Parental Guidance (Australian TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | November 1, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Reality television series |
| Parent | Eureka Productions |
Parental Guidance is a reality television series from Australia centered on parenting, hosted by Allison Langdon alongside parenting specialist Dr Justin Coulson. It debuted on the Nine Network on 1 November 2021.
Format
This show showcases families employing a variety of parenting techniques as they face challenges designed to evaluate which method proves most successful. The inaugural season featured ten families, while the second season increased participation to 12 parents, organized into groups of four.
Production
Eureka Productions produced the series, with Chris Culvenor as its creator. Initially announced under the title The Parent Jury at Nine Entertainment's 2021 upfronts and set to include Jo Frost of Supernanny fame, the project underwent changes due to COVID-19 travel limitations preventing Frost’s involvement. Consequently, the program was renamed Parental Guidance.
Casting calls for the second season commenced in January 2022, with official confirmation of renewal arriving in September that year. The second season premiered on 5 June 2023 and aired throughout June. Following a September 2023 announcement confirming its continuation in 2024, auditions for the third season began in October 2024. The upcoming third season is scheduled to launch on 30 June 2025 and will feature a reduced number of episodes.
Series details
| Season | Episodes | Number of families | Original broadcast dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | ||||
| Template:Center | 9 | 10 | 1 November 2021 | 16 November 2021 | |
| Template:Center | 7 | 12 | 5 June 2023 | 20 June 2023 | |
| Template:Center | TBA | 8 | 30 June 2025 | ||
Season 1
Penny & Daniel 3 Free-range parenting NSW Rob & Sioux 2 Disciplined parenting SA| Family | Number of children | Parenting approach | Location | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew & Miriam | 3 | Strict discipline | NSW | A |
| Liadhan & Richard | 5 | Nature-based | SA | |
| Lara & Andrew | 2 | Attachment-focused | Victoria | |
| Brett & Tony | 4 | Routine-oriented | ||
| Yann & Donna | 1 | French style | NSW | |
| Kevin & Debbie | 2 | Tiger parenting | B | |
| Deb | 6 | Home schooling | Queensland | |
| Rachel & Sam | 2 | Helicopter parenting |
Season 2
| Family | Number of children | Parenting method | Hometown |
|---|
|- Amy & John 3 Road school parenting Echuca |- Kat & Jonathon 2 Influencer-style parenting Gold Coast, Queensland |- Larissa & Marcus 4 Gentle parenting approach Adelaide |- Sammy & Jason 4 Lighthouse parenting method Gold Coast |- Tency & David 3 Outback-style parenting Mareeba |- Kat 2 Honest parenting style Adelaide |- Kajal & Deepak 2 Spiritual parenting Sydney |- Sarah & Shane 3 Stage parenting Sydney |- Mark & Leanne 6 Team-based parenting Sydney |- Philippa & Chris 3 Slow style parenting Cairns |- Kim & Nick 1 American-style parenting Brisbane |- Melody & Michael 3 Unstructured parenting style Brisbane |}
Season 3
| Family | Number of children | Parenting approach | City of residence |
|---|
|- Hassan & Amanda 5 Hard Way Sydney |- Nathan & Joanne 2 Traditional Gold Coast, Queensland |- John & Courtney 3 Pro-tech Newcastle, New South Wales |- Marc & Amy 3 Active Gold Coast |- Mark & Tammy 4 Up Front Melbourne |- Nick & Sofia 2 Positivity Wollongong |- Sean & Elvie 2 Authoritative Perth |- Josh & Cassie 5 Life School Full Time Caravanners |}
International adaptations
| Country | Local title | Broadcasting network | Host(s) | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | The Parent Test | American Broadcasting Company | Ali Wentworth Adolph Brown |
15 December 2022 |
Season 1 (2021)
| Series episode number | Season episode number | Original broadcast date | Audience size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 November 2021 | 629,000 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 November 2021 | 547,000 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 November 2021 | 536,000 |
| 4 | 4 | 8 November 2021 | 604,000 |
| 5 | 5 | 9 November 2021 | 520,000 |
| 6 | 6 | 10 November 2021 | 517,000 |
| 7 | 7 | 14 November 2021 | 487,000 |
| 8 | 8 | 15 November 2021 | 481,000 |
| 9 | 9 | 16 November 2021 | 478,000 |
Season 2 (2023)
| Series episode number | Season episode number | Original broadcast date | Audience size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 5 June 2023 | 511,000 |
| 11 | 2 | 6 June 2023 | 433,000 |
| 12 | 3 | 12 June 2023 | 445,000 |
| 13 | 4 | 13 June 2023 | 420,000 |
| 14 | 5 | 18 June 2023 | 375,000 |
| 15 | 6 | 19 June 2023 | 398,000 |
| 16 | 7 | 20 June 2023 | 411,000 |
Season 3 (2025)
! Series episode number ! Season episode number ! Episode title ! Original broadcast date ! Audience size |} |- 17 1 "Screen Time" 30 June 2025 729,000 |- 18 2 "Peer Pressure" 7 July 2025 671,000 |- 19 3 "Body Positivity" 14 July 2025 640,000 |- 20 4 "Mental Health" 21 July 2025
|- }
Critical response
Bridget McManus from The Age observed that although the show features elements of conflict and rivalry, Coulson emphasizes that Parental Guidance is not intended to criticize or embarrass participants.