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Parents' Guide to

Necessary Roughness

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Female lead calls the shots in adult, sports-themed drama.

TV USA Drama 2011
Necessary Roughness 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 1 parent review

AverisDaddy
AverisDaddy Adult
August 28, 2011
age 14+

My review

I think its a good show, but borders on what I let my 12 yr old son watch and what I don't. Everything is mostly on the mild side, but it comes relatively close.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

When Long Island psychotherapist and mother of two Dr. Dani Santino (Callie Thorne) discovers her husband's been playing the field behind her back, she finds herself facing divorce -- and financial ruin. But when the coach of the New York Hawks gets wind of Dr. Dani's professional skills, he promptly hires her to whip his star football player (Terrence King) -- an on- and off-the-field problem child -- back into shape. Good thing she's got the NECESSARY ROUGHNESS for the job.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

While Necessary Roughness lacks the instantaneous snap of the character-driven USA dramas White Collar, Suits, and Fairly Legal, it's definitely got the drive to deliver. Although sometimes it feels like the female lead is trying a little too hard to convince us of her Long Island-laced, working mother street cred with lines like, "My specialties include chicken parmesan, cognitive behavior therapies, hypnotherapy, and kicking patients' butts." We get it, Dr. Dani: You're sassy.

A few lame lines aside, the show's premise is pretty intriguing. And Dr. Dani doesn't limit her hypnotic influence to the world of professional sports, but also takes on troubled politicians and news anchors.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how sex is portrayed on the show. How does the level of sexual content compare to other shows or movies about male professional sports? Does the show's approach to sex suggest anything about its target audience (ie., a mostly male or female audience)?

  • Are the obstacles that Dr. Dani faces as a woman working in a traditionally male industry (professional football) any different than those a man might face in the same situation?

  • When it comes to stereotypes, does the main character challenge any assumptions about women in her particular line of work -- or women from similar socioeconomic backgrounds? Do you think she's a positive role model?

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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