Common Sense Media Review
By Crystal Stone
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dramatic young adult pod; sex, drugs, and language galore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Listen
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
ACADEMY is a fictional drama podcast following Ava, a high school student who just transferred to the top boarding school in the U.S., Bishop Gray Academy. It's already hard fitting into a new school, but Ava is up against even more challenges as she struggles with pressures of fitting in at a school where most of the kids are from wealthy families and she's constantly reminded she's there on scholarship. On top of all of that, Ava discovers a secret underground society that puts her in risky situations with friends and enemies.
Is It Any Good?
This podcast has mature content involving teens with interesting plot lines and great audio production. Academy is an entertaining drama podcast, but it's mature content may be too much for some of its target audience. Set in a boarding school with secret societies and something new lurking around each corner, it can start to feel reminiscent of Wednesday or even Gilmore Girls, but the frequent references to sex, drugs, and some negative representations of friendship make it more like Euphoria. For mature listeners who can separate entertainment value from glorification of destructive teenage behavior, Academy is sure to be an entertaining listen, as the narratives in each episode are action-packed with romance, danger, and unique plot devices.
The main character, Ava, is dynamic and likable, and voice actors (including Myha'la Herrold,
Stefanie Scott, and Victoria Grace) are captivating. The audio production quality is top-notch and immersive. There are also useful content warnings at the beginning of each episode so people can choose if there are any episodes they may not want to listen to. Overall, it's an enjoyable listen, although much of its risqué content makes its target audience unclear.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Academy often references characters feeling the pressure to succeed at a young age, pushing them to do things that may be out of character. Do you ever relate to this pressure to succeed? How can we manage these feelings in more positive ways?
Friendship, in both positive and negative ways, is a theme throughout episodes as characters navigate trust in risky situations. What role does trust play in your friendships, and how can we build better trust?
What relatable high school experiences from the show are turned more dramatic to entertain listeners, and why do dramatic narratives pique people's interest? Do you like drama-fueled stories?
Much like Euphoria, this show is about teenagers but has a lot of graphic content. The difference is that since it's a podcast, there are no visuals. Do you think this makes the iffy content more acceptable, or does audio-only have the same effect?
Podcast Details
- Release date : July 20, 2023
- Genre : Entertainment
- Run time : 30 minutes
- Website : https://wondery.com/shows/academy/
- Production Companies and Networks : Wondery , At Will Media
- Pricing structure : Paid, Free (Weekly episodes are free. Early access to all episodes and ad-free versions available with a subscription to Wondery+ for $4.99/mo or $34.99/yr. )
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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