Parents' Guide to

Courage the Cowardly Dog

By KJ Dell Antonia, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Cult fave 'toon plays over-the-top violence for laughs.

TV Boomerang , Cartoon Network Kids' Animation 1999
Courage the Cowardly Dog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 33 parent reviews

redbone 7002
redbone 7002 Adult
December 4, 2020
age 8+

I enjoy long days of being entertained by Courage.

I enjoy long days with my children Christopher and Janice we watch Courage Muriel and Eustace because it is educational displays experience and is funny.
1 person found this helpful.
Ashley R.
Ashley R. Adult
September 22, 2020
age 12+
i liked this when i was younger but the scariness is too much to bear for young kids
See all 33 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Courage (voiced by Marty Grabstein), a small magenta dog who's afraid of everything, is adopted by Muriel (Thea White), who lives on a Twilight Zone-esque farm with her husband Eustace (Lionel G. Wilson), who loathes and is jealous of Courage. In every episode, the three are beset by various woes (they're sucked up by aliens who want their DNA, tied up, maimed, have all their blood sucked out of them, etc.) that are often brought on by Eustace's plots against Courage. It's up to Courage to save the day, and he always does -- although usually by doing things like screaming so loudly that the house falls on the troublemaker rather than by actually defeating him. In the process, Eustace is often crushed, mauled, and even eaten, although he invariably returns intact for the next episode.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (33 ):
Kids say (104 ):

Cynical and over the top, COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG was pretty cutting edge in 2000, when it was created for the Cartoon Network. And it's still fairly out there in its willingness to take both violence and sheer gross-out gore to extremes in the name of humor. The creators spoof the horror genre in many episodes, and fans of horror movies will undoubtedly find plenty of inside jokes.

But while the show is funny -- and certainly both unique and unpredictable in its storylines -- it's not a particularly kid-friendly cartoon. Younger viewers will do better with Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry, which have plenty of slapstick 'toon violence without the graphic images.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the level and type of violence in this show. Is it so over the top that it's funny, or is it just outrageous? Why do we find it funny to watch a cartoon dog turn inside out? Is there more to the show than that? Overall, what makes you want to watch -- the gross-out humor or the fact that you can count on Courage winning out in spite of himself?

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

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