The Chrisleys are back. Honestly, if you thought a federal prison sentence was going to keep Todd and Julie Chrisley off our television screens for a decade, you haven't been paying attention to how this family operates.
It's been a wild ride since the cameras stopped rolling on Chrisley Knows Best in 2023. We watched from the sidelines as the family's patriarch and matriarch reported to federal prison for bank fraud and tax evasion. We saw Savannah Chrisley take over as the head of the household, raising her younger brother Grayson and niece Chloe. But the story didn't end with a prison cell door slamming shut.
The new docuseries, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, which premiered on Lifetime in September 2025, flipped the script on everything we thought we knew about the southern real estate moguls. This wasn't the polished, scripted "Todd knows best" vibe we grew up with. It was raw, messy, and—in many ways—a lot more honest.
What Really Happened in Back to Reality?
The show basically serves as a bridge between two worlds: the period when Todd and Julie were behind bars and the shockwave of their sudden return home.
For the first half of the series, we see Savannah fighting a war on two fronts. She was balancing the guardianship of the kids while tirelessly lobbying for a presidential pardon. It wasn't just talk. Savannah was visible at political events, including the RNC, making a case that her parents were victims of a "corrupt" Department of Justice.
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The turning point came in May 2025. In a move that stunned both the legal community and reality TV fans, Donald Trump issued a full presidential pardon for both Todd and Julie Chrisley.
The cameras were there the night they walked through the door. If you were expecting a seamless transition back to the "good old days," the show quickly corrected that notion. The Chrisleys: Back to Reality showed us a family that had been fundamentally altered by the experience. Julie, in particular, struggled with the transition, revealing she had developed a lung condition while incarcerated.
The Family Feud Nobody Saw Coming
One of the most surprising threads in the series was the fractured relationship between Savannah and her brother Chase. While Savannah was the "warrior" for the family's reputation, Chase seemed to be checking out.
The docuseries didn't hide the tension. We saw:
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- Chase's struggle with sobriety and his mental health, which Savannah and Grayson often viewed as him "giving up."
- The introduction of Jodi, Chase’s girlfriend, who became a massive point of contention. Savannah and Nanny Faye weren't exactly welcoming, leading to some of the most uncomfortable dinner scenes in reality TV history.
- The inclusion of Julie's parents, Harvey and Pam, who appeared on camera for the first time, adding a whole new layer to the family dynamic—and the family's grievances.
Todd, ever the conductor of the family orchestra, tried to jump back into his role as the boss, but the kids had grown up. Savannah had been the "parent" for two years. She wasn't ready to just hand the keys back over.
Is This the End of the Chrisley Saga?
Not even close. While The Chrisleys: Back to Reality wrapped its eight-episode run in late 2025, Todd Chrisley has already confirmed that more is on the way for 2026.
In recent interviews following their stint on The Masked Singer (where they competed as "The Croissants"), Todd and Julie made it clear that "Back to Reality" was just a documentary of their transition. They are currently filming a more traditional family show that will focus on their life in Nashville post-prison.
Todd is also reportedly working on an animated series about prison life and even a project in the U.K. Meanwhile, Julie is pivoting to a cooking show, finally leaning into the "Southern matriarch" role that fans loved in the early seasons.
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What You Should Take Away
The "reality" in the title is actually pretty accurate for once. The family admitted that much of Chrisley Knows Best was scripted or "enhanced" for TV. This new era is different. It's about a family trying to figure out who they are when the money, the legal status, and the roles they used to play have all been stripped away.
If you’re looking to follow the family’s next steps, here is the current landscape as of early 2026:
- Watch the transition: If you missed it, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality is available on Lifetime’s streaming platforms and Apple TV. It covers the pardon and the immediate aftermath.
- Listen to the source: Savannah’s podcast, Unlocked, and Todd and Julie’s Chrisley Confessions 2.0 are where they drop the most unfiltered updates about their legal "truth" and family drama.
- Watch for the 2026 reboot: A new, currently untitled family reality show is in production, focusing on the "new normal" for the household now that everyone is under one roof again.
The Chrisleys have proven they are nothing if not resilient. Whether you believe their version of the legal battle or not, they’ve managed to turn a federal conviction into a comeback story that's keeping them at the center of the cultural conversation.