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Private

(Rated NR, Drama, Starring Kelsey Sanders, Brant Daugherty, Samantha Cope, Where to watch: Online, Online)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Online boarding school drama has some violence, sex.

Themes in this show include:   dating/crushes, friendship, growing up, materialism, peer pressure

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Easton Academy is full of rich students with entitled attitudes -- who don't really suffer too many consequences for said attitudes.

  • Role models:

    Lots of the kids engage in iinappropriate behavior, from hazing/ridicule to rule breaking. Adults don't always appear to be aware of what's going on with the teens.

  • Violence:

    Frequent discussions about death and suicide. Images of a student falling to her death from the top of Billings House (no visible blood).

  • Sex:

    Lots of sexual innuendo, ranging from co-ed flirting to kissing and making out. Girls are shown undressing and standing in their lacy underwear.

  • Language:

    Words like “damn it” are audible.

  • Consumerism:

    The wealthy Easton Academy girls wear uniforms but carry Yves St. Laurent, Prada, and other brand name purses. Other references to brand-name clothing and other items.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Possibility for underage drinking/smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Private

Parents need to know that this online series based on the popular boarding school novel by Kate Brian includes a main character being hazed and ridiculed. There are frequent references to death and suicide -- a student is shown falling to her death from a rooftop (there's no blood). Also expect some iffy language and sexual content, including making out and female students shown getting undressed and standing in their lacy underwear.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the behavior portrayed in teen soaps like this. Parents, try to put your two cents in about what's realistic and what isn't. Ask your kids how the issues and conflicts on the show are similar to and different from those in real teens' lives.
  • Who are the "good" characters, and what makes them different from the "bad" ones?
  • What's the appeal of shows about cliques and "mean girls"? Are they just an escape, or do they promote problematic values? Do they impact the way girls treat one another -- or themselves?
  • What do you think it's like to go to a private boarding school? What would be some of the advantages and disadvantages?
Tools and tips that can help

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