They may have more money than you, but their problems are just the same. There’s a dad who’s stressed out from work, a mom who attempts to control everything in the house, and two rebellious teenagers.
They are the Osbournes: hard rock icon Ozzy, his wife and manager Sharon, daughter Kelly and youngest son Jack. The Osbournes’ oldest daughter, Aimee, opted not to be a part of the show.
“The Osbournes” (MTV, Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m.) debuted March 5, and is considered a reality-show family sitcom. It’s slated for a 13-episode run. The idea was derived based on the Osbournes’ appearance on “MTV Cribs” last year. MTV camera crews have been recording the clan almost 24 hours a day since they moved into their posh Beverly Hills home in October.
The goal of the program is not to focus on the musical aspect of the Osbourne family, but rather their day-to-day affairs.
“What you see on the show is absolutely us,” says Ozzy Osbourne in an interview with TV Guide. “None of it’s been doctored or manufactured. None of it’s been hammed up. It’s real. It’s the Ozzy Osbourne ‘Real World.’ ”
Osbourne had some initial concerns that his hardcore status might suffer once viewers saw his sometimes-mundane life. Some of these instances include Osbourne chaperoning his daughter’s birthday party, showing his frustration over his expensive high-definition television receiving only the Weather Channel, and enjoying a bowl of peaches and cottage cheese.
With some convincing, Sharon Osbourne got her husband onboard and he agreed to do the show. She requested only that anything Kelly or Jack found embarrassing be edited out.
While glad to have documented part of their lives with the program, the Osbournes agree that “once is enough.”