‘Supernanny’ Star Is Breaking From Tradition in ‘Family S.O.S.’

Jo Frost tells TheWrap that she's doing "factuality" TV on her new TLC show

Former "Supernanny" star Jo Frost traded in the bun and the suit for her new TLC series debuting Tuesday, but that doesn't mean she's lightened up. Frost takes on some very challenging family problems on "Family S.O.S.," which meant changing up her approach.

"I knew that I wanted to create a format that was looser, one that would help show the whole family receiving the help," Frost told TheWrap.

"I knew I had to say goodbye to one format in order to open up the opportunity for another. So, it was a very conscious decision for me to say goodbye to the 'Supernanny' show, so I can make 'Family S.O.S.'"

After seven seasons of working with countless misbehaving toddlers, misinformed parents, and even having her ACL replaced, Frost's new show has her dealing with the entire family over a minimum of four 17-hour days. Tough work, said Frost, and certainly not the retirement that some believed she was embarking on at the end of "Supernanny's" run.

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"There were articles out there saying, 'Supernanny's' quit. She's gone on to get married, to have a baby,' as if I was whisking off into the sunset," she said. "By no means was I whisking off into the sunset to have babies and get married, this sort of picturesque nanny walking into the sunset."

The 90-minute premiere episode of "Family S.O.S." should prove to viewers that Frost had no intention of kicking up her heels and retiring. It places her in the cross hairs of a blended family, which is everything but united.

"'Family S.O.S.' is more raw," Frost explained of her show. "Certainly, there were circumstances that were unexpected. A child loses a close friend who was also involved with using alcohol and drugs. You don't get any realer than that, you know? We continue to reach out to families who have difficulty with adoption and relationship issues, people who have come into marriages, teenagers who are hurt and upset."

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"I'm incredibly proud of the six families and the work that they did," she continued. "I think they're really representative of the families that are out there. It's real."

Frost calls her brand of reality TV, "factuality." "From what I gather from being here for nine years in this country, reality seems to be very much produced and scripted. I deal with real people and real issues."

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