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Tuesday Night Book Club (CBS)

common sense media says

Cheesy copycat reality show is too racy for kids.

parents & educators say
See 2 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this cheesy reality show focuses not on reading -- as the title implies -- but on discussing adult relationships and sex. Women dress provocatively, have affairs, contemplate divorce, and more. Characters are regularly shown drinking.

Positive messages: The show focuses on women's relationships with men (rather than books, as the title implies). While many of the women have successful careers, their non-relationship lives get lost in the shuffle. All of the women are white and wealthy.
Violence: Lots of arguing. One woman pushes another into the pool.
Sex: Lots of discussion of sexual topics -- adultery, spouse-swapping, woman-on-woman acts for the pleasure of men, seducing one's husband with sexy clothing. Revealing clothing, including bikinis. Some sexual objectification of men and women. Couples in bed, with the suggestion of sexual activity.
Language: Mild profanity. Stronger words are bleeped, and rare.
Consumerism: No obvious product placement aside from the books that are nominally being discussed, but some car and household brands are distingushable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Many scenes depict characters drinking. One couple struggles with the husband's recovery from addiction.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Tuesday Night Book Club

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about values. What are the most important issues in these women's lives? How do these values compare to your family's? Why are money and sex the most common sources of tension in a relationship? And why do you think these women are in a book club if they rarely talk about what they're reading?

What's the story?

What's the story?
With the success of Desperate Housewives and the reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County, CBS turns its attention to TUESDAY NIGHT BOOK CLUB. This docu-soap, shot in the style of Laguna Beach, depicts seven real (though uniformly attractive) women from the wealthy Scottsdale, Arizona, area who get together on Tuesday nights for companionship and to relate their various relationship woes (rarely does anyone crack a book, despite the show's title). The clubbers include Tina, a 46-year-old divorcee and leader of the group, who takes the younger women under her wing; Kirin, an emotional mother of two who can't seem to get her doctor husband into bed; Jamie, a gorgeous 25-year-old married to her high-school sweetheart and contemplating divorce; Cris, an animal-obsessed mother of two who's recently taken her recovering addict husband back into the house; and Lynn, a newlywed gym rat with a serious chip on her shoulder.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This adult-oriented material isn't meant for younger viewers. Much of the action centers on the intricate emotional issues between husbands and wives and the struggles of family life. Couples bicker about sex, money, and responsibility. The women drink constantly, and viewers see some of them get drunk. Lots of discussion centers on sex, including a key party scene in which the couples contemplate spouse-swapping.

While overall TNBC is a tepid, superficial drama, moments of these women's lives tap into a shared female experience and elicit real emotion from the viewer. Too bad it's not enough to make the show watchable.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: CBS
Genre: Reality TV
Where to watch: CBS
This review was written by Sierra Filucci
 
 

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JENNA
adult
 
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (2)
pinktoenails
adult
 
Finally! A must see for women. Tuck the kids in first.
I loved it! Is anyone else sick of watching what your kids or husband wants to watch. I am not sure how real it is. But who cares. It is entertaining. While I can't relate to the wealth of these women, I can relate to the stories. I think that is the idea of the show. NOT for children, but my husband even liked it!
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helped me decide (2) | had useful details (1) | read my mind (2)

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