Parents' Guide to

Making Over America with Trinny and Susannah

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Original What Not to Wear girls take on the U.S.

TV TLC Reality TV 2009
Making Over America with Trinny and Susannah Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

jesuschrist
jesuschrist Parent of 17-year-old
August 21, 2009
age 2+
sorry, but the women cursed in front of the cheerleading little ones, and though bleeped for the tv viewers, what about the lil girls being there in person? o, btw, why draw the curtain when the women dress, they've already shown their bras and panties to all of america??

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

MAKING OVER AMERICA hostesses Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine were the stars of the original British series What Not to Wear -- a makeover show bent on helping women look their best. Now they're doing the same kind of thing here in America, spending time with their subjects, going through their closet, and finally shopping with -- and showing off -- the "new woman" to her family and friends.

Is It Any Good?

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

The makeover process is an emotional one, but Trinny and Susannah are very gentle, albeit firm. The show could so easily be about consumption and letting "things" define us, as so many of these shows are. But the two women have found the right balance between recognizing the boost that looking your best can give you and recognizing that it's not just your body, but also your life that you're expressing when you dress.

And, of course, it's just plain fun to see how clothes can change the look of the same body. As makeover series go, this is a positive, generally affirming choice.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether shows like this one impact viewers' body image. Do you think makeover shows in general promote appearance over other values? How does this one do on that front?

  • How real are reality shows? How can producers use editing and re-enactments to change viewers' perception of what happened when? Why might they do that?

TV Details

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