Parents' Guide to Truth Be Told

TV TLC Reality TV 2009
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Common Sense Media Review

By Anne Louise Bannon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Embarrassing problems more uncomfortable than informative.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 14+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

TRUTH BE TOLD is a series of short documentaries about people who have various disorders and problems -- including hoarding, addiction to plastic surgery, obssesive compulsive disorder, and obsession with pets. It's shot strictly as cinema verite, with no interviews. Indeed, with rare exceptions, it's as if the camera crew is merely a fly on the wall, observing the situation.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

Unfortunately, due to that same lack of interviews and narration, the show comes off as somewhat exploitive. On the plus side, there's no makeover team coming in to "make everything all right" -- but on the down side, there's no information about why people have these issues, and no suggestions for ways to deal with these sorts of challenges effectively.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether this show seems more realistic than other "reality" series. Why? Do you think it was filmed as it actually happened, or could some of it be re-enacted? Does that make a difference?

  • Why do people with embarrassing problems decide to broadcast them on television? Would you ever do that?

  • What can a show like this teach us about being healthy?

TV Details

  • Premiere date : August 12, 2009
  • Network : TLC
  • Genre : Reality TV
  • TV rating : TV-14
  • Last updated : October 24, 2022

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