Parents' Guide to

Dukes of Melrose

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Vintage clothing is art in celeb-heavy reality show.

TV Bravo Reality TV 2013
Dukes of Melrose Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Dragon88
Dragon88 Adult
June 22, 2014
age 10+

Best message on bravo

The men work hard, are socially engaged on many levels: with clients, and in raising money for charities. The show brings in aspects of fashion history, as well as respect for high status elderly females of the hollywood area community. This teaches children to approximate the wisdom of age and understand heritage and social taste from different generations. While this show was on the air, i found it very uplifting. In fact the only reality driven show that wasn't utterly depressing and hopeless. The communication in this show is very positive and socially sophisticated. I think it will show children relationships between people can be colorful and lively, in the moment, while also being thoughtful and on point.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism
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What's the Story?

In the reality show DUKES OF MELROSE, Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos are partners in the retail business Decades, which sells high-end vintage clothing to the rich and beautiful in Los Angeles. Silver and Garkinos used to each run separate businesses, but they've decided to join forces and run the business together, despite bones of contention like Silver's spendthrift nature and Garkinos' penny-pinching ways. Together the two of them argue over money, ooh and aah over various dresses and accessories, and hunt for (and find!) the perfect dresses to suit the customers who come to them for Oscar gowns or just the right pair of shoes.

Is It Any Good?

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

Dukes of Melrose is catnip for fashion-lovers, a peek inside the vaults of two dudes who have been collecting the best couture and designer clothing for many years. If gazing at custom-made Azzedine Alaia animal-print corsets, or spiderweb-delicate couture numbers from Givenchy makes you weak in the knees, so will Dukes of Melrose. These guys know their stuff, and watching them dig through the rich-and-famous' closets is an education.

Even for the not-so-fashion-oriented viewer, Dukes of Melrose has celeb-appeal, with lots of discussion about who wore who where, and the style of various luminaries. "I don't like the Kardashians' style," sniffs Garkinos. "They're not trendsetters." That's an uncharacteristically critical assessment from Garkinos, who, with Silver, is usually quite positive about their customers. When Melissa McCarthy comes looking for an Oscar dress, for instance, Silver sweetly says she has a little "extra magic" on her body. Fashion plus heart? That's always in style.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why people agree to be on reality shows. How do you think having this show on the air will impact the Decades clothing business? Might there be any downsides to a business that caters to celebrities having a television show?

  • Watch a few other style shows, such as The Rachel Zoe Project or Fashion Star. How is Dukes of Melrose like these shows? How is it different?

  • Is the viewer supposed to like Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos? What about the way they are presented gives you this idea?

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.

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