Parents' Guide to

Mr. Pickles

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Violent, sexually explicit cartoon designed to shock.

TV Cartoon Network Comedy 2014
Mr. Pickles 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 16+

Based on 46 parent reviews

Accurate P.
Accurate P. Parent of 15-year-old
August 16, 2022
age 17+
Rated TV-MA

This title has:

Too much violence
Dethklok is groovy
Dethklok is groovy Adult
January 20, 2021
age 15+

Mr pickles is groovy

I think this is a fun show. Obviously it's not for children. it's really funny in my opinion and I really love the show. Of course it's a show for people with dark humor, not a family. It's rated X from what I know (It's literally on adult swim, what do you expect?) It usually depends on who's watching it. it's also fun to see immature adults saying it should be cancelled and stuff. It's for a certain audience, just remember that.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 46 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MR. PICKLES follows the antics of a family dog with devilish designs on the people around him, except perhaps his 6-year-old owner, Tommy (voiced by Kaitlyn Robrock). At first glance, life in the Goodman house seems pretty average, particularly when it comes to Tommy and his best friend, Mr. Pickles, with whom he gets into plenty of curious situations. But what Tommy -- and most everyone else -- doesn't realize is that his happy-go-lucky border collie is actually a satanic murderer. Only Tommy's grandfather (Frank Collison) sees the truth, but since no one takes him at his word, the cultish canine's secret is safe for now.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (46 ):
Kids say (37 ):

This ribald cartoon gets away with a lot of content that would be seen in an entirely different light if it were a live-action presentation. Although it does draw the line at showing full nudity, pretty much everything else gets a green light, and the result is excessive mature content that seems designed to reel in viewers on shock value alone. And shock you it will.

Obviously Mr. Pickles won't do teens any favors, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any positive messages in content that mocks nonconforming body types and abilities. Even so, its egregious stereotypes, over-the-top cartoon violence, and explicit humor is bound to entice some curious adult viewers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in entertainment. Is content such as what's seen on this show ever warranted? What is its purpose here? How is the effect different from what it would be in the hands of a live-action cast?

  • How are physical and mental disabilities portrayed in this show? Is it OK to laugh at stereotypes like these when they're generalities and not aimed at a particular person?

  • What do you think was the creator's intent with this show? Who is the target audience? Does its content match that of other Adult Swim offerings?

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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