The Chrisley family, widely known from their hit series Chrisley Knows Best, is making a highly anticipated return to television with a brand-new reality show titled The Chrisleys: Back to Reality. This marks their first on-screen appearance in two years, following the legal challenges faced by patriarch Todd and matriarch Julie Chrisley, who were sentenced for tax evasion and bank fraud. Their journey back to public life and freedom was significantly aided by a high-profile presidential pardon, allowing them to share their story from a deeply personal perspective.

The new series, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, is set to premiere as a two-night television event on Lifetime, beginning Monday, September 1, and continuing on Tuesday, September 2. Each night will feature a two-hour episode starting at 8/7c. Following this premiere, back-to-back episodes will air on Tuesday, September 9, culminating in the season finale on Tuesday, September 16.

Many beloved family members are returning for the new show. Todd and Julie Chrisley will be featured alongside their children Savannah, Chase, Grayson, and adopted granddaughter Chloe. Fan-favorite Nanny Faye is also back, promising her characteristic humor and warmth. For the first time, Julie’s parents, Harvey and Pam, will join the cast. Notably absent from the project are Todd’s older children from a previous relationship, Lindsie and Kyle Chrisley, who are not participating.

An emotional five-minute trailer for the series was released on July 31, offering a raw glimpse into the family’s current dynamics and struggles. The trailer opens with a poignant phone call between Savannah and her father while he was still incarcerated, where Todd reassures her, “We will get through this. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but at some point, the truth is going to come out.” Savannah candidly shares the profound impact on their household, stating, “With my parents gone, our household is completely divided. I told my parents, I don’t know if it can ever be repaired, honestly.” Chase reflects on the scale of their previous show and the duality of their lives, noting, “I don’t think people really understood how big Chrisley Knows Best was. My dad’s this insane human. I think it definitely made good TV.” He further elaborates on the hidden challenges, “We were filming one thing that was this happy life. Cameras go down, and we’re also fighting a fed case.”

Todd and Julie Chrisley were originally sentenced in November 2022 to a combined 19 years in prison for bank and wire fraud and tax evasion. While their sentences were reduced in 2023 amid ongoing appeals, their true turning point arrived in May 2025. During a phone call with the Chrisley children on May 27, 2025, then-President Donald Trump officially announced their pardons. Trump conveyed his regards, saying, “It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean. I don’t know them, but give them my regards and wish them a good luck.” This historic intervention marked the end of a protracted legal battle, granting them freedom.

Despite their freedom, Todd and Julie have openly discussed the unexpected challenges of returning to normal life in the July 23 episode of their “Chrisley Confessions 2.0” podcast. Julie, 52, shared a common sentiment among former inmates, revealing, “We all have this general consensus that — it’s kind of weird to even say it…”. Todd, 56, interjected, affirming, “No, it’s not weird. Life is rougher than prison life. I mean, that’s a sad thing to say because it is so horrific, the conditions that you’re there for but that’s from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional and psychological standpoint, it is harder dealing with day to day.” Julie elaborated on the “mental simplicity” of incarceration, explaining, “There’s very little you can do because you’re in prison… The longer you’re there, the more removed you become to the world.”

The couple also reflected on the immense emotional toll of being separated from their children—Savannah, Grayson, Chase, and Chloe—and how survival instincts kicked in over time. Julie confessed, “The longer that people are away from their kids, as crazy as it sounds — because it’s a double edged sword — the easier it becomes because you get into your own routine. It doesn’t mean you don’t miss them, you don’t love ‘em… I had to just watch out for me. I had to take care of me. I had to make sure that I was good, as good as I could be. Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and that’s all I could really do.” Unlike many released inmates, Todd and Julie were not required to go to a halfway house or report to a probation officer, which Julie noted meant they were “thrown right back into the real world.” Todd again expressed gratitude to President Trump for the pardon that restored their freedom and allowed them to move forward.