Parents' Guide to Central Park

TV Apple TV Comedy 2020
Central Park Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Fun animated musical comedy is both sweet and edgy.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 10+

Based on 13 kid reviews

Kids say that while the show is entertaining with its music and humor, it contains some adult themes and language that may not be suitable for younger children, making it more appropriate for tweens and teens. Opinions vary on whether the show is as good as similar animated comedies, but many agree it's a fun choice, albeit with a somewhat abrupt season finale.

  • tween suitable
  • adult themes
  • musical comedy
  • varied ratings
  • entertaining humor
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

From the creators of Bob's Burgers comes CENTRAL PARK, an animated musical comedy about the caretakers of New York City's iconic park. Narrated by a street performer named Birdie (Josh Gad), it follows Central Park manager Owen Tillerman (Leslie Odom Jr.), who lives in a house in the park with his family, including his wife Paige (Kathryn Hahn), a journalist for a small local paper, and their kids, Molly (Kristen Bell) and Cole (Tituss Burgess). Owen loves living and working in a place surrounded grass, paths, and visitors. But local socialite and business developer Bitsy Brandenham (Stanley Tucci) intends to buy the space and, with the help of her assistant Helen (Daveed Diggs), open it up for urban development.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 6 ):
Kids say ( 13 ):

This fun, well-written series hits lots of high notes thanks to a good script and a talented all-star cast. It manages to strike a creative balance between different story telling genres, allowing it to consistently deliver the producers' smart, dry humor. Furthermore, Birdie's narration, combined with the musical numbers, give it a slight Broadway flair that's both sweet and edgy. But, in-between folks breaking out into song lies a solid plot that's moved along by colorful, believable characters. Overall, Central Park is entertaining, and worth tuning into if you're looking for something light and enjoyable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how difficult it is to combine different styles of storytelling in a single series. Do you think Central Park does it successfully? Why or why not?

  • How are people of different classes, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations represented in the series? Are these representations stereotypical? How would viewers know the difference if they've never been to New York City or Central Park?

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

Central Park Poster Image

What to Watch Next

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