User reviews

Wow. I am wondering how these actors got their gig w/ Perry. I mean, I cannot tell whose acting is worse...actually yes I can: that Fabio looking guy. it's like he doesn't know what to do with himself while reciting the same lines over and over and over again. He also reminds me of someone who has either worked in porn or would be more suitable to work in porn. And how is it possible that almost every main guy character is SUPER ripped? I mean, come on! Anna has no backbone and keeps saying "sorry" over and over and over again. Heather Locklear's makeup was AWFUL. She looked terrible! Whoever did her makeup ought to be fired. I don't know what happened, but I don't see this show lasting too long.

I tuned into show simply because I'm a fan of Heather Locklear but I have to wonder about her agent. This show is, to put it mildly, horrible. I'm glad Heather only had a few scenes and was able to escape this dreck. I hope she picked up a fat paycheck. The writing is so bad it's laughable. People keep repeating the same lines over and over until you want to scream at them to shut up. The plot is nonsense, the acting is worse than a high school play and there is NO direction. Why do some people in Alabama have accents and some don't? Why do those accents cone and go at random? Why is it set in a trailer park? Is that really how Mr Perry imagines Alabama- one big trailer park full of whores and drug addicts? The wardrobe, makeup and hair people must have hated Locklear because they did their best to make her look like a 70 year old haggard alcoholic. It's embarrassing how inept this whole thing is and how cheap it all looks. The characters are paper thin and the main character, Anna, does nothing but say how sorry she is to everyone. Repeatedly. This is TV at its worst. Tyler Perry claims a producing, writing and directing credit. He fails spectacularly at all 3 positions. This show is garbage and you'd be a fool to waste your time watching it. Once Locklear's scenes were through, so was I. TLC must be desperate to program this crap. It's amateur, it's cheap and it's insulting to anyone with half a brain.

I know that title probably doesn't make sense, but...

Nearly everything said in the poor reviews is true. The dialogue is stilted and ridiculous, and the actors are doing the best they can. If Tyler Perry truly ACTIVELY wrote, produced, and directed this - all you can do is shake your head. man alive was it ever tedious at times... a lot of the time.

BUT, the plot lines have been very interesting, and I have been searching diligently to find out when it's coming back, only to have discovered recently it was cancelled. Which is truly disappointing because the plot had taken a really interesting twist, and I want to know how it ends. Even if it's a fan fiction written online.

I thought it might be a bad show because it was kind of a repetitive idea, but God I was wrong. It is BAD, really bad. I was happy with the idea of a gay storyline, but it's not worth watching. Actors can spend 10 minutes repeating the same thing: "don't do it", "I will", "don't do it", "I will", "don't do it", "I will",.... For Real. After 3 episodes it seems it's going worst. The main character has no reason to exist, it's lame, flat and makes you hate her. The rest of the cast is boring. The acting is cringeworthy, really bad. Reality TV shows have better acting. There is no plot, the story goes nowhere. It's really sad to watch episode that don't go anywhere. I had to speed up the episodes and guess what It was easy because they can spend 10 mins doing the same, so you can speed up and don't lose information. TLC, just quit of trying this shitty TV.

I like the story line, but this show suffers more from script and directing issues than from poor acting. No one on this show is so bad that his/her performance can't be helped with better writing and directing. I'd go as far to say that of the two, the writing is the greater handicap - especially when it comes to disagreements between characters. There doesn't seem to be any commitment to depth - just overplay the lines. To assume your audience at large is shallow enough to buy into dialogue that even a soap opera wouldn't touch is a loss for everyone. I don't just want eye candy - I want heart and soul, and that has to exist in the script and in the direction. Even the best actors can only do so much.

I really wanted to like this show. An Intern Gone Wrong premise, a comely cast with a Southern setting, the return of Heather Locklear...what's not to like? Well a lot, unfortunately.

Lets --- start ---with--- the--- excruciatingly---long ---pauses ---between ---words. Why oh why is that, do the writers get paid by the word? Then there is the cartoon-like, stereotypical characters. The overly solicitous waitress, the scrawny, screechy coke whore, the beefcake with the heart of gold, the twangy sheriff etc. The story line limps along at a snails pace with an episode's worth of "action" painstakingly dragged out for three episodes (writers paid by the idea?!?)

The only shallow reason why I give this a 2 instead of 1 is because of above mentioned beefcake Brody. His biceps are the breakout stars of the show. If you want to record these shows and then just fast forward to the Brody sections you won't be disappointed. If you want to watch the sections in between, don't say you weren't warned.

The show is fine for a scripted TLC drama. The actors are, of course, quite lovely. The acting is not as bad as on some other Tyler Perry shows, but sometimes the dialogue has a tendency to be slightly clunky at best. The plot lines are mostly believable, but still have room to improve. Honestly, overall, the show is quite enjoyable. I enjoy most of what Tyler Perry produces, with a few notable exceptions. This show definitely has room to improve on a few aspects, but I can also definitely say that it does have promise (as long as it doesn't get too ridiculous). So far, the relationships are believable and the acting is good. I finished the first and second season (at least up to the last episode released so far) in the past week so my interest, to say the least, is peaked. Hopefully, it only gets better with time.

Pros: -definitely brings the drama -acting is good -story line is mostly believable and easy to follow -cinematography and wardrobe are well done -characters have thought out backstories with room to grow

Cons: -some subplots are iffy at best -dialogue shifts can be slightly clunky and stiff -conflict resolves are hastily done at times -music is overdone and more obtrusive than complementary -shifty accents (Shelby's accent is a little stereotypical at times)

I love Tyler Perry, and was excited to hear about the show. The concept sounded intriguing and the trailers looked exciting. Not often do we see a "rise above your raising" show that focuses on poor whites. However, the show has several problems.

