'Supernanny' Returns to Lifetime, and Jo Frost Says That the Family Struggles Have Gotten Worse
After eight years off the air, Supernanny will be returning to the Lifetime network.
The show returns on January 1, 2020, at 10 p.m. (after a new episode of Married at First Sight).
Jo Frost says the new season of Supernanny will address the changing problems facing parents today.
For years, parents dealing with toddler tantrums or picky eaters have longed for a British caregiver to show up on their doorstep and solve all the family's problems. No, not Mary Poppins: Jo Frost, star of Supernanny, which in the U.S. ran on ABC for seven seasons between 2005 and 2011. Afterwards, like Poppins herself, she packed up her bags and disappeared from American airwaves, while still traveling the world and lending a hand. And, just as Mary Poppins Returns hit theaters last year, Supernanny returns to screens as well.
How does it feel to be back? "It feels wonderful to continue helping families," Frost said in an interview with GoodHousekeeping.com. "I never went away. I've always been helping families. But I'm very excited to be back on Supernanny, the brand I started." Here's what to expect from the new season of the show, and everything else you need to know (including what channel 'Supernanny' is on).
The new show will air on Lifetime in January 2020.
New episodes of Supernanny will air starting on January 1, 2020 at 10 p.m., after the debut of Season 10 of Married at First Sight. The season will be 20 episodes long, and will tour many cities in the United States, including Pittstown, New Jersey; Spokane, Washington; Cortlandt Manor, NY; and Makaha, Hawaii.
Supernanny promises new families and a fresh format, while still staying true to what people love about it. "The show is exactly what fans have been asking for over the years," Frost says. "That is more help, more tangible advice, and techniques to make their lives a lot less complicated."
This time, Frost isn't just focusing on poorly behaved kids.
Of course, she never really just focused on poorly behaved children — she always looked at how the family was functioning as a whole. This time, she's taking a further step back and looking at some of the issues facing parents, including postpartum depression, a family struggling with the loss of a parent, and a stay-at-home dad who needs help understanding his role as a primary caregiver, to name a few.
"We're looking at families who have older children as well now," Frost says. "If you think about the first run of Supernanny, predominantly, it dealt with young children whose behavior was naughty. The Supernanny that you're going to see is about the whole family, with kids of all different types of ages. We're addressing not just behavior that has spiraled out of control. We're really taking a look at real families, and looking at the issues that they face every day." Those issues include different family configurations — like families where a parent is in the military or a first responder — to things like managing sleep, eating healthy, and avoiding screen and social media overuse.
Frost admits that families have changed over the years — but she's still the same Nanny Jojo.
Frost says that the show had to evolve to respond to the ways raising kids have changed since it was last on. "We're living in a climate right now that is very difficult for many families," she says. "I think that started over a decade ago with the recession. I believe that we have many families that need resources, and this country lacks the training, the funding, and the support for so many families who are in desperate need of help. The world has become more polarized, too, and children have become the silent witnesses in so much struggle and strife in their parents' lives. It's been difficult for a lot of families. They're really struggling."
But while the show has changed to fit this new parenting climate, fans will be relieved to know that she's still the same Jo Frost they've all come to love — and her way of doing things is still effective, even against these new obstacles. "My style is still very direct, and very caring," she says. "I nurture a family, and support them emotionally through the transition. That certainly hasn't changed, because it's worked for 30 years, being able to do that with family. Certainly, new challenges present the opportunity for me to look at different ways to help. That means different advice, different techniques, it means certainly different tools to go in that toolbox."
That style has only garnered her more fans. "I get so much love from the American family," she says. "They're just really grateful to have someone be a champion for them — and it's such an honor to be able to do that."
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