The Chrisley family is making a highly anticipated return to television with a new reality series, “The Chrisleys: Back to Reality,” marking their first on-screen appearance since “Chrisley Knows Best” concluded two years prior. This comeback follows the legal challenges faced by family patriarch and matriarch, Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were sentenced for tax evasion and bank fraud. Their journey back to freedom culminated in May 2025 when President Donald Trump granted them a high-profile presidential pardon, after they had served more than two years behind bars.

“The Chrisleys: Back to Reality” is set to premiere as a two-night television event on Lifetime, airing Monday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 2, with each night featuring a two-hour episode starting at 8/7c. Following the premiere, back-to-back episodes will continue on Tuesday, September 9, leading up to the season finale on Tuesday, September 16. The series will feature many familiar faces, including Todd and Julie, alongside their children Savannah, Chase, Grayson, and adopted granddaughter Chloe. Fan-favorite Nanny Faye will also return, bringing her signature wit. New to the show are Julie’s parents, Harvey and Pam, while Todd’s older children, Lindsie and Kyle Chrisley, will not be participating.

An emotional five-minute trailer, released on July 31, offers a raw glimpse into the family’s current dynamics. The trailer opens with a phone call between Savannah and her father, who was still incarcerated, with Todd assuring 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 family’s struggles, 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 also reflects on the immense popularity of “Chrisley Knows Best,” noting, “My dad’s this insane human. I think it definitely made good TV,” and highlighting the duality of their lives: “We were filming one thing that was this happy life. Cameras go down, and we’re also fighting a fed case.”

Todd and Julie were initially sentenced in November 2022 to a combined 19 years in prison for multiple charges, including bank and wire fraud and tax evasion. Their sentences were reduced in 2023 amid ongoing appeals, but their true turning point arrived with President Trump’s intervention on May 27, 2025. In a recorded phone call with the Chrisley children, later shared on X, Trump announced their pardons, stating, “It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean.”

Despite their freedom, Todd and Julie have openly discussed the unexpected challenges of adjusting to normal life. On a July 23 episode of their “Chrisley Confessions 2.0” podcast, Julie shared a consensus among former inmates that life outside can be “rougher than prison life” from an emotional and psychological standpoint, despite the horrific physical conditions of incarceration. Todd concurred, noting the mental simplicity prison offered. Julie elaborated that during imprisonment, a sense of detachment from the outside world developed, making it easier to cope, although the longing for their children never ceased. She explained, “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.” Having returned home without needing a halfway house, they were “thrown right back into the real world,” as Julie described.

The family’s struggles also extend to Chase Chrisley, who addressed his drinking habits and past incident in the new docuseries. Savannah Chrisley recounted on her “Unlocked” podcast how she decided “never again” after drinking with Chase when they were younger, due to his behavior. Julie opted not to delve into Chase’s story, though Savannah noted it was “public.” This likely references Chase’s January arrest in Atlanta, where he allegedly slapped a bar manager. While he was released on a $10,000 bond and the bar employee chose not to press charges, Chase admitted on the show he didn’t “remember a lot” from that night and insisted he “wouldn’t slap somebody.” He acknowledged hitting “rock bottom” and drinking heavily after his parents’ imprisonment, reflecting on how he took “Chrisley Knows Best” for granted and lacked boundaries during that difficult period. The docuseries will continue to air with more episodes on Lifetime.