Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network)

common sense media says

Quirky animated series is too edgy for young kids.

parents & educators say

30% say sexual content is an issue
27% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this frenetic, 15-minute animated sketch series is part of the Cartoon Network's late-night "Adult Swim" block. While it's visually entertaining, it's violent and irreverent, and kids and tweens probably won't get its style of humor. Plus, many of the laughs are based on the fact that the majority of the characters are toys from the '70s and '80s; viewers who don't recognize that context will probably miss a lot.

Positive messages: Characters constantly mock and fight with each other. Stars are spoofed relentlessly, family members battle each other, characters betray each other. It's all done on purpose for laughs.

Positive role models: Few characters act in particularly admirable ways, and one of the show's goals often seems to be to present childhood heroes (like Superman or He-Man) in a negative and/or ridiculous light. There's also plenty of stereotyping.

Violence: Frequent, extreme cartoon violence. The toy characters are shot, stabbed, sliced in half, decapitated, run over, blown up, beaten, and much more. Cartoon gore is often shown. Episodes have had sketches involving serial killers, the world blowing up, and every other kind of mayhem imaginable. If any of this was live-action, it would be horrifying.

Sex: Frequent innuendo; toy couples shown making out/rolling around in bed and elsewhere; references to masturbation; "happy ending" massages.

Language: "Bitch," "hell," "ass," "sucks," "balls," "dick," etc. The strongest words are bleeped out.

Consumerism: Virtually all of the characters are toys and action figures tied into TV shows and movies -- albeit often those from the '80s that are more about nostalgia than marketing.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not typically excessive, but present.

Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about what makes this show (and cartoons in general) funny. Why is it funny to see old toys put into incongruous situations?
Why does cartoon violence make us laugh, when the same thing happening in real life would be terrifying?
Why are cartoons, as a whole, so entertaining for kids? Do they enjoy the dialogue or the animation more? How can you tell when a particular cartoon isn't meant for younger viewers?

What's the story?

Part of the Cartoon Network's late-night "Adult Swim" line-up, ROBOT CHICKEN entertains viewers with stop-motion animation segments that appear totally random but are tied together in the end. Created by Seth Green (Austin Powers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Matthew Senreich, each episode takes viewers on a fast-paced ride through dozens of scenes populated by action figures, many of which date from the '70s and '80s (He-Man, G.I. Joe, Smurfs, Transformers, etc.).The rapid-fire, irreverent sketches poke fun at popular TV shows, movies, music, and celebrities.

Is it any good?

Much of the show's humor comes from seeing familiar toys placed in incongruous situations (Skeletor in a carpool, Voltron in a break-dancing contest). As a result, the viewers most likely to enjoy the show are pop culture-savvy types who grew up playing with the toys in question. That said, if parents can get past the series' completely random humor, goofy absurdity, and frequent, random acts of cartoon violence, there's nothing about Robot Chicken that older teens won't find elsewhere.

TV themes & details

TV Details

TV Rating: TV-MA
Network: Cartoon Network
Cast: Breckin Meyer, Matthew Senreich, Seth Green
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Cartoon Network

This review was written by Lucy Maher

Review It

What parents & educators say

Based on 33 parent & educator reviews:

30% say sexual content is an issue
27% say language is an issue

Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Taylor679
teen, 17 years old

Disgusting

I hate it. It's way too violent, the language is horible, and sex is everywhere. If you are a christian- it commonly mocks Jesus and God. I turned it on one night and there was a scene where Jesus was getting whipped by a striper and he liked it. I think this show is disgusting and crude and i will never watch it again.

What other families should know

TV Details

Starring

Genre

Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on Robot Chicken

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

TV themes & details

TV Details

Review It

Review Robot Chicken

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Disgusting

is a bit of crap

I LOVE this show!

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS CRAP

GREATEST SHOW!!!

ITZ SO AWSHUM xD

Gave it 3 stars cause there's no 'don't know what to expect' star...I need someone to tell me what kind of content is in there

Teens

Hilariouse

Good for aduts. NOT for kids! NO WAY! Not even for teens!

heheh..

Cool Show

TV-MA-V

It all depends on who you are and what you're exposed to.

Hillarious!

Creepy!

good Animated tv show ages 17 and up

AWESOME! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

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