| 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. |
Parents need to know that although this series deals with teens on their own for the first time, it's relatively tame when it comes to drinking, adult language, and sexual activity. But it does contain a good deal of sexual innuendo and relationship drama that may not be appropriate for younger viewers. And some of the messages about those topics are confusing or potentially destructive (like when a character pushes up her breasts before going to meet a man she likes, saying "rise and shine, girls, we've got work to do").
Long-running sitcom ONE ON ONE has shifted from a family setting to focus on a group of college-age friends who are navigating the tricky terrain of early adulthood. These friends are also roommates, and they argue over household chores, help each other study for exams, party together, and find ways to make money. The main relationship is between Breanna Barnes (Kyla Pratt), a smart, outspoken young woman, and her on-again / off-again boyfriend, Arnaz Ballard (Robert Ri'chard).
As with many sitcoms, the show's storylines are somewhat predictable and the conflicts over-dramatized. One on One feels particularly forced -- almost as if you were watching the show from the stage below as the actors shouted their lines into the audience and walked in carefully choreographed steps across the set. Nothing feels real, from the dialogue to the relationships. And while the series' overall messages are positive -- it promotes friendship, doing well in school, and successful independence -- the humor too often relies on destructive stereotypes.
While the show keeps it pretty clean overall -- the characters drink soda at parties and usually say "darn" when they're upset -- sexual language and innuendo play a heavy role. One of the friends, Darrell "D-Money" McGinty (Ray J. Norwood, brother to singer Brandy) has a crush on Breanna, and as she works to get over her relationship with Arnaz, D-Money makes constant sexual remarks to her, referring to "sexual healing" and "lying in bed together naked."
Families can talk about what it would be like for teens to be on their own for the first time. What choices would you have to make? What kind of mistakes would you expect to pop up? How would you solve unexpected problems? They can also talk about stereotypes. How are the different women on the show portrayed? Do they act the way your friends act? Is that good or bad?
| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Networks: | Syndicated, TeenNick |
| Cast: | Flex Alexander, Kelly Perine, Kyla Pratt |
| Genre: | Comedy |