Chrisley Knows Best – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Chrisley Knows Best

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2014

22%

WISE Score

Wealthy patriarch controls his family on camera; later goes to prison for fraud. Peak reality TV cringe with a federal conviction chaser.

Chrisley Knows Best

show

TV-14, 2014

22%

WISE Score

Wealthy patriarch controls his family on camera; later goes to prison for fraud. Peak reality TV cringe with a federal conviction chaser.

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the deal: Chrisley Knows Best is reality TV at its worst—a wealthy, controlling father micromanaging his family while the cameras roll, all disguised as 'comedy.' Todd Chrisley's schtick was being an over-the-top perfectionist who belittled everyone around him, which... isn't funny, it's just uncomfortable.

The show's 4.9 IMDb rating tells you what you need to know about entertainment value. But the real kicker? In 2023, Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to federal prison for tax evasion and bank fraud. The 'picture-perfect Southern life' was built on lies and criminal activity.

There's zero reason to put this on for your kids. It models terrible behavior, offers no educational value, isn't even entertaining by reality TV standards, and the stars are literally convicted felons. Pass.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media rates this 14+, which seems about right for the family dysfunction and materialism themes, though honestly, there's no age at which this is actually worth watching. Adults might hate-watch it, but it offers nothing of value for developing minds.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While the show avoided explicit content, it centered on a controlling, manipulative patriarch who frequently belittled family members. Todd Chrisley's behavior modeled narcissism, materialism, and emotional manipulation rather than healthy family dynamics. The 'comedy' often came at the expense of genuine kindness or cooperation.

Imaginative

Standard reality TV format with zero originality. No creative problem-solving, building, exploration, or meaningful imagination. Just wealthy people buying things and manufacturing drama for cameras. The show invited viewers to passively consume manufactured conflict, not to think or create.

Safe

No graphic violence, nudity, or explicit content that would shock younger viewers. However, the emotional manipulation and toxic family dynamics present psychological concerns. The real-world context (tax fraud convictions, imprisonment) adds a layer of unsafety in terms of role modeling, though the show itself doesn't contain trigger-warning level content.

Enriching

Actively anti-enriching. The show glorified wealth without work ethic, modeled controlling behavior as 'parenting,' and offered zero cognitive, ethical, or personal growth opportunities. The Chrisleys' subsequent federal convictions for tax evasion and fraud underscore that this was a masterclass in what NOT to do. Entertainment value was low even for reality TV standards (4.9 IMDb rating).

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If you want a case study in what toxic family dynamics look like, this is textbook material
The show's eventual real-world implosion (fraud convictions, prison sentences) provides a teachable moment about consequences
Some viewers found Todd's one-liners amusing in a train-wreck sort of way

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What to Watch For

Todd Chrisley's controlling, belittling behavior is played for laughs but models terrible parenting and partnership
Extreme materialism and wealth-flaunting (which turned out to be fraudulently obtained) as aspirational lifestyle
The real-world aftermath: both parents convicted of federal crimes and imprisoned in 2023
Manufactured drama with zero substance or life lessons worth absorbing

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think people watched this family? What made it entertaining or not?"
"Todd acts like he's always right and controls everything. How would that feel if someone treated you that way?"
"The Chrisleys went to prison for lying about their money and taxes. What does that tell you about the life they showed on TV?"
"What's the difference between confidence and being controlling or mean to people you love?"

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