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Help Me Help You

(Rated TV-PG, Comedy, Starring Ted Danson, Suzy Nakamura, Jere Burns, Where to watch: ABC)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Quirky comedy's edgy eccentrics aren't for kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The characters have purposely been designed as flawed, self-obssessed, troubled people with big issues, so they don't always make good choices or display exemplary behavior. (In one scene, for example, Hoffman drives after drinking in a bar. In another, a 25-year-old woman complains that she hasn't had sex since she was 19.) But Hoffman genuinely cares about his patients and wants to help them.

  • Violence:

    One of the patients attempted suicide by jumping out a window.

  • Sex:

    Adult characters have casual sex, and unmarried couples are shown in bed. Some innuendo.

  • Language:

    Relatively mild: "Crap," "suckass," "jackass," "diddling" (as a euphemism for intercourse), etc.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Social drinking, sometimes to excess.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Help Me Help You

Parents need to know that this sitcom is about a flawed psychotherapist and his patients, including a young man who attempted suicide and a needy woman who gets too attached to men. The patients' issues (and treatment) form the foundation of each episode and lead to situations and plotlines that aren't always a good fit for young viewers. For example, when the doctor asks his patients to make a connection with someone, one woman jumps into bed with a fellow patient.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why people seek therapy. What is its purpose? How does it work? What do people discuss when they're seeing a therapist? What are the advantages and disadvantages of group sessions vs. one-on-one appointments? Is it realistic to expect a fellow human being with his or her own share of problems to help other people sort their lives out? How can therapists stay objective?
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