The Mighty Boosh (Cartoon Network)

common sense media says

Crass, insult-driven British comedy isn't for young kids.


parents & educators say
  • 50% say there are positive messages
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this British comedy series about the exploits of two best friends -- who constantly insult and belittle each other -- is coarse and crass, as well as often nonsensical. The creators/stars have a big following for their act on stage, on the radio, and now on TV, so teens may already be aware of the show and want to watch. Expect a fair amount of swearing, plenty of drinking (sometimes to excess), and lots of references to sex. In other words? Typical Adult Swim fare.

Positive messages: The comedy on this show is very guy-oriented, with lowbrow jokes about failed efforts to meet women, sexual encounters gone awry, and plenty of drinking. The main characters clearly have a strong friendship ... which they demonstrate by constantly teasing, mocking, and belittling each other, albeit in a "loving" manner.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Some references to sex, including prostitution and oral sex.
Language: Some swearing, including "s--t," "f--k," "d--k," and "balls."
Consumerism: Beer cans are visible in several scenes; Heineken appears to be a favorite. Some references to other TV shows and movies -- sometimes obvious and sometimes more subtle.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: A fair amount of drinking, jokes about drinking, and making plans to go drinking. Characters are shown playing drinking games, getting drunk, and suffering from hangovers.

More on The Mighty Boosh

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about raunchy humor. Do you think this show is funny, or does it cross the line between funny and offensive? How can you tell when a joke is over the line? Who determines where "the line" falls in the first place? Why do some people enjoy crass comedy and others don't? Can you think of TV shows and movies that have successfully mined laughs from jokes about drinking, sex and bodily functions?

What's the story?

What's the story?
THE MIGHTY BOOSH follows the exploits of Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), best friends who love music, beer, loafing, and teasing each other mercilessly. The format is standard sitcom, with most of the action taking place in the Nabootique, the trendy boutique that Howard and Vince jointly manage. But the bare-bones plots mainly function as departure points for the wacky, weird, and generally nonsensical situations that Howard, Vince, and their buddies encounter. These often include a rotating set of supporting characters, including turban-wearing voodoo wizard Naboo; his talking gorilla familiar, Rolo; a pink, disembodied head named Tony; and zoo manager Bob Fossil.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Barratt and Fielding -- who started out performing a live sketch comedy act, which then expanded to radio and has now jumped to TV -- certainly deserve credit for their comedic vision. The world of The Mighty Boosh is filled with characters and situations that have never been seen before -- not on TV, not in the movies, not even in any drug-induced tall tale.

But odd and original aren't the same as funny, and this show ranks way too high on weirdness -- and not nearly high enough on entertaininment. It's unpredictable, disjointed, and just plain strange, and not in a good way.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: NR
Network: Cartoon Network
Cast: Julian Barratt, Michael Fielding, Noel Fielding
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Cartoon Network

This review was written by Will Wade
 
 

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What parents & educators say

12
Based on 6 parent & educator reviews:
  • 50% say there are positive messages
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue
  • 33% say there are positive role models
  • 33% say language is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

boosh
kid, 7 years old
 
suitible for ten and over
i love it going to get the firts seiries today

 
IM OLD GREGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome if your kid don't mind seein Old Gregg's mangina!

SPJ4
teen, 15 years old
 
Great for High Schoolers and up.
The Mighty Boosh is a great series and uses very clever plots and characters. The two main characters (Vince and Howard) are hilarious and so are the side characters. Why I say it is on for 15+ is because kids won't get many of the pop culture references and there are some sexual innuendos that below 13 shouldn't see. For instance, Old Gregg (a scaly man fish) has a bit of a downstairs mix-up and blasts Howard with his mixed up genitilia. In conclusion, kids in high school will enjoy this show immensely, however for 7th graders and under probably need to wait until at least 8th grade.

HenryRedJeanz
teen, 14 years old
 
OMG I AM COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH THE MIGHTY BOOSH ALL KIDS OVER 11 WILL APPRECIATE THE HILARIOUS AND ZANY HUMOUR IT IS SOO GOOD 5 STARS FROM ME, START WITH THE 1ST SERIES AND GO THROUGH TO THE LAST ONE, there is some sexual references and coarse language, but thats fine with most kids, because its just sooooo funny and likeable, all the characters are great and wacky, don't believe any bad reviews about this i PROMISE you will LOVE IT LIKE I DO!!!!!! :P

T.O.poet
parent
 
I should preface this by saying that I've watched ALL THREE SERIES, not just Old Gregg on Youtube.

Victorfilth818
teen, 15 years old
 
Cool Show
I like Vince he is Cool

Codeman
adult
 
MY FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIME!! There is nothing wrong with this shows content! "JOin us now on a joiurney through time and space!" Great comkedy

 
13 and up should be fine
I've let my eleven year old brother watch The Mighty Boosh and he adores it (as do I, it's one of my favourite shows). At times it can be a little sexually cringe-worthy but no nudity and no explicit references to sex, and some of humor can be a bit crude. Younger kids might find it a bit scary, as it is certainly far out there and alot of the costumes are quite spooky and the main characters do deal alot with escaping these eerie villians, but I think children over 13 will be absolutely fine with it, perhaps a bit iffy with ages 10-12, but I doubt that children under the age of 7 or 8 will really get any of the jokes. There isn't a lot of swearing but they do slip 'f-k' and others in here and there but it's not full on.

 
great but they are wrong!!
i mean it sounds like they only watched eels which they probably did.but once you get into it they hook you in and you love it.great members and very funny.the language can get bad at times but only 1 f word in like 4 episodes.language,violence,and sex are very limited to.i can watch every episode with my mom(but not the end of party if you know what i mean!) i also bought the book too.absolutely fine for 13 and up(10 if your mature).well go buy the dvd's right now!!! I'M THE MOON!!!!!

georgia.
teen, 14 years old
 
<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
MY FAVOURITE SHOW IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kt111bubble
kid, 13 years old
 
perfect for anuy one above 10
love this show its really funny

 
Purely unique and funny show.
I've been watching this show for a while and all I have to say about it is that it's really...unique, but decent most of the time. Some of the humor is lost on me (especially the character of the Moon) but the funny moments are quite funny. I like all the original music as well. Sometimes the sexual humor gets to be a little much for me (e.g. a guy with 8 penises, men in their underwear, etc.) but the show doesn't dwell too long on this. Good for teens and up.

rie97
teen, 14 years old
 
Love at first watch! Great if you want a laugh.
It's kind of rare for a show to become a favorite the first time I watch it, and the Mighty Boosh is one of those shows, favorite at the first time I watch. I watched it over 12 hours ago today, and it was a good funny start to this week. But there is some iffy content that pops up occasionally though. Aside from that, it's a really funny show, even after just one watching you'll probably love it.

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About our rating system
ON: Content is 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