Parents' Guide to

Kirstie Alley's Big Life

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Reality show sells iffy messages about weight, self-image.

TV A&E Reality TV 2010
Kirstie Alley's Big Life Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

kirstieally
kirstieally Adult
May 29, 2010
age 14+
I Lov3e this show but I am a 48 yrs of age female who is a Kirstie Alley fan. As far as children go, it would depend on the individual family to make that judgement. My kids are grown so I can not really say now. I think it is pretty innocent . A few bleeps here and there and once in a while they mention the fact that she used to have a cocaine addiction. Other than that it is a funny and hilarious show. I love the housekeeper Magdelana. She is so gosh darn funny. It is very entertaining. in my opinion.
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What's the Story?

Golden Globe-winning actress Kirstie Alley (of Cheers and Look Who's Talking fame) thinks she's got a pretty BIG LIFE, and it isn't just because she's put back on all the weight she once lost -- and then some. She's also balancing her acting career with the everyday challenges of being a mom to two teens, Lillie and True, and she's got a growing list of personal staff to manage, including two assistants, a handyman, and a housekeeper. On top of that, she 's launching a weight-loss company and just hired a personal trainer to help her and her overweight handyman lose a combined weight of over 200 pounds.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Kirstie Alley has built her career on being funny -- and, lately, on being "fat," with a much-publicized campaign for Jenny Craig and her short-lived Showtime comedy Fat Actress. But her latest attempt to stay relevant with her own reality show about losing weight (again) might leave a pretty bad taste in your mouth. For one thing, there's Kirstie's negative talk about her "Miss Piggy legs" or asking her kids to weigh in on whether she's just "fat" or "circus fat."

For another, there's her odd and borderline-uncomfortable quirks, like her love of domesticated lemurs, her fondness for sending staff through inexplicably tiny doors, and her decision to tell her new African-American trainer that, because she's from Kansas, she kind of has "a problem with black people"...only to reveal after an awkward silence that it's a joke. And a not very funny one at that.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about consumerism and to what extent this show serves as a long-running advertisement for Kirstie's weight-loss company. Do the company and its products play a key role in Kirstie's weight-loss success? Would it be easy for consumers to connect Kirstie's success with her products?

  • What do Kirstie's negative comments about her weight say about her body image? Why does she call herself "fat" even though it bothers her when others (including the tabloids) do it? Do you think she's a role model?

  • In terms of reality television, how "real" are the things you're seeing? To what extent do you think episodes are planned out or scripted? How can you tell?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: March 21, 2010
  • Cast: Kirstie Alley
  • Network: A&E
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-PG
  • Last updated: October 24, 2022

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