Tori and Dean - TV-14

Donna Martin grows up and gets a reality show.

TV Rating: TV-14 Network: Oxygen Cast: Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott Genre: Reality TV

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that although this reality show seems to be all about family and love, much of it is also about the pursuit of fame at some cost. The paparazzi are everywhere (in addition to the show's own cameramen), and you have to wonder why Tori and Dean are allowing them to film some extremely domestic moments. It's also worth noting, given that this is billed as an ultra-romantic reality show, that Tori and Dean's relationship had a slightly bumpy/iffy beginning: They very publicly dumped their respective spouses for a chance to live happily ever after with each other.

Families can discuss what life is like for celebrities. Is fame worth the hassle of paparazzi? What do stars get out of laying their private lives bare? Why do you think Tori and Dean are doing this show? And why do viewers feel compelled to watch?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo

Though many think of Tori Spelling (aka Beverly Hills 90210's Donna Martin) as a stealth star -- famous only because her father was Aaron Spelling -- in TORI AND DEAN (which follows Tori's life with husband Dean McDermott and their growing family, it's clear why she nabbed this gig. As herself, Tori is surprisingly down to earth and compelling to watch, whether she's preparing for an upcoming garage sale or sorting through closets while tossing out sage advice to her husband, Dean McDermott ("If it's not Gucci or Prada, throw it out").

Real-life Tori -- not the strange fact-fiction hybrid she played on So NoTORIous -- seems warm, adventurous, and game for anything. Dean is refreshing, too. Instead of coming across as a K-Fed prototype, he actually seems like a genuinely nice guy -- an apt, stable foil for Tori's flighty, earth mother-like persona. The result is a nuptial reality show that displays some of the charm (witless or not) of its most famous precursor -- MTV's Newlyweds.

But as with Newlyweds, Tori and Dean has its questionable moments. For example, when they walk into the obstetrician's office for an ultrasound, Tori and Dean are besieged by the omnipresent paparazzi. Later, Dean talks earnestly about the frustrating experience, bemoaning having their privacy invaded. And yet, seconds later, viewers get their own up-close view of the actual ultrasound, a sweet-but-all-too-planned instant that should probably have been left private ... and makes Dean's earlier comments ring hollow. It feels like a constructed, actorly moment. Which is perhaps the whole point of the series: Being in front of the camera is clearly what Tori considers her true calling.

Fans might also like Newlyweds, Bam's Unholy Union, and My Fair Brady.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Kissing, hugging, stroking, and some innuendoes. Some direct requests for sex, though not in a really explicit way. For example: Tori: "You want to make love?" Dean: "Yeah!"
Violence None -- but the interaction between Tori and Dean is so cutesy-poo that viewers could erupt in violence themselves.
Language Very mild. "Damn" might appear once in a while.
Message
	Social Behavior Rude behavior on the part of paparazzi. Mild arguing between the couple, but nothing serious. They're very much in love and want to make their relationship and various ventures work.
	Commercialism Prada, Gucci, Burberry: If it's on Rodeo Drive, it's here. Tori likes to shop and knows her designers.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Nothing excessive.