As a genre Reality-TV has been one of the worst plagues to overtake popular culture, however VH-1's "Breaking Bonaduce" seems to have hit on a winning combination of televised entertainment and documented life. Taken at face value, it follows the "Patridge Family" star, Danny Bonaduce, deep into his middle-age. He's been married to his wife, Gretchen, for the past sixteen years, and is presently a foul-mouthed, abusive, alcoholic husband, who is resistant to change, and has an addictive personality whether it be for drugs, women, or himself. His train wreck life, which he often blames on his status as a child star, and his train wreck marriage, as shown on the show present Danny as the real-life heavily flawed embodiment of Tommy Gavin (ala FX's "Rescue Me"). Danny's life and personality seem to be so chaotic and so volatile that it's impossible to keep from watching the impending self-destruction. It's unreasonable to assume most of this show is a put-on since no one involved can act that well, which leads the audience to wonder why anyone would permit cameras in so close on their tarnished reality. Nonetheless the upsetting and the heartbreaking make for some solid entertainment, via a well-produced cautionary tale.
Review of Breaking Bonaduce
