Parents' Guide to

Marvin Marvin

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Hyper star's antics dominate mediocre alien comedy.

TV Nickelodeon Comedy 2012
Marvin Marvin Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 13+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Chinadelove
Chinadelove Adult
February 1, 2015
age 11+

Awful show

I don't know why Nick focuses on mainly live action shows nowadays, however I feel like its just not working, every show including this Marvin Marvin is garbage. Nick needs to re-hire the Csupo-Klasky company because they have made nothing but genius children shows.
MrCrocodile
MrCrocodile Adult
June 17, 2013
age 18+

This is so hard to watch

Even when you see the commercials you just don't get Marvin Marvin. This honestly could've been better. I've only seen Alf and I've never seen any other shows like this but I'm sure even they were much better! I guess you can say the one and only message so far is that it's either okay to have an odd ball in the family or that there will be that one person in your family that stands out in a strange way but that message alone just doesn't help you to watch this show. Marvin is just too obnoxious to be tolerated. Atleast when there were other shows on Nickelodeon that showed someone obnoxious, they'd show a decent to much better side of those characters. I'm even mentioning How to Rock which I think was actually good as time went on. But it's just not that at all with Marvin Marvin! Marvin takes up so much of the screen that it's hard to really like it. The family is way better than him and the scenes that just show them could actually make the show better. Teri especially! But when Marvin is here as well you just feel like that neighbor that'd love to stay and chat but you have an excuse to leave because of that one person that walked into the room. Acting stupid, obnoxious and gross does not equal funny. And there's too much of that. It doesn't even deserve a rating.
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MARVIN MARVIN is the story of a teenage alien (Lucas Cruikshank) from a distant planet, whose parents send him to Earth to protect him from alien invaders. He's adopted by human parents Bob (Pat Finn) and Liz Forman (Mim Drew) and attempts to learn how to pass as a normal teenager from their kids, Teri (Victory Van Tuyl) and Henry (Jacob Bertrand). But that's no easy task for this larger-than-life alien, and learning curve mishaps often test the patience of his foster family and threaten exposure of his true identity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (35 ):

It's evident that Nickelodeon is pinning this show's hopes on the kid appeal of its recognizable star with plot points that open the door for him to demonstrate his knack for physical comedy. Marvin's hardwired to dance like a maniac whenever he hears Earth music, so you can bet you're going to see that multiple times in an episode. Because he's still learning the basics of humanoid behavior, he's going to make mistakes, like returning the favor when the family dog sniffs his butt. Suppressing his super powers isn't always easy, so there are openings for chaos there. This fish-out-of-water set-up means endless possibilities for wacky, obnoxious, and even crude behavior, all of which is designed to get laughs from your kids.

What the show most lacks, though, is originality. Not only does it recycle Cruikshank's unusual comedy style, it also taps Superman for its alien-evacuee storyline and even adds a few touches of E.T. with some of Marvin's powers. To the show's credit, it does attempt to lace the dialogue with buzz phrases like "It's OK to be different" and "Be who you are," but it's a good bet your kids won't even notice those in light of the hyperactive comedy to which most of the content is devoted.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Marvin compares to Fred Figglehorn. What similarities exist between Cruikshank's two characters? What makes them different? Do you think this show's creators intended to draw on Fred's fame for this show? What benefit might there be to doing so?

  • Kids: In what situations have you felt like an outsider? Is it difficult to adapt to a new place? What can you do if you see another person feeling left out?

  • How do the Formans compare to your family? Do you think an outsider would have an easy time fitting in at your house? What behaviors might they find funny or odd?

TV Details

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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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