Parents' Guide to

Mary Knows Best

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Psychic mom knows all on reality series about quirky family.

TV Syfy Reality TV 2010
Mary Knows Best 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?

Mary Occhino has a gift: She's a real psychic who often receives messages about people from the beyond. She's also the host of a radio call-in show and the matriarch of a boisterous Italian-American Long Island clan. It's a busy life, and all of it shows up on MARY KNOWS BEST, a reality series about Mary's unusual family and even more unusual career.

Is It Any Good?

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

Mary and her relatives are interesting, but aside from her psychic gifts, they actually aren't especially unusual. There are plenty of outspoken families who bicker over the dinner table and make fun of each other's romantic choices. So why does she get to star in a reality show? Well, because she's psychic. But viewers mostly know she has these gifts because people on the show tell us, not because we actually see her in action.

And that's the show's problem. Viewers are happy to watch rock star Ozzy Osbourne engaged in mundane activities because there's such a contrast between his hard-core rocker persona and his average-guy behavior. But Occhino isn't famous. All we know is her average mom behavior and the few glimpses we get of her actually being psychic. Average moms are common on TV -- we need to see more of her being psychic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about psychics. Do you believe that people can commune with the dead? Do you think Mary really has that gift?

  • Do you think Mary's family is portrayed accurately on the show? Do the producers edit it to play up any Italian-American stereotypes? In general, how much do you think editing affects the "reality" of reality TV?

TV Details

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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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