Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Comedy's cast appeals, but iffy messages predominate.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bad Teacher
What's the Story?
In short order, Meredith Davis (Ari Graynor) lost her husband, and, thanks to a pre-nuptial agreement she unthinkingly signed, her house, her car, and her cushy life. But a chance encounter with a middle-schooler convinces Meredith to fake a resume, flirt with the recently divorced principal Carl Gaines (David Alan Grier), and become the title's BAD TEACHER in hopes that one of her students will have a rich divorced daddy who can put Meredith back in the high life. Alas, it turns out that some of the school's students need her help more than she ever knew they would. With the backup assistance of eager fellow teacher Irene (Sara Gilbert) and cocky, flirtatious coach Joel (Ryan Hansen), Meredith takes on the school's bullies, Queen Bee teacher Ginny (Kristin Davis), and the world.
Is It Any Good?
The casting for Bad Teacher is brilliant. Graynor is enormously appealing as the lead, balancing an insouciant affect with a slinky, thrown-off, ironic villainy. And other than Graynor, there are half-a-dozen other much-beloved celebrity faces here, from MVP Sara Gilbert, who will always be Roseanne's Darlene Connor to us, to the dear-to-viewers Kristin Davis and Ryan Hansen. The dialogue is pretty wicked and witty, too: When Meredith meets her friend's middle school daughter for the first time she tells her "Your mom told me to pick you up." "That's what child molesters say!" snaps the tween. "Don't flatter yourself," pooh-poohs Meredith. Funny!
However, it'd be nice if some of the situations surrounding Meredith weren't so sitcom cliche-y. Having Meredith create a fake Career Day at school so she can suss the local Dad talent is hilarious. But resorting to pitting her against one-note mean-girl characters, and Davis as a pinch-faced fellow teacher, seems rather sexist and tired. It's nice to have a main character who's half heroine and half jerk. Could the show's "bad" characters be afforded the same depth?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the setting of Bad Teacher. Schools are a classic comic setting. Can you name some movies or shows that take place at school? Why is this setting so ripe for comic antics?
Is the audience meant to like Meredith? Is she supposed to be a good or bad character? How can you tell?
Bad Teacher the show was adapted from a 2011 film, which had a different cast. Why do TV shows based on movies usually have different actors playing the roles?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 24, 2014
- Cast : Ari Graynor , Sara Gilbert , Kristin Davis , David Alan Grier
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 25, 2022
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