

So, I wanted to know, how much will they discuss their parents on the show?

"The reality of the situation is we can't not talk about them," Nick said.

"Mom doesn't want to be involved, but she feels like she deserves something, and that kind of can make us feel guilty for things that we really shouldn't feel guilty for," Leslie said.

"But we don't feel guilty anymore," Angel added.

Nick said his priority is helping his siblings deal with their issues.

"As much as we love our parents, as much as we want to be with them, there's a time in your life when you have to take a step back and care about yourself," Nick said. "I realize that, but they don't realize that yet."

In reassembling his siblings for the show, Nick said he's "picking up the pieces" and "trying to put a puzzle back together."

"The whole divorce rate is, like, ridiculous now, and it's affecting children," Nick said. "So I feel like it's kind of odd how none of us got married. We had boyfriends, girlfriends, but we never really wanted to separate from each other, because when we were in the household, and we were going through these problems ..."

Leslie interrupted: "We came together."

And Nick added: "It was the five of us."

Thanks to television, the five will be together again.

SOURCE : Oh-Aaron