Nick Swardson's Pretend Time

Review

Common Sense Media says

Mature sketch show revolves around sex and twisted humor.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this late-night sketch-comedy show was engineered for adults who like their humor crude and raunchy. And even though Comedy Central bleeps the strongest curse words (including "f--k" and "s--t") and blurs nudity, there's still enough envelope-pushing content left over to make it majorly inappropriate for kids. (In the first episode, the most graphic scene involves simulated oral sex between a woman and a donkey that ejaculates repeatedly onto a glass partition as part of a live sex show.) There's also some bloody violence played for laughs, as well as jokes involving alcohol and drug abuse.

  • Positive messages0
    The show's intent is irony, which means most sketches have a "message" that's the polar opposite of positive. For example, if you've filled a dying child's "bucket list" with selfish treats for yourself -- only to find out that there's a cure for his terminal illness being trumpeted on the front page of the newspaper -- you should burn every copy so that no one sees the story.
  • Positive role models0
    Most characters are terrible role models, whether it's a dad who fills his terminally ill son's "bucket list" with selfish goals like "I want my dad to have sex with his best friend's wife," or a motorist who's driving drunk.
  • Violence3
    A few sketches involve violence and excessive blood, but it's played for humor.
  • Sex4
    At least one sketch is centered around a disturbing sex act -- a woman fellating a donkey as part of a "live sex show." The act itself is obscured from view, but viewers see semen flying through the air and onto a glass window, etc. Other bits include bare buttocks, blurred nudity, and simulated sex.
  • Language4
    Lots of bathroom humor, including audible words like "balls," "pubes," "breasts," "penis," "vagina," "sack," "dildo," "diarrhea," "turd," "rod," and "ass." Heavy swearing with the strongest words ("f--k," "s--t," etc.) bleeped.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    Some sketches involve drinking or drug use that's meant to be funny; for example, a cat is addicted to heroin.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

Airing on Comedy Central, NICK SWARDSON'S PRETEND TIME is a collection of random comedy sketches written and performed by stand-up comedian and actor Nick Swardson (best known for his recurring role as a male prostitute on Reno 911!). Characters he cooks up include Garry Gaga, Lady Gaga's police officer brother who shares his sister's flair for extreme fashion; a wheelchair-bound cat with a trust fund (and a heroin addiction) named Mr. Stitches; and a gay robot named...well, Gay Robot.

Is it any good?

 

Watching Swardson's sketch-comedy show series allows us to conclude two things: 1) Swardson can be really funny, as evidenced by his clever spoof on environmentalism with an ad for the Peeus, a urine-powered car you "fill up" yourself; and 2) once he runs out of good stuff, he turns first to scatalogical jokes before rolling out completely disgusting (and ultimately un-funny) sex gags.

After all, it's one thing to suggest that employees at a live donkey sex show -- where scantily clad women perform oral sex on a donkey in front of a cheering crowd of bystanders -- even need a seminar about sexual harrassment in the workplace. But it's quite another to watch the droning HR representative deliver his talking points while the donkey's shooting semen splatters and drips down the glass divider right behind him. Yup, Swardson went there, and he might have just gone too far.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about envelope-pushing humor on TV and how far it can go before it's too much. Does this show take jokes farther than you would have expected for the small screen? Where's the fine line between gross and funny?

  • How does this series compare with other sketch-comedy shows on television? Does it do anything differently, and does it work?

  • Who do you think the target audience is? Do you think this show is appropriate for older teens? If you were a parent, would you want your kids to watch?

This review was written by Kari Croop
Parent
October 20, 2010
AGE
14
 
Nick Swardson's Pretend Time
Fairly entertaining, and quite funny. Definitely not for young kids, but great for teens and adults who like this kind of humor.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (9) | Had useful details (9) | Read my mind (9)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Kari Croop
TV rating:TV-14
Network:Comedy Central
Cast:Nick Swardson
Genre:Comedy
This review was written by Kari Croop
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

Teen-friendlier sketch-comedies
For kids who love funny stuff
Browse more TV
 

vote now

Will you see Nick Swardson's Pretend Time?

Won't miss it
We'll try
Change it

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it