Chicagolicious
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Salon spin-off is milder than the original but still catty.
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What's the Story?
CHICAGOLICIOUS, a spin-off of the reality hair drama Jerseylicious, features a close-knit Chicago team of hair and makeup stylist headed up by high-profile hair stylist A.J. Johnson. As Johnson looks to go national with his salon, he rounds up his team to work major Chicago events and increase its press coverage with the help of publicist Jennifer Knuth while still catering to a high-profile clientele. The eccentric gang, including the Zen-like salon manager Niki, the flirtatious head-barber Howard, the fashion-flawed MaCray Huff, and newbie Austin Maxfield adds its unique flair to every occasion. Adding to the fray is the growing tension between model/stylist Valincia, and new makeup artist and model Katrell. Meanwhile, Johnson's cousin and sales manager Q Lacey is always watching out for the bottom line. There's never a dull moment, but A.J. hopes that together they will be able to launch his salon into the national limelight.
Is It Any Good?
While milder than its sister-series, Chicagolicious features all the antics that one comes to expect from beauty-salon themed reality series, including behind-the-scenes gossip and bickering between team members. But despite being as equally voyeuristic as the original, this salon and its team come across as more fashion-forward and sophisticated.
Its eclectic cast of characters make for some mildly entertaining moments, but a lot of the interaction between the staff feels scripted. Meanwhile, outside of the occasional ball player, few nationally well-known celebrities actually appear on the show. It's fun if you like this sort of thing, but overall all, this show offers more style than substance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reality hair salon shows. What is the appeal of these shows? Are they trying to teach people about hair, or is really a show designed to promote the salon and/or its stylists? Are they really reality shows when they appear scripted?
What makes a TV show worthy of a spin off? What are the similarities between this show and the original one? Have there ever been spin-offs that are just as good (or even better) than the original?
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 11, 2012
- Cast: A.J. Johnson , Niki Robinson , Valincia Saulsberry
- Network: Style Network
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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