The dialogue is ridiculous. The characters just say the same thing over, and over, and over again. It's evident that even the actors know they are delivering poorly written lines.

The story moves at a snail's pace, which would be fine if the show aired as a soap opera - more than once a week.

The guy who plays Brody seems to have only one emotion, and it is difficult to say what that emotion might be. He is flat - one dimensional. Either he needs acting lessons or better direction.

I see that the show has been renewed for a second season. After 6 episodes, the only way I'd watch it again is if Perry hires some new writers who have knowledge of the South and experience in the soap opera genre.

I sat and watched this show in disgust! WOW! I have always loved Tyler Perry so much and have watched all his movies! His movies and shows have always been drama with uplifting moments that left you feeling good! THis show is NONE of that!!! It is DARK and DISTURBING in the worst way! This show is the worst acting I have ever seen. NO plot! Horrible! I was also very bothered how it made "Alabama" look. This show was like a train wreck that kept getting darker and darker.I enjoy good drama but this is pure trash to me. I will not be watching any more shows! OH! SHELBY has the WORST southern accent I have EVER HEARD!!!! IT made my skin crawl we do NOT sound like that!!!! I am just SHOCKED that Tyler Perry is behind this show! As a huge fan of his I am so disappointed!

I scanned some of the other reviews. I do not agree. I enjoy it. I've enjoyed Tyler Perry's other shows--The Haves and the Have Nots and If Loving You Is Wrong. I can no longer watch them as I don't have the channel anymore. Some of the acting could be better, but I still plan on watching it if it continues. I like the fact that I knew one of the actors--the one that plays Bonnie. I like seeing her do this kind of role. I may not know all the other actors but I like them. All of the characters and the struggles of them are relevant to what goes on in small towns. I like the fact there is a gay story line as well as the story line about a parent leaving their child with family while they try to improve their lives.

The acting (if you can call it that) is non-existent - I have seen stage sets with more life. Every line delivered in mono-tone. One assumes the cast has never received an acting class in their lives!

The "incidental" music is straight out of a cheesy horror movie.

However, for some reason, I have watched all 4 episodes.. Perhaps because I am waiting for just one cast member to show a glimmer of promise - an inkling of talent!! - But no. Even the one actress I had heard of and sort of recognised (through all the plastic surgery) delivered her lines as though she was drugged up to the eyeballs.

I doubt it will get a second series... unless of course they turn it into a comedy.

I had no idea what this series was going to entail from the title. "Too Close To Home" has a pretty broad range in meaning. The show started out in D.C. so I thought it was going to be a show based on political scandal. And it was to a degree. However, by retreating back to Happy, Alabama, it brought a sense of "Southern dysfunctional charm" to the show that was truly unexpected. I really enjoy the series and thought I missed the last episode, the cliffhanger. Now I see I didn't. I thought the show was fast pace as I watch a daytime soap which truly can drag in the story line. As a matter of fact, Kelly Sullivan was in the daytime soap I watch. I think she's a very talented actress and is very believable in this show. Kudos to Tyler Perry for creating quite an enticing series. Would love to see more of Heather Locklear and even get Anna back to D.C. for a "reunion" with the President, as we still don't know his health status to date, after the initial heart attack. All the actors/actresses bring their characters to life and do an awesome job. Can't wait for the next season.

I have read all former reviews and can some of them understand. After watching the the beginning episodes I was disappointed about the story line. The reason for returning home to Alabama was also too much for me and it reminded me of Monica Levinsky. In my opinion the story started with many clichés and I have also the feeling that many producers think they need only need gay couple in a TV show and it it will successful. I changed my mind after the introduction of Anna's family in Happy and after I realized that there are much more secrets and how life also can be in the US. But I agree with many other people here. Unfortunately there are too many stereotype in the story and the characters sometimes seem to be too simple. But I like the actors, especially Kelly Sullivan, who did a good job. I am really happy that there will be a second season.

I cannot believe Tyler Perry attached his name to this. The plot is excruciatingly slow. The characters somehow manage to be overly dramatic while being terrible actors. Im completely dumbfounded by how this made it to television. In the matter of three episodes we have gotten absolutely nowhere in the plot. I don't know where to place the blame. Is it terrible writers that have made the characters so horrible, or is it the actors portrayal of said characters, or is it the director who can't get a good handle on either? Doesn't really matter, its horrible. Reality TV actors seem more comfortable on camera, and their stories are more interesting.

Shocked by all the bad reviews. I know a trailer park isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I loved it and hope there is more. As jacked up as it is. It's more like reality in the hood. Tyler knows what he's doing

I have seen most of Tyler Perry's movies however I don't watch the shows because the plots all seem to be the same. I was excited to watch this for one because it was a scripted soap type show and also because it had a predominately Caucasian cast (I am African American so there is no racism here). This show is by far the worst show I have ever watched. From the writing to the acting, is absolutely horrible.'it sounds like the characters are reading lines in a 5th grade play. The only true moment of good acting was Heather Locklear's scene. The rest is predictable garbage. I watched several episodes to see if it would get better and it hasn't. Brock O'Hurn needs to stick with putting his hair in a bun because that's all he can do. I almost feel like Tyler Perry is intentionally trying to make these actors look like non-talented puppets. I have seen more fire and spice watching ants in my back yard. There is no way he is serious about this series. If you haven't watched it please do so because it's an utter amazement that a show that lacks every element of production can still be on television.