Parents' Guide to

Tyler Perry’s The Oval

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Steamy, soapy White House drama has violence, sex, cursing.

TV BET Drama 2019
Tyler Perry's The Oval poster image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • The First Family
  • The President
  • The Chief of Staff and the Secret Service

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

Memebae1719
Memebae1719 Parent of 15-year-old
November 17, 2022
age 18+

Hot Mess

The disappointment in the show, levels for spreading by sexuality. And in forcing corruptIon and all of this colt Life, kidnapping children. This is a big disappointment just as Sistas is, sistas depicts a straight man going to a gay bar using a vibrator, it also depicts on three successful women or four successful women and they just sleep around anytime it’s convenient. A nagging ex girlfriend who seems psycho pathic and bratty that won’t leave a healthy relationship go. I just I stop watching the oval after the first lady try to kill her son and I don’t watch it at all but after seeing Sistas last night it’s nothing good happening on that show I understand it’s a drama serious but can there ever be any happy movements on this show. It seems like Tyler pair will depict angry black women, edgy bipolar ex-cons, bisexual man with no real agenda and basically just put it into a storyline which is basically a hot mess. It makes Black people look unsure of themselves desperate and it shows that no matter how successful they are their flaws of the way their success. Danny has slept with several different man since the start of the show she fell in love with one now she has bipolar illusions . So apparently some new riders are the show is going to fail but after last night I won’t be watching none of Tyler Perry shows. Maybe I’ll watch the Queen’s men

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

TYLER PERRY'S THE OVAL is a dramatic series that chronicles the dysfunctional life of a mixed-race first family. President Hunter Franklin (Ed Quinn) has just been inaugurated as President of the United States, and is moving into the White House along with his wife Victoria (Kron Moore), their daughter Gayle (Paige Hurd) and son Jason (Daniel Croix). White House Chief of Staff Donald Winthrop (Lodric Collins) has his hands full navigating the bad blood and corruption behind the scenes. His job is also putting a strain on his relationship with his wife Lilly (Ciera Payton). Meanwhile, long-time White House butler Richard Hallsen (Javon Johnson) has to keep the household running smoothly, even when life at home with his wife Nancy (Ptosha Shorey) is in disarray thanks to their adult son Barry (Vaughn W. Hebron). Throughout it all, U.S. Secret Service agents like Kyle Flint (Brad Benedict) and Sam Owen (Walter Fauntleroy) keep tabs on the first family without revealing the truth behind the public façade. It's a memorable time in Washington D.C., but in the White House everything is complicated thanks to all the private and public political games everyone is playing.

Is It Any Good?

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

This dramatic, albeit formulaic, series features all over-the-top plot lines one expects from a Tyler Perry-produced soap. Cast members unapologetically go to whatever extreme they need to in order grab and and hold on to power. Adding to this are the endless secrets, sexual encounters, and political scandals that come and go throughout each season, all of which are designed to provide viewers with some guilty pleasure. It isn't particularly creative or original, but if you're looking to spend some time watching something that doesn't require a lot of effort, The Oval will provide you with ample entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way media portrays life in the White House. How realistic are they? Are they intended to be? Or are they made more dramatic for entertainment purposes.

  • Why do you think the decision was made to feature a mixed-race first family in Tyler Perry's The Oval?

TV Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

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