Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Chasing Maria Menounos

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Career and family are focus of TV-host reality series.

TV Oxygen Reality TV 2014
Chasing Maria Menounos Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

funnygirl94086
funnygirl94086 Adult
March 25, 2014
age 16+

Don't bother

She's a total mindless twit....there's nothing even remotely interesting about her or this show. And that boyfriend of hers....what a narcissist! Give this show a miss!
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

CHASING MARIA MENOUNOS is a reality series starring Extra! host Maria Menounos as she lives her life on and off camera. The former beauty queen, author, and Dancing With The Stars contestant lives with her boyfriend Kevin Undergaro, and her conservative Greek parents, Costas and Litsa. Adding to the fray is Maria's security guard and live-in family friend Joe, and Maria's best friend Rachel. From balancing her career obligations to dealing with her parents' endless pressuring to get married and have children, Maria is trying to manage the strain of it all with grace and humor.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Chasing Maria Menounos, which is produced by Menounos, highlights the challenges that she faces when trying to balance a demanding career and a family life. This is further emphasized by the TV host's strong work ethic, which is driven by her parents' experiences as struggling Greek immigrants when they arrived in the United States.

The endless conversations about getting married and having a baby, which is driven primarily by Costas, quickly gets tiresome. Kevin's constant reminders that he "gave up" his filmmaking aspirations to support Maria during their 15-year relationship also gets old rather fast, too. But it also shows how central family is in her life, and how she wouldn't be able to get by without them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reality shows. Why do celebrities appear on them? To add to their fame? To help them promote themselves or their projects? What is it that makes them or their families interesting enough for TV? Is there anything that celebrities should not talk about on a reality show, even if it's entertaining?

  • Did you know that Maria Menounos produced this show herself? Why do you think she would want to do that? What would your reality show be like?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate