Parents' Guide to

One Week to Save Your Marriage

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Watching a break up is hard to do, at any age.

TV TLC Reality TV 2006
One Week to Save Your Marriage 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?

Division of domestic chores, working too many hours at the office, financial pressures, lack of intimacy in the bedroom -- these are just some of the challenges discussed by the couples in ONE WEEK TO SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE, and it's up to renowned psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig -- who has a bag of tricks, years of experience, and a mission -- to save these marriages on the brink of divorce. From a van parked outside, for seven days Ludwig watches each couple's interactions as they're filmed on video cameras stationed throughout their home. She sees and hears accusations, tears, and anger that are heart-wrenching to observe. Ludwig then challenges the couple with exercises and tasks to help them face their hidden resentments, develop healthy communication skills, and reignite the romance that is typically long-gone. Each episode concludes with a mock \"wedding\" in which Ludwig asks each couple if they want to save their marriage -- and, if so, gives them their rings back.

Is It Any Good?

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

One Week to Save Your Marriage is for adults only. It's about the pressures that adults face in marriage long after the honeymoon phase is over and covers topics that kids and teens haven't yet experienced on their own.

Many kid viewers may be familiar with divorce from their own experiences, but watching other people's name-calling, crying, shrieking arguments, and intimate discussions about lack of sex doesn't provide any useful lessons for kids and teens, no matter how their family is defined.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges of all long-term relationships -- whether between spouses, roommates, or best friends. Why are clear communication and responsive listening so important in any relationship? How do the show's exercises help people communicate? Parents can also point out the different phases the couples on the show go through -- negotiation, compromise, and resolution.

TV Details

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