Parents' Guide to

Angie Tribeca

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Clever, broad cop-show spoof has cursing, off-color jokes.

TV TBS Comedy 2016
Angie Tribeca Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Helen M.
Helen M. Adult
October 28, 2017
age 16+

Bawdy-Slapstick Humor Surprisingly Funny

A classic example of the 'it's so over the top it shouldn't be funny, yet somehow is', Angie Tribeca is sure to deliver laughs. Heterosexual and homosexual references, relationships, and situations discussed, though sexual content is relatively mild, if often suggestive. When it is seen, it is usually more akin to over-the-top gross-out humor (one such scene is of a couple kissing passionately, and to represent their lust to audiences, the show utilizes exaggeratedly long, false tongues that stick together and produce gobs of slob-seen as thick, clear, slime as the pair kiss). However, parents of younger children should be aware that the suggested scenes are often very-adult themed (three-ways, BDSM, etc)[one such scene has the detectives interrogate a 'puppy play' orgy]. Irreverence is another issue parents may take offense at, as in most comedies, literally, everything is game to comedic insults. However, a constant theme families could talk about is the often humorous approach the show takes at dealing with issues of gender inequality, and sexism, as Tribeca often deals with the stigma associated with being a female officer in a group of predominantly stereotypical males.
Barbara H.
Barbara H. Parent of 7-year-old
November 5, 2016
age 10+

Ok as a family show, if your kids are over 10

See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In Los Angeles, the streets are gritty and the criminals even grittier. But they don't make cops tougher than ANGIE TRIBECA (Rashida Jones), who's packing heat and ready for action in this absurd spoof of police procedurals. Tribeca's a rising star on the Really Heinous Crime Unit, where -- aside from assorted terrible crimes -- everything's just about perfect. That is, until her uptight boss Lieutenant Chet Atkins (Jere Burns) assigns her a rookie new partner, J. Geils (Hayes MacArthur). Working with a partner slows Tribeca down -- not the least because she's experiencing sudden new feelings for him. With Atkins on her tail and her whole unit watching, will Tribeca be able to foil the bad guys, bring criminals to justice, and keep from falling in love?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

Spoofing police procedurals is hardly a new idea, but this show's joke-a-minute approach yields fruit (and laughs), anchored as it is by sharp actors, good writing, and a parade of guest stars. Bill Murray! Gary Cole! Lisa Kudrow! The guest-star wattage can probably be attributed to the fact that Angie is exec-produced by Steve Carell and wife Nancy, who are also on writing duty. And they are funny, particularly with bold visual gags, Naked Gun-style. For example, the show opens with a montage of Angie working out, which escalates to knife throwing, which escalates to a shower with chin-ups on the bar and a towel fight with the objects on her bathroom counters. A sign later informs us that the coroner's office has a gift shop; one of the technical instruments in the coroner's office is a toy claw machine. The show also takes gleeful aim at cop-show tropes, as when Alfred Molina divines from a suspect's blackmail note that he has no respect for authority and is in desperate need of money. The light mood makes this good all-family fare, particularly for families with teens who enjoy goofy satire.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Police-show spoofs are relatively common on television: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Reno 911!, Archer. What is it about police shows that make them attractive to parodists?

  • Why don't the actors on Angie Tribeca laugh at the jokes? Is satire often put forth straight-faced? Why?

TV Details

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