Parents' Guide to

There Goes the Neighborhood

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Suburban "social experiment" gets pretty un-neighborly.

TV CBS Reality TV 2009
There Goes the Neighborhood Poster Image

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What's the Story?

In THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, eight families from a suburb of Kennesaw, Georgia, must live behind a massive concrete wall that cuts them off from the outside world. Each family must learn to bond with each other while coping without electricity and other comforts -- and they also have to work together to win challenges for rewards and/or immunity from elimination. At the end of each episode, the families vote to decide who should live on the other side of the wall until the competition is over. The family that manages to stay in their home until the end wins $250,000.

Is It Any Good?

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

The series seeks to entertain viewers by pitting close neighbors against each other within an artificial environment to see how they'll react and/or change in exchange for money. Not surprisingly, this "social experiment" creates lots of uncomfortable moments, especially when long-time neighbors hurt one another's feelings during elimination voting.

Sadly, many of the participants express some serious doubt about whether their friendships will be able to continue after the competition is over. But that doesn't seem to stop some of them from appearing greedy and competitive as they strategize against one another. As a result, the show sends mixed messages about the importance of being neighborly.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's premise. Would you agree to compete against your own neighbors for money? Why or why not? How do you think the competition might affect your relationships?

  • What makes a strong neighborhood? What are the benefits of living in a community where neighbors are close? Are there any disadvantages?

TV Details

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