Parents' Guide to

Casper & Friends

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Kindly spirit's charming tales have some iffy retro content.

TV Hulu Kids' Animation 1990
Casper & Friends 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 3+

Based on 1 parent review

Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
May 13, 2014
age 3+

good lessons for kids about friendship

This was one of my favorite childhood cartoons. My favorite part was always when Casper would come up and be friendly and the other person (or animal) would shriek, "A GHOST!!!" More important is Casper's helpfulness and friendliness. He always was there for the downtrodden even when no one else was. An excellent example of this was an episode where a 5 year old boy wanted to play pirates with some older boys, who bluntly told him that he was too young to play pirates. But when Casper saw him, he became the boy's friend. If I remember the end of the episode correctly, the other boys accepted him by then. (Forgive me if I don't remember all the details right. I haven't seen this episode since Jimmy Carter was Preisdent.) For a time Casper appeared on this local children's program in Cleveland called BARNABY. That was the only part of BARNABY that my sisters and I liked, as the host was nearly inaudible. I've always really identified with Casper. Like Casper, I never scare people intentionally. But, like Casper, I've frequently scared people unintentionally. And sometimes people have refused to give me a chance, much like what happened to Casper.
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What's the Story?

Everyone's favorite ghost takes center stage in CASPER & FRIENDS. Disowned by his fellow spirits for being too friendly, Casper heads out into the people world for new adventures, through which he makes friends and helps them solve problems. This anthological series from the early '90s also includes stories centering on a handful of other main characters and their antics.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Casper the Ghost is no stranger to the TV or movie screen, having first appeared in a 1939 children's book and a TV series in 1945. This collection features restored versions of Harvey Comics' '50s-era Casper and others such as Baby Huey, Little Audrey, and Herman and Katnip. As such, the animation is markedly different from what kids today are used to, but the stories are still charming, and Casper's as friendly as ever.

That said, these are tales from a very different era, and they often reflect that in not-so-subtle ways. Characters smoke, guns are visible and used on people and other characters (although there are no visible injuries), and stereotypes may exist. This is likely to be confusing to youngsters, so proceed with some caution if you're adding this to your kids' visual library.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this series reflects its mid-century origins. What do the characters do or say that might not be acceptable today? What do these differences tell you about how society used to be?

  • In what ways is Casper a good friend? Why are some characters scared of him? Why is it important to see past people's appearances before passing judgment?

  • What accounts for the enduring quality of certain characters in TV and movies? Are there any that you have enjoyed in more than one series or film? Have new incarnations ever disappointed you?

TV Details

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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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