Parents' Guide to

According to Jim

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Predictable family comedy, but better than some.

TV ABC Comedy 2001
According to Jim Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 13+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Matt B.
Matt B. Adult
August 22, 2016
age 8+

Not any more harsh than any other sitcom

This is a family friendly sitcom.
2 people found this helpful.
Lana2397
Lana2397 Adult
January 21, 2020
age 18+

Poor humor and predictable misogynistic plots

This show is for boomers who enjoy simple plots with cheap jokes about how helpless and silly women are and how practical and right men are, especially when observing the situations between a man and his wife and three loud children. The producers cast Cheryl, and just about any other women, to be stubborn to admit they’re wrong and Jim may be dramatic to create “hilarious” scenarios to prove how right he is. It’s humor is outdated and old fashioned I suppose would be a fair review. It’s not funny, it’s just stupid... However, Cheryl’s character is aware that she should have simple liberties, as a person who happens to be married, to be able to have a say in decisions that should be made with Jim and she does speak her mind! I feel like the show reaches a point where “oh maybe Jim isn’t so bad and he respects his wife’s perspective” things turn though and Cheryl will apologize for what she thought and Jim will accept her apology and expect sex by the end of the episode. Sorry for all the spoilers, but I’m really not sorry because this show is trash.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ACCORDING TO JIM puts a twist on the traditional family. She's a stay-at-home mom with their three precocious children, and he's the family's breadwinner -- but there's no question who's more modern. Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith) is continually challenging Jim's (James Belushi) old-fashioned, traditional ways of doing just about everything. This may not be the first sitcom with this twist, but due to the great casting of Belushi as the construction business-owner dad and Thorne-Smith as the clever modern mom, it works. Don't expect According to Jim to tackle thought-provoking topics, but it's light, funny, and provides one show on television today that a family with teens can watch together without flinching.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (6 ):

The supporting cast adds extra wackiness to the family dynamic. Cheryl's sister, Dana, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, is a high-strung Type A who is climbing the ladder in her career but will always throw in her two cents on what's going wrong in this family. Andy, Cheryl's brother, played by Larry Joe Campbell, is a partner in the design/building business and confidante in many of Jim's antics. Belushi and Campbell expertly use their physical comedic skills and timing to enhance their characters' boyish personalities and the show's slapstick, silly plot lines.

Despite Jim's antics and Cheryl's strong opinions, the bottom line is that their marriage is based on love and respect. This is a marriage that will last. If you're looking for a show to watch with adolescents that's relatively benign and at times gives you a chuckle, here it is. It's an opportunity to learn about a family made up of different personalities and ideas about life who live together, laugh together, get through the day together, and somehow or another make it through in one piece.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether or not the family dynamic presented here is realistic. Are situation comedies supposed to mirror real-life situations or merely serve as an escape? They could also talk about why family comedies like this show are so predictable.

TV Details

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