Parents' Guide to

As Told by Ginger

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Junior high girls are models of self-esteem.

TV Nickelodeon Kids' Animation 2000
As Told by Ginger Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Showcritic4561
Showcritic4561 Adult
February 20, 2021
age 6+

An often overlooked NickToon but a goodie!

For me... I never really watched it until it came to CBS All Access (which will soon be Paramount+). I only watched little snippets of the show on NickRewind’s YT channel. But still I say this is one of the NickToons that often get overlooked that actually deserve more attention... The kind of attention that “Rugrats”, “SpongeBob” “FOP”, & “Avatar” got, it’s got some good messages to it. Also one thing I noticed about the cartoon is that it was Nick’s first show that would end & air some unaired episodes that only made it to DVD 10 years after the show’s actual finale... that was actually a pretty nice way to give the retro Nick fans more joy & pleasure to see one of their ended shows air an episode that had never made it to TV before. All eps of “Ginger” (including the one that has never aired on TV yet) are available to stream on CBS All Access (which will soon be renamed as “Paramount+” come this March). And to those who haven’t seen the show I really highly recommend it along with “ChalkZone”, it would really help give these shows more of the attention that they deserve!

This title has:

Great messages
KMuru
KMuru Adult
November 6, 2019
age 7+
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

On the "coolness" scale, 12-year-old Ginger Foutley (voiced by Melissa Disney) and her best friends Dodie Bishop (Aspen Miller) and Macie Lightfoot (Jackie Harris) teeter toward the nerdy end, making them the victims of some nasty teasing at school. But their constant desire to climb the popularity ladder is offset by their realization that self-acceptance and unconditional friendship matter more than the opinions of their peers. Produced by the creators of the Rugrats media franchise, AS TOLD BY GINGER is a multidimensional look at the life of a preteen girl pulled between being true to herself and succumbing to the demands of popularity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (8 ):

The three main characters are intelligent, well-adjusted junior high girls who are comfortable with themselves. Ginger is helped along the way by her caring single mom, Lois (Laraine Newman), representing the foundation for Ginger's strong values. Viewers are privy to Ginger's insights through her chats with Dodie and Macie, as well as through the poetry she writes, such as "Someone once told me the grass is much greener on the other side... From where I'm standing, my grass is green." Lessons like that are worth learning, and they're exactly the kind of messages viewers will get from this show -- which makes it a winner for kids ages 7 and up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the pressure to be part of the "in" crowd. How important is it to be accepted among the so-called "cool kids"? What if being cool meant doing or saying things at others' expense? Which group of kids on this show would you rather be friends with? Why? Parents also can talk about Ginger's relationship with Lois. What do you admire about Ginger's mom? What's important in the relationship between parent and child?

TV Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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