Parents' Guide to

Kidding

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Jim Carrey's return to TV deals with trauma, family, kids.

TV Showtime Drama 2018
Kidding Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Dio fry
Dio fry Parent of 13, 13, 14 and 15-year-old
January 31, 2019
age 15+
Anna.brown23
Anna.brown23 Adult
September 20, 2018
age 12+

Interesting

Good story and very interesting nothing to inappropriate

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In KIDDING, Jeff Pickles (Jim Carrey) is the star of a long-running PBS show for preschoolers called Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time, which is produced by his father (Frank Langella) and features puppetry by his sister (Catherine Keener). Jeff recently lost one of his twin sons in a car crash, which has caused him to become estranged from his wife (Judy Greer) and surviving son (Cole Allen). Having repressed his grief for months, Jeff decides to cope with his feelings by using his show to teach children about loss, trying to repair his relationships with his family, and challenging himself to adapt to his new life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

There's a lot to like about the first collaboration between Jim Carrey and director Michel Gondry since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Kidding boasts an absolutely incredible cast -- which includes stars Judy Greer, Frank Langella, and Catherine Keener alongside Carrey doing some of the best acting work of his life. Gondry brings an off-kilter aesthetic not only to the show, but also to the show-within-a-show, Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time, which features a believable and dynamic cast of (felt-based) characters in its own right.

When Kidding tries to go deeper, however, things get uneven. It makes easy jokes at the expense of LGBTQ characters, depicting them as stereotypically sex-crazed, undermining its own attempts at diversity. The way the series shows coping with grief, its most pressing theme, is similarly contradictory. It feels less interested in having a conversation about trauma than it is about using trauma as a gateway to depicting edgy behavior like casual sex and drug use. That said, though Kidding can often feel directionless, the work from the cast, director, and designers is so strong that it's worth at least seeing where they're headed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about being in a close family. Jeff Pickles works closely with his sister and father, but is attempting to reconnect with his estranged wife and son. How do Jeff's relationships with his family affect his day-to-day life? How are his relationships healthy or unhealthy?

  • How does Jeff cope with the death of his son Phil? How does Phil's death affect the rest of the extended Pickles family? How does it change their relationships with one another? Do you think that Kidding's depiction of grief is realistic?

  • How does Jeff try to incorporate his real-life experiences into his show, Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time? What are the obstacles he faces in expressing his inner feelings through his show? How important is it to use art to express feelings?

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.

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