Parents' Guide to

Same Name

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Gimmick series has good messages and genuine emotion.

TV CBS Reality TV 2011
Same Name Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Celebrities agree to trade places temporarily with regular people who have the SAME NAME, giving each the chance to see what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. Celebrities participating in the project include actor David Hasselhoff, comedian Kathy Griffin, boxer Mike Tyson, and professional footballer Reggie Bush.

Is It Any Good?

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

At first, SAME NAME feels like a riff on gimmicky fish-out-of-water TV that puts celebrities in unpleasant situations to watch them squirm -- which worked so well for I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Ahem. But it soon evolves into a genuinely touching social experiment with surprisingly meaningful takeaways.

Even David Hasselhoff, who's essentially kept his career afloat by cashing in on his overhyped Hoff-ness, gets to a point where he's crying actual tears over the new family he's found in rural Lake Jackson, Texas, the home of 27-year-old landscaper David Hasselhoff, Jr. Not every celebrity shows that kind of emotion, but it's worth watching when it happens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about celebrities and the important role they play in popular culture. Why do we put celebrities on a pedestal and tend to forget that they're people, just like us? What role does media play in shaping our perceptions?

  • What stereotypes do the celebrities and non-celebrities have about each other? How accurate do they turn out to be?

  • Which would you prefer: stepping into a celebrity's shoes or those of a "regular" person? What do you think you could learn from the experience?

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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