 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Childrens Hospital
- Comedy Central
- Genre: Comedy
Common Sense Media says
Despite title, TV medical drama spoof isn't for children.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this comedy -- which began life as a Web series -- is a spot-on parody of earnest TV medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy. The characters may look like caring doctors, but they're so clueless, narcissistic, and completely deranged that they're about the last people you should trust with medical equipment. The over-the-top situations come complete with some swearing (though the strongest words are bleeped), drinking, and a fair amount of sexual innuendo/references, so this Hospital isn't really meant for children.
What's the story?
The staff at CHILDRENS HOSPITAL may not be especially attentive to patients or the particularly talented medical professionals, but, boy, do they take their love lives seriously. This send-up of so many prime-time doctor dramas dispenses with those messy medical subplots and gets right to the heart of the inter-hospital romance and gossip. That’s all that viewers care about anyway, right? The show originated online as the brainchild of comedian Rob Corddry, who also stars as Blake Downs, a doctor who roams the halls in full clownface makeup and surgical scrubs covered in blood -- looking more like a serial killer than a healer. The rest of the excessively earnest team is equally deranged. (Need an example? Watching a young cancer patient give a heartwarming speech, one doctor comments on the inspiring example: “God, I wish I had cancer.”)
Is it any good?
Ever think the treacly, life-saving antics on ER or Grey’s Anatomy are just too predictable? Tired of watching inter-hospital romance as cast members move from one co-worker to another, ignoring the entire dating pool outside the examining room? Then this is the show for you. Childrens Hospital tweaks one TV drama convention after another, starting with an over-the-top voice-over that sounds like it should be meaningful, but is really just schmaltz.
The characters all fit into standard roles (the hotshot doctor, the lovelorn nurse, the tyrannical administrator), but the delightfully ludicrous situations and the crazy dialogue delivered with a straight face (how do they refrain from laughing?) makes it all work. This quick show -- episodes are just 15 minutes -- delivers highly concentrated laughs in bite-size packages.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about parody. Do you think this show is funny? What makes it different from a real medical drama? Do you have to be familiar with the genre to appreciate the humor here?
Can you think of other spoofs/parodies that do the same kind of thing this show sets out to? What makes some successful while others aren't?
What do you think about Rob Corddry’s clown face? Do you find it funny or creepy? What is its intent?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Too bizarre, in my opinion
Imagine the already-wacky humor of Scrubs (which is NOT a spoof, by the way) being taken to a whole new level with the focus of the show consisting of being a Grey's Anatomy parody. This is what Children's Hospital is like. If anything, it's more bizarre than clever. It definitely fits with the quirky brand of comedy found on Adult Swim; it feels like a live-action cartoon for the most part. Here's my question about Children's: will the overly surreal feel to this show turn potential viewers off or open up viewers to a new kind of program? Whatever the case may be, once-groundbreaking surreal comedies like Malcolm In The Middle, Desperate Housewives, and Pushing Daisies seem VERY normal compared to the psychotic wackiness found on Children's Hospital every Sunday night on Adult Swim. You'll either love this show or hate it!
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AGE
I love this show, i am only 13 and this is by far the best adult swim show, who cares about swearing, it's one darnshow that everyone loves, except gay over protective parents
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AGE
Funny show
This is one of thoes shows that are making fun of them selfs and it's supposed to be silly but funny as hell
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | Comedy Central |
| Cast: | Erinn Hayes, Lake Bell, Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel |
| Genre: | Comedy |
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