Sarah Palin's Alaska - Obsession About Joe McGinniss Mars an Otherwise Perfect Picture

Sarah Palin's Alaska premiered on TLC. It showcases Sarah Palin, along with her husband Todd, and her five kids Piper, Bristol, Willow, Track, Trig, and Bristol's son Tripp.

The best thing about Sarah Palin's Alaska is witnessing beautiful Alaska and learning more about its famous resident. Sarah Palin starts off by saying, "Alaska, I love this state like I love my family." And that's really what we see.

When we watch Sarah, we get a better picture of what she's like as a wife and mother. There's no question she wears the pants in the family, but in a good way.

The studio Palin built is located just steps outside her home. There is where she can participate in interviews, such as with Bill O'Reilly. Todd helps with the set-up and makes sure Palin is prepared to be broadcasted. Todd is a "helpmate," but you never get the impression that Sarah disrespects Todd, who she has been with for 30 years.

Sarah says she and Todd have different personalities but common interests, passions and values. The good looking man is a quiet one, who only talks when he has something of substance to say. "He's very quiet, but still waters run deep. When he talks, he's talking to say something, you know? He's just not yapping his jaw," said Sarah.

Should Piper run for president? The young girl is a joy to watch as she grows up a Palin. She's a smart child, one who knows how to get what she wants. If her mom isn't paying attention to her, Piper calls her "Sarah" to get her attention. Piper shows a sharp sense of humor when she mimics the way her mom types on her Blackberry, something Piper says Sarah's addicted to. When Sarah doesn't have cell phone service she doesn't have to answer her email, Piper lets us know. And that's just fine with Piper.

We watch Piper strapped inside a floatplane, a common source of travel for Alaskans. We watch her fishing for salmon in close proximity to grizzly bears. We see a mini Sarah at work, learning how to be fearless. According to Sarah Palin, 98 percent of the grizzly population is in Alaska, and where there's salmon, there's bears. As baby bears wade in front of the Palin family's boat, Piper pretends she's a bear and growls at them, which makes Sarah tell Piper "shush!" Not until two big bears start fighting with each other and one comes dangerously close to their boat, do the Palin's decide to retreat.

When it comes to Willow, in this episode, we don't see or hear much of her, and perhaps in the future that will change. Right now, Willow seems like she would just as soon be in her room, hanging with a boyfriend or texting on her cell phone than go on yet another nature trip.

Most moms can relate to Sarah when she says that Willow is "your typical teenager." We can imagine that it's easier to spend time with a 9-year-old Piper who isn't at the stage where hanging with the parents isn't cool.

In this premiere episode, Bristol was not present. However, we will see her in the next Sarah Palin's Alaska episode and perhaps the mysterious oldest child Track, too.

Sarah is an active mom, in great shape like her husband. As she and Todd carefully tread over glacier, roped together, working to carefully avoid crevasses that can go 100 feet down, we watch Todd climb fast up a section of Mount McKinley. It takes Sarah a lot longer, but she did it and she didn't give up.

The worst thing about Sarah Palin's Alaska is her obsession with journalist Joe McGinniss who is writing an unauthorized book on the family. "Our summer fun has kind of been taken away from us because of a new neighbor next door who's writing a hit piece on my wife," said Todd Palin. That new neighbor is journalist Joe McGinniss, an author of at least 11 books. Todd erected a 14 foot fence to block McGinniss' view of their home. Sarah asked Todd to make sure he keeps Piper away from McGinniss' view, as if he's a potential pedophile.

Is it right for McGinniss to write about Sarah Palin? Is it right for him to move next door to the Palin family? Sarah Palin is one of the most popular figures in America. You can't reach that type of fame without at least one unauthorized book or two written about you. And if your life is "none of his business," don't spread your business in a reality TV show.

It would make Sarah look better if she got off the subject of McGinniss and simply focused on beautiful Alaska and her beautiful family. Implying that McGinniss is a pedophile mars a perfect Palin portrait.

But maybe that's the plan? Watching a perfect family, that has enough money to do whatever they want to do in Alaska, would be fairly boring after a while without some drama.

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Sarah Palin's Alaska on TLC