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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that the characters in this office sitcom aren't always pleasant -- including the main character, who can be quite self-involved and obnoxious. Some characters fall into stereotypical categories, like the sportscaster who makes sexist jokes, and the weatherperson who uses her sexuality and ethnicity to gain popularity. Fairly strong sexual innuendo and other jokes are standard fare, as are words like "ass" and "hell" and some social drinking.

Families can talk about stereotypes. Are they always wrong, or can they be used to point out the error of assuming that certain people always act certain ways? How does this show use stereotypes? Families can also discuss workplace etiquette. How do you do a job well and treat colleagues with respect? If you have a problem with someone you work with, how should you handle it? Is it ever OK to yell at or belittle a co-worker (or a classmate or a friend)?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Sierra Filucci

With 20 years of playing Frasier Crane behind him, Kelsey Grammer was probably more than ready for a new lead sitcom role. In BACK TO YOU, he finds it in the person of news anchorman Chuck Darling. Darling is a self-absorbed blowhard with a heart of gold. He's done a good job of working his way up the anchorman ladder, but an on-air freak-out lands him back in Pittsburgh, where he started his career.

Some things haven't changed: Chuck still has a rocky relationship with his original co-anchor, Kelly Carr (Patricia Heaton), and he's still pals with misogynistic sportscaster Marsh McGinley (Fred Willard). But the newsroom also has some new faces -- like Ryan Church (Josh Gad), the 26-year-old newsroom manager with barely any experience, and Montana Diaz Herrera (Ayda Field), a young female weatherperson who uses her sexy clothing and exaggerated Spanish accent to get attention.

Though some of the characters seem a bit stereotypical, the stereotypes have an edge to them, suggesting that the show is actually trying to poke fun at the archetypes rather than perpetuate them. But this angle isn't explicit, leaving viewers wondering how to feel about these confusing characters.

Still, despite the maybe/maybe not stereotypes, the laugh track, and the old-school sitcom format, Back to You has some funny moments, thanks to experienced comic actors Grammer, Heaton, and Willard. Folks who enjoyed Frasier will probably enjoy this show, too, since, despite that fact that he's playing a very different character, Grammer employs many of his familiar routines.

Fans might also like classic workplace sitcoms like Murphy Brown, NewsRadio, and Cheers, as well as the movie Anchorman.

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