Best Friends Whenever

TV review by Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media
Best Friends Whenever Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

BFF time-travel comedy is sweet but uninspiring.

Disney Channel Comedy 2015
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 7 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 44 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Best Friends Whenever is an innocuous Disney comedy about teen friends who travel through recent time revisiting favorite memories and attempting to fix experiences that didn't go as planned. In many cases, the girls disagree, but arguments never last long and their relationship usually winds up stronger for the experience. Twin brothers argue a lot, and sometimes their spats involve hitting and pushing. The story is more entertaining than it is likely to teach your kids much, but the girls' friendship always has something positive to say about overcoming differences.

Community Reviews

Calvinl998
Calvinl998 Adult
October 22, 2020
age 18+

A really great show

I like this show a lot. It shows the importance of friendships and why we need a true friend through life. It shows that no matter what theres always someone out there to help. Like I'm 22 and I think this was a really great show and wish they'd make more. It was educational for kids and it was funny and shows everyone the true value of friendships. I honestly think they should bring back more episodes.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Emma Ricciuto
Emma Ricciuto Adult
August 11, 2017
age 5+

Best Friends Whenever

Bets friends whenever. This show is about two teenage girls who can time travel from getting zapped with a laser that Barry, the teenage scientist created. All they have to do to travel in time is think of a time they can agree on and high five. Lets talk about the characters. I will tell you about them and give you my opinion. Cyd: Of course! Every TV show on Disney has a character like Cyd. The edgy, cold, emo girl. So cliche. Very stereotypical. Not every school has an edgy girl with black hair that likes punk music. Anyway, Cyd is Shelby's best friend. Because every blonde girl needs an emo best friend for it to be a Disney show. Shelby: A happy, extroverted blonde girl who talks to everyone. Another high school stereotype. A happy extroverted blonde girl just HAS to be friends with the emo girl. That is already two stereotypes in the show. There are more to come. Speaking of stereotypes, lets talk about Barry. Barry is the nerdy scientist that every high school has. (Not) He is shown as a rude person who only cares about science. They portray him as a person who has no emotion. In one episode, he can't even simply say thank you. He has a NIGHTMARE about a bunch of people saying thank you to him. Not all socially awkward people are like that. Reinaldo (Naldo): The dunce, the fool, the idiot of the show! He is that character who is 'just there'. And every Disney show has him. Cliche. Bret and Chet: The annoying red heads who just waste time in the show. They are just there and they are useless. The show would be the same without them. This is a live action which I do not like. AT ALL.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In BEST FRIENDS WHENEVER, an invention mishap gives BFFs Cyd (Landry Bender) and Shelby (Lauren Taylor) the power to travel through time, allowing them to glimpse the future and repeat events with a mere thought of the past. This comes in handy whenever a do-over is in order, but it's not an exact science, so the results are unpredictable at best. As they time-hop at will (and sometimes against their will), their inventor friend Barry (Gus Kamp) attempts to replicate the accidental circumstances that gave the girls their power in the first place.

Is It Any Good?

Best Friends Whenever doesn't break any new ground with its fantasy-based story line, but it does offer pleasant sentiments about the unifying nature of friendship. Shelby and Cyd are polar opposites on paper, but somehow they make their relationship work. As the story develops, we see that there's no force strong enough to unravel it for long, and that's saying something given the complications time travel raises.

Disney's Crash and Bernstein alum Bender will bring some existing fans to this show. Others will enjoy the comical implications of the girls' attempts at fixing past mistakes, which usually wind up complicating the situations even more. Ultimately there's not a lot to be gained by watching, but since it's standard squeaky-clean Disney fare, there's little concern for kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Cyd and Shelby's ability to travel through time solves all their problems or raises new ones. Do their attempts to fix past mistakes always make things better? What do they learn from their experiences?

  • Why are adults mostly absent from this series? Are any of the teenage characters good role models? If so, why?

  • Kids: Are you more likely to watch a new show or buy a certain product if a familiar star is involved with it? Do you think that your preferences are influenced by what you see in the media? Is this a good or a bad thing, or is it just a fact of life?

TV Details

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