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Parents' Guide to

donny!

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

"Soft-scripted" series is crass and unfunny.

TV USA Comedy 2015
donny! 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?

DONNY! is a partially scripted comedy series starring Donny Deutsch, the host of Donny Deutsch's Next Big Idea, as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. Donny is a smart, wealthy, and self-absorbed daytime talk show host, ladies' man, and single father of two. When he's not making a mess of his talk show, much to the dismay of his executive producer Pam (Emily Tarver), he tries to be a good father to teenage daughter Coco (Fiona Robert) and son Jagger (Jacob Thomas Anderson). Unfortunately, his antics create lots of chaos for everyone, and he must rely on his three assistants, Jackie (Hailey Giles), Zoe (Meera Rohit Kumbhani), and Violet (Jessica Renee Russell) to manage everything from his coffee to his social life. But Donny is who he is, and somehow his charm and wit help him get by.

Is It Any Good?

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

This coarse behind-the-scenes series offers lots of crass humor to deliver on laughs. The writing isn't particularly smart, thanks to its "soft" scripted approach (incorporating lines that the actor would probably say in real life), but it gives room for the real Donny Deutsch to incorporate what makes him a well-known TV personality. As a result, it's hard to tell whether he's supposed to be a parody of himself or this is Donny.

It's meant to be lighthearted, and the cameo appearances by various TV personalities add a bit of mirth. But the banter gets stale, and the timing of the jokes is often off, because despite the fact that Donny Deutsch is no stranger to TV, he's not a comedian. His fans might be drawn to it, but overall the show just isn't very funny.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about "soft" scripted shows. What's the difference between a soft scripted show and a reality show? If this show were fully scripted, how would the show change?

  • Why do you think Donny, who already has a successful show, wanted to switch gears?

TV Details

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