Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
White House comedy with a few mature-ish storylines.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
1600 Penn
What's the Story?
When accident-prone Skip (Josh Gad) pulls a headline-making stunt at college, his dad -- sitting President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) -- promptly pulls him out of school and into the family home at 1600 PENN, where he joins siblings Becca (Martha MacIsaac), Marigold (Amara Miller), and Zander (Benjamin Stockham) and polished stepmom Emily Nash-Gilchrist (Jenna Elfman) in the White House. But Skip has a knack for making mistakes wherever he goes.
Is It Any Good?
Some critics have billed 1600 Penn as NBC's "answer" to Modern Family -- but if that's true, it's hardly a definitive one. For in spite of the presence of typically bankable leads Pullman and Elfman (and Broadway funnyman Gad, who nabbed rave reviews -- and a Tony nomination -- for his work in "The Book of Mormon"), the pilot, at least, is surprisingly short on laughs. That's not to say the show isn't funny. But the writers have a long way to go until 1600 Penn can be a viable candidate in the race for prime time ratings.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this ficticious First Family compares to real-life White House families, both present and past. How does it compare to other depictions of presidential families on the big and small screens?
What do you think it's like to be a kid growing up in the White House? What types of things do you take for granted as a "normal" kid that you might have to give up? (For example, what about your privacy?) Would your mom or dad parent you any differently if he or she was the president?
Does 1600 Penn have a political point of view? If so, how can you tell?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 17, 2012
- Cast : Bill Pullman , Jenna Elfman , Josh Gad
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate