Too Close to Home

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
Too Close to Home Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Soapy, sluggish drama has strong sexuality, mature themes.

TLC Drama 2016
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Parents say

age 17+

Based on 7 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Tyler Perry's Too Close to Home is TLC's first scripted series (they're known best for their reality programming). It has lots of mature themes, ranging from extramarital affairs and drug addiction to domestic abuse and dealing with aging parents. It contains strong sexual content (including simulated sex acts), strong language, and crude sexual references. Curses are muted. Drinking is visible.

Community Reviews

Darren M.
Darren M. Adult
September 4, 2017
age 17+
Stephanie C.
Stephanie C. Adult
February 10, 2017
age 18+

Tyler Perry's Worse Show Ever

I really enjoy Tyler Perry's work and usually find it to be entertaining, funny and enlightening. This show is a huge disappointment. While it covers some very serious life situations, it minimizes their importance and severity with poor acting . The dialogue is repetitive and not true to life. It portrays minorities in a terrible light that is neither accurate or entertaining. It's so unbelievably bad that you can't determine if if it's bad intentionally or just one of the worse mistakes TP has ever made.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Tyler Perry's TOO CLOSE TO HOME is a TLC original drama starring Danielle Savre as Anna, a young woman who left her trailer park home in Happy, Alabama, to pursue a political career in Washington, D.C. In an attempt to cover up her past and live a better life, she cuts all ties with her family, leaving her sister Bonnie (Kelly Sullivan) to manage it all. But a major, highly publicized political scandal involving the president forces Anna to seek refuge at home, which means coping with Jolene (Trisha Rae Stahl), her difficult mother, and her drug-addicted sister Shelby (Brooke Anne Smith). It also means she must confront the problems she left behind, including her rocky relationship with Brody (Brock O’Hurn), while dealing with the fallout from her actions in Washington, D.C., thanks to First Lady Katelyn Thomas (played by Heather Locklear).

Is It Any Good?

From steamy encounters to endless family strife, Too Close to Home is a melodramatic series that features lots of intertwining storylines full of over-the-top moments. It's grittier than traditional soap opera fantasies, but there's no shortage of beautiful women, shirtless men, and emotional turmoil.

The writing is clunky at times, and attempts to create dramatic moments often lead to sluggish scenes, some of which include lines that are repeated over and over. As a result, the overall narrative feels like it's moving extremely slowly. Nonetheless, some may still enjoy the guilty pleasure it offers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about soap operas. Where does the term "soap opera" come from? What kinds of elements do soap operas have that separate them from other kinds of dramas?

  • Families can also talk about the difference between reality and scripted TV. Do you think there are some parts of reality TV shows that aren't "real"?

TV Details

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