Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
OK musical series promotes creativity, performing arts.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Groove High
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In GROOVE HIGH, best friends and bandmates Tom (Jonathan Bailey) and Zoe (Samantha Barks) reminisce about their time at an unconventional performing-arts high school populated by a hodgepodge of colorful personalities. The series is produced in a combination of live action and animation, with present-day segments showing Tom and Zoe in between concerts on the road, recalling the funny and formative events that happened during their years at Groove High. As their memories take shape, the format changes to animation to replay the characters' experiences at school.
Is It Any Good?
This musical show's unusual format, which bounces back and forth between animation and live action several times during an episode, bolsters its otherwise forgettable qualities. The quirky characters and unlikely situations are good for some chuckles, and Groove High's good-natured rivalry with another nearby arts school, A-List, creates some contention that's laughable, too. Groove High's content is silly and superficial, but it's also mostly innocuous content that will entertain -- if not enlighten -- kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the performing arts. How do dance, music, and other arts encourage self-expression? Kids: What disciplines are of interest to you? What inspires your creativity? Is success in the arts something that can be measured?
What differences, if any, do you see between Tom and Zoe's characters at present and those they revisit from the past? How do our experiences help shape our personalities? What memories do you have of formative times in your past, and how did those events change you?
Is Groove High intended to be a realistic look at high school? In what ways does it succeed? How does it fall short? Do any of the characters stand out for positive qualities like leadership? Who are some of your favorite role models from series or movies you have seen?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 1, 2012
- Cast : Samantha Barks , Jonathan Bailey , Jules de Jongh
- Network : Comcast Kid Central
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along ) , School ( High School )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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