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Chowder

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Quirky 'toon serves up silly fun and potty humor.

Themes in this show include:   growing up

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The show is intended to entertain rather than educate.

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The show isn't really out to convey any concrete lessons/messages. Potty humor is common and includes allusions to body odor and gas (in at least one scene, Chowder vomits up an entire grocery order still intact -- fruits, veggies, and blocks of cheese). Rather than using names, Mung Daal calls all female characters "woman," as in "Woman, I can't see through walls!"
  • Role models:

    As an apprentice, Chowder tries hard but often gets distracted from his work, causing multiple kitchen disasters. His mentor never seems to mind, but that also makes him seem unrealistically patient.
  • Violence & scariness:

    Lots of goofy cartoon violence with no resulting injury: Chowder whacks Schnitzel on the head with a club, an anemone-like creature tries to suffocate a character, etc.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Chowder is hounded by a young girl who claims to be his girlfriend and tries to hold his hand and, occasionally, kiss him.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

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

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Chowder was written by Emily Ashby

Parents need to know that although there's nothing that iffy about this somewhat bizarre cartoon, there's not much overtly positive content, either. The three flawed main characters are a flighty cooking apprentice who never suffers repercussions from his constant kitchen mishaps (which result from his own rash actions), a supportive but unrealistically patient mentor, and an under-appreciated employee whose reliability is often taken for granted. A one-sided love interest depicts a young girl as pleading and desperate for attention from her crush, goofy cartoon violence doesn't result in lasting injury, and potty humor includes references to body odors and scenes of vomiting.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the importance of doing a job well. Kids: What do you think of Chowder's performance in the kitchen? What often gets in the way of his doing a good job?
  • How does Chowder's mentor react when things get messed up? Does his reaction seem realistic?
  • Do any of the characters in this series act responsibly? Who are some of the most reliable people in your life? How does it feel to be able to rely on them?
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More on Chowder

What’s the Story?

CHOWDER follows the misadventures of a young chef's apprentice whose enthusiasm for his work can't overcome his obvious ineptitude for the job. A resident of the colorful and bizarre city of Marzipan, Chowder (voiced by Nicky Jones) is living out his dream, working under the watchful eye of master chef Mung Daal (Dwight Schultz) at his bustling catering company. It's Chowder's excitement that stands in the way of culinary success; he tends to get ahead of himself -- and Mung's instructions -- and often ends up cooking up more trouble than food. From accidentally poisoning a popular dish to leading himself and Mung into unfamiliar territory on a delivery run, there's no shortage of misadventure when young Chowder is around.

Is It Any Good?

While Chowder offers plenty of tween-friendly silliness in its fantastical setting, outlandish characters, and surreal scenarios, it's clear that it aims strictly to entertain, not educate. Kids might not notice that there's little of substance here, but parents certainly will. The characters are shallow, the situations are unlikely, and there's impossibly little consequence to Chowder's constantly sub-par job performance. Plus, one young female character has an obsessive crush, and there's occasionally icky potty humor (body odor, vomiting, and the like).

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 4 and give it 3.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Chowder is a always-hungry food enthusiast who apprentaces under a kind master chef. This show is a favorite in my house. Potty humor may be sprinkled throuought the cartoon, but what cartoon dosent have potty humor? I think the show is tame enough for small children to watch. My children (4,9) watch it all the time, and sometimes you can find me watching it too.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 1.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    This Chouder has expired!

    Makes NO sense it is not fit to be a tv show. . . in my book it aint fit anyways. . .

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

  4. I rate this title on for age 4 and give it 5.0

    4+

    This is a great show!!!!! Very good because chowder is a cute kid

  5. I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    this is on for 1-17

    there is some sexual content for example mung dal tells chowder to exercise chowder runs and hides under a woman and she has a skirt on

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