Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cute celeb-focused fun with heavy promo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Celebrity Substitute
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In CELEBRITY SUBSTITUTE, a celebrity takes over a real elementary school class and teaches the kids a lesson about their area of expertise. Kenan Thompson teaches a class how to perform improv comedy, Billie Eilish writes a song with another class, and Jordan Chiles teaches another class gymnastics. The class's real teachers watch on, and grade the celebrity on how well they taught. Host Julian Shapiro-Barnum captures the kids' hilarious takes on their assignments throughout. At the end of each episode, the school is gifted supplies on their wish list.
Is It Any Good?
While Celebrity Substitute is a fun watch, it doesn't quite have all the magic and charm of its predecessor, Recess Therapy. The focus is more on the celebrity "teacher," and the kids' adorableness doesn't get as much of a spotlight. With the structure of the class, there's less time for the accidentally insightful "kids say the darndest things" comments. That said, tweens and teens will especially enjoy episodes that feature their favorite pop culture stars. Adults will enjoy the humor too, making it a good pick for the family to watch together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the celebrities on the show. What are they famous for? What are they really good at? Why do you think they wanted to come on this show?
Families can talk about the heavy promotion for Amazon. Why do you think Amazon wanted to advertise on a show like this? Does this show change how you think of Amazon? Do you think that was their goal?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 22, 2024
- Cast : Julian Shapiro-Barnum
- Network : YouTube
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : May 13, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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