Parents' Guide to

Toya: A Family Affair

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Positive messages shine through tough-life reality show.

TV BET Reality TV 2011
Toya: A Family Affair Poster Image

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

PUNKINPIE
PUNKINPIE Adult
July 6, 2011
age 13+

Positive message for TEENS

Teenagers can learn a lot about the things they go through and the consequences. It comes on very late in the evening so it's not geared towards young children under 12. It's positve and talks about the break through from drug addiction, poverty and the struggle for a better life. It also speaks about jail, the unhappiness of it and the way it effects your life and your family. Young boys can really learn about choosing the wrong path and how their life will spiral down-hill in the event of doing so.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

TOYA: A FAMILY AFFAIR, a spinoff of the popular BET unscripted series Tiny and Toya, features Antonia "Toya" Carter as she attempts to bring her family closer together while her mother undergoes drug rehabilitation. The reality celeb returns to her native New Orleans with her 11-year-old daughter Reginae in order to be closer to mom Anita Johnson, and strengthen her relationship with her adult brothers, Walter, Josh, Casey, and Rudy. As she tries to mentor her brothers so that they will stay out of trouble and make better personal choices, she also faces her own personal and professional challenges.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

The reality docuseries offers a voyeuristic look into the lives of a family that is struggling to overcome a history of addiction and violence in order to pull together and support each other. While they face some very serious challenges, including coping with a drug-addicted parent and overcoming a criminal past, there appears to be a genuine attempt at making constructive choices and leading more productive lives.

It is definitely edgy, and contains lots of difficult moments that make you question whether some members of this family will actually live up to their potential. But Toya's hopeful optimism is inspiring, and makes you really want to see her mother and her siblings turn their lives around.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the issues discussed in this series. In what ways can one person's drug addiction impact an entire family? What about an unexpected pregnancy? A criminal act? How does the media portray the consequences of these actions vs. what they can potentially be in real life?

  • Do you think members of Toya's family are genuinely trying to change their lives, or is it for the sake of reality TV? Why?

TV Details

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