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The Ex List

(Rated TV-14, Drama, Starring Elizabeth Reaser, Alexandra Breckenridge, Rachel Boston, Where to watch: CBS)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Single gal's search for love is sexually charged.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The main character has admirable qualities (she has a strong sense of self, freely shares her opinions and runs her own business, to name a few). But her decisions when it comes to relationships are murky at best -- she engages in casual sex with ex-boyfriends and trusts a fortune teller to solve her problems, among other things. As a role model for impressionable teen girls, she isn't the best choice.
  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    Sex is a major plot point -- characters talk about it, joke about it, pine for it, and do it, too. Characters reference one-night stands, "drunken hook-ups," French kissing, strip clubs, and more, and the women seem to favor skimpy dresses and bikinis. In terms of visuals, there's some sexually charged kissing, but no simulated sex, although characters are shown snuggling and covered in blankets after the fact.
  • Language:

    Mild profanity (like "ass," "bitch" and "balls") is pretty rare, but there's plenty of sexual language that's mostly tongue-in-cheek but bold. For example, two female characters have an extended conversation about bikini waxes, giving different down-there "hairstyles" descriptive nicknames like "The Hitler," "The Gandhi," "The Lincoln," and even "The Ted Koppel." They also use more clinical phrases like "pubic hair" and "vagina."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Adult characters drink socially and hang out in bars. In one scene, a woman celebrating her bachelorette party drinks so much that she throws up in the limo.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Ex List

Parents need to know that, technically, there's nothing explicit here when it comes to sexual activity, but there's enough sexual chatter to make it an iffy choice for young teens. You won't hear a lot of cursing ("ass" and "bitch" are as bad as it gets), but be prepared for an onslaught of jokes about one-night stands, eating disorders, pubic hair toupees, and more. Most of the characters are adults in their 30s who have active sex lives and drink alcohol socially.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the show's central premise: that a psychic tells Bella to revisit her list of ex-boyfriends in hopes of reuniting with "the one" she's supposed to marry. Is that believable? If not, does it matter? How does the show handle the topic -- with seriousness or with humor? Why is finding a husband so important at this point in Bella's life? Do you think she's ready to get married? Why or why not? And do you think that the psychic is right when she says that if Bella doesn't find the right guy in a year, she'll never find him?

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