Parents' Guide to

American Heiress

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

English telenovela is rich with campy melodrama.

TV MyNetworkTV Drama 2007
American Heiress Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

The titular AMERICAN HEIRESS is Elizabeth Wakefield (Alicia Leigh Willis), a smart but spoiled young woman who finds herself in the jungles of Guatemala after her private plane crashes. The crash was engineered by her brother, Damien (Race Owen), who had intended to kill their business-tycoon father in order to inherit his fortune. In addition to following Elizabeth's travails in the jungle -- where she butts heads with her sole companion, handsome young pilot JD Bruce (Carter MacIntyre) -- the series checks in with the rest of the family. There's Elizabeth's younger sister Loren (AnnaLynn McCord), an unapologetically promiscuous young woman who has a fondness for men in her father's age range; Matthew (Robert Buckley), an athletic racecar enthusiast; and, of course, the scheming Damien, who's also involved in some illegal arms trading that's being investigated by the CIA.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

American Heiress is incredibly trashy -- it's full of intrigue, sex, adventure, silly plotlines, and some truly terrible acting. Some viewers who appreciate that kind of thing might find moments of guilty pleasure, though parents will want kids, even most teens, to stay away.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what's appealing about soap operas and telenovelas. How are these shows similar to real life? How are they different? Do you prefer soaps that go on indefinitely or ones that have a set ending point? Why are there so many evil people on these shows? How is this show similar to and different from Spanish telenovelas?

TV Details

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