CDL was thrilled to be invited to a cocktail reception to meet USA Network’s newest star, Todd Chrisley – a hilariously unfiltered and unforgettable patriarch of perfection from their new show, “Chrisley Knows Best.”
USA Network has by far the most eagerly anticipated Spring line up. Up to now we were looking forward to the return of Suits when what we should have been doing was paying attention to the promos for the Chrisleys.
No, I’m not kidding – without a doubt if you find yourself loving both the Southern charm and cattiness of Steel Magnolias then you’ll love Chrisley Knows Best. Based on their everyday life and tribulations in Atlanta the series follows real estate millionaire Todd Chrisley and his large and sometimes hardly loving nor appreciative family. Nicknamed before even the premiere of his reality show; Todd has been called “brash and outspoken” by some and “hilariously unfiltered and unforgettable patriarch of perfection” by others, but who he is and what the actual man (no TV persona here) stands for is what will keep the audience tuning in every week.
Thankfully I can help you out there. At the Meet & Greet with the family in NYC I can provide insight to Todd’s main motivation and what will probably be the ammo for the rest of his life – everything he does is out of love for his wife, Julie, and their five children:
- Lindsie at 24 is both his eldest child and daughter. Lindsie is also the one that went behind her parents’ back in order to marry her husband, Will. While her father absolutely adores her he’s still learning about how to deal with her husband. There is nothing overtly wrong with Will per say, but he hasn’t come into the family mold yet and the happy arrival of Todd’s grandson hasn’t bridged the gap as much as everyone was hoping.
- Kyle is the second eldest and firstborn son. At this point in his life Kyle hasn’t exactly found his passion so far and frankly, at this stage, his father isn’t ready to dish out another million just to help him find him one.
- Then there’s Chase whom at 17 and x amount of days can’t wait to become an adult. Openly known as the most rebellious, Chase tends to chafe at his father’s rules. This often leads to his extensive (according to him) punishment, but Chase refuses to let that stop him for doing what he wants to do. And funnily enough he thinks turning 18 will suddenly open new doors to freedom. Boy, does he have a lot to learn about adulthood!
- Savannah at 16 is just at that stage where she starts to consider herself a woman. And as along as her father is around then such dreams will never come into fruition. Not the way she’s planning. He’ll never let her look up to Pamela Anderson as an icon as long as there’s breath in his body!
- Last and never least there is the baby of the family, Grayson. This 7 year old has admittedly gotten away with more than his siblings do. He’ very opinionated like his dad and as long Grayson remembers not to cross the line then his parents are happy for him to explore his personality.
So you see his children can be quite a handful and that could easily explain why Todd and his wife feel they must raise their children with an iron fist. It gives them the tighter grip they need to keep everyone from escaping said hand.
Todd monitors and manages pretty much everything that has to do with his children. If he can’t manage it (like a new electronic gadget) then it would surprise no one if his kids never got it to begin with because at the end of the day Todd needs to know where his children are and what are they doing. He doesn’t want to be one the parents you hear about on TV that never knew about their child’s secret and more often dangerous lives. And you know what; I commend him for it!
The reality show is being portrayed as Father Knows Best with a bite. Although Todd’s general blunt and snarky advice can at times get lost in translation; I have to say that a lot of parents out there could learn a few things from him. It’s a stance I firmly believe in especially after seeing footage from the upcoming season . It was watching him at best. Todd’s diligence pays off in more ways than it hurts. Sure, his kids at one point or another take exception to always needing to get permission first and that sometimes their parents are going to go out with them, but it’s better than the alternative. At least this way they know he cares and will do everything in his power for them. Just because that’s embarrassing doesn’t mean it hasn’t provided the Chrisley children with the security every child needs.
Looking back, Chase might one day prefer having a boot on his car for going to a football game without permission. If nothing else it taught him consequences.
With four stars from me – don’t miss out on the premiere of Chrisley Knows Best Tuesday, March 11, at 10 p.m. on USA. And if some reason ( it better be an emergency) you miss then you’re in luck. USA Network’s sister channel E! will be showing encore episodes every Sunday night starting March 16 at 10:30 pm !!!
