Parents' Guide to Ginny & Georgia

Parents need to know that Ginny & Georgia is a show about a mother and daughter. That -- plus a bookish teen girl, an outgoing young mom, an adorable Northeastern town, pop culture chatter, and lots of junk food -- might make it seem similar to the beloved Gilmore Girls (complete with the initials!). But the resemblance ends there: This series is significantly more mature and faster paced. Within a short time after arriving in the fictional Wellsbury, Massachusetts, 15-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) loses her virginity, smokes pot for the first time, and shoplifts with new friends. She also intentionally burns herself and has scars from cutting. All of the teens in the show seem to smoke pot (it's legal in Massachusetts, they point out) and talk about sex frequently. Words like "p---y," "bitches," "twats," "a--hole," "d--k," and "s--t" are used often. Mom Georgia (Brianne Howey) drinks wine, smokes pot, uses a vibrator, steals when her credit card is declined, and charms her way into a job in the single mayor's office. And in flashbacks, viewers see the physical and sexual abuse that Georgia (then called Mary) escaped as a teen. Despite these complex characters, many of whom live in moral gray zones and hurt others, the series is a positive example of inclusive casting and storytelling, spotlighting issues of mental health, past trauma, and teen anxiety.