Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Steamy, soapy drama has sexy stuff, drinking, scandals.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Parents say that this TV show elicits a wide range of emotions, from laughter to frustration, particularly regarding character development and plot realism. Many reviews express disappointment with unrealistic portrayals, repetitive writing, and the unsatisfactory ending, while a few viewers still appreciate its excitement and characters like Jim Cryer despite the show's flaws.
- character development
- unrealistic portrayals
- plot repetition
- mixed emotions
- disappointing ending
- character flaws
Summarized with AI
Based on 3 kid reviews
What's the Story?
THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, a dramatic soap opera created, written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry, centers around the rich, powerful, and dysfunctional Cryer family of Savannah, Georgia, and the hired help who work on the estate. Family patriarch Jim Cryer (John Schneider) is a powerful judge with political ambitions, but his extramarital life threatens to harm his career as well as his family's reputation -- something that his wife Katheryn (Renee Lawless) will stop at nothing to protect. Their adult children, including troubled son Wyatt (Aaron O'Connell) who struggles with addiction, and daughter Amanda (Jacyln Betham) who is buckling under pressure to live up to her family's expectations, add to the drama. Meanwhile, the family's new maid, Hanna Young (Crystal Fox), is trying to keep her own family going, and relies on her son Benny (Tyler Lepley) to help her. But things get complicated when Hanna's estranged daughter Candace (Tika Sumpter) befriends members of the wealthy family as a way of of manipulating her way into a world of money and influence. Adding to the mix are the Cryer's wealthy friends Veronica and David Harrington (played by Angela Robinson and Peter Parros), and Celine, the family's chef (Eva Tamargo).
Is It Any Good?
The Haves and the Have Nots pays tribute to the traditional TV soap operas of times past, thanks to its ensemble of attractive characters, endlessly intertwining plot lines, steamy scandals, and of course, over-the-top melodramatic music. The stories are rather predictable, too, even though they are updated to reflect contemporary social issues.
The series offers a more diverse cast than classic series like Dallas, but the overall production may feel slow or outdated to viewers who are unfamiliar with the nature of classic soap series or who are looking for more action-oriented entertainment. But audiences who like or miss this type of soapy distraction may be drawn to this guilty pleasure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about soap operas. What exactly is a soap opera? What are some of the most famous soap operas to air on American television? What made them so popular? What are some of the differences between early soap operas and what people consider to be soap operas today?
Soap operas and other TV shows geared towards teens feature lots of risky behaviors, like promiscuity and drinking. Why? What kind of impact can this have on the teens who are viewing these behaviors on television?
Can you tell this show is a Tyler Perry production? What are some trademarks of his work?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 28, 2013
- Cast : Crystal Fox , John Schneider , Renée Lawless
- Network : OWN
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate