BREAKING BONADUCE

Between The Surreal Life, Hogan Knows Best & My Fair Brady (just to name a few), VH1 has become the place for whacked out reality shows. Nothing has been so intense as its latest creation, "Breaking Bonaduce." I've wanted to write about this show for a while, it's already a couple episodes in. But you know how the cable stations are, if you've missed an episode there will always be a marathon to catch up on, so here we go. First off, it's a heartbreaking show. Not to mention, if you live in Los Angeles and became a fan of Danny's when he hosted the morning show with Jamie on Star 98.7 (he has since been let go) it's even more heartbreaking. The Bonadoooch has pretty much always been, just as he describes himself in the shows opening credits, "a car crash." Although, for the past several years it had seemed as though he was turning his life around with the help of his saint of a wife Gretchen and the birth of his two children who he adores more than anything.

But in Breaking Bonaduce, something has changed and Danny is starting to crumble. VH1 describes the show as: a compelling, offbeat look inside the numerous issues that exist in the relationship between Danny Bonaduce, his wife, Gretchen, and their two children. For the first time ever in non-scripted television, a series will be told through a combination of couples therapy and reality. The Bonaduce's will be guided and challenged by their combative therapist, Dr. Garry Corgiatt. Dr. Garry is their sounding board, sparring partner and hopeful conduit to success.

The first episode starts out with the revelation that Danny had an affair. Old news to radio listeners who heard the tearful phone call from Gretchen early one morning, but still equally tragic. This is a woman whom he credits with saving his life, someone who stood by him through all his madness for 15 years and married him after only 7 hours of knowing him. What comes next is a look into the very dark world of Bonaduce, who struggles with the continual temptations of other women, alcohol abuse, steroids and severe anger issues, all while trying to hide who he really is from his children and be a good father and husband.

He's not the funny, silly Bonaduce we have seen on Geraldo & Sally Jesse over the years. He's a brand new, kinda scary Bonaduce and a written description just can't do this show justice. It's dark, it's intense, it'll creep you out at times and it's addictive. This ain't no Hollywood glamour reality show. Bonaduce is one of those guys who has messed up so many times, but you still root for him to crawl out of the darkness, again and again and again.

At the very least, please watch the shows entire trailer, it will give you chills.