Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Reality show features silly, illegal, drunken behavior.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
TICKLE is a reality series featuring the antics of an Appalachian bootlegger who's trying keep busy in between distillery seasons. It stars Moonshiners cast member Steven Ray Tickle, who stumbles upon someone's hidden moonshine in the forest and claims it for his own. With the help of his friends Howard and Mo, he sets up Tickle's Tackle, a storefront designed to hide his illegal moonshine-selling activities. Keeping the store running is his no-nonsense secretary, Megan. Tickle must behave as a responsible business owner, but his crazy schemes often get him into trouble, especially with legendary local gun shop owner Grandpa Bill.
Is It Any Good?
Unlike its more informative sister series, this show features lots of staged, silly antics as Tickle and his friends try to quietly sell their moonshine while participating in charitable events and other activities in order to keep nosy neighbors at bay. A lot of their time is spent goofing around and drinking, too.
He's likable, but this simply makes it easier to forget the fact that Tickle is making a name for himself by committing multiple crimes. His constant drunken behavior is irresponsible, too. Some folks may find it entertaining, but the messages it sends are rather disturbing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why reality series sometimes feature illegal activities. Is it responsible or ethical to show people engaging in illegal acts, even if the way they go about it is entertaining? What if it is an educational show?
Why do people appear on reality television if they know that what they are doing is inappropriate or against the law?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 13, 2013
- Cast : Steven Ray Tickle
- Network : Discovery Channel
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 24, 2022
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