Parents' Guide to

Pictionary

By Stephanie Morgan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Bland game show feels forced instead of fun.

TV Fox Game Shows 2022
Pictionary poster

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Pictionary: Screenshot 1
  • Pictionary: Screenshot 2

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Eileen L.
Eileen L. Parent of 6, 10 and 11-year-old
April 24, 2023
age 2+

IDIOT HOST

Jerry is a painful idiot to watch!!! We love the game of pictionary so that is the only reason we tape this show and obliterate Jerry the NUT CASE in fast forward He is overly familiar with guests resting his hand on them while they draw which is creepy vibe!!!!! Who is this bisexual trying to game on?
Patty E.
Patty E. Parent of 5-year-old
April 19, 2023
age 2+

Hard to watch

See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In PICTIONARY, based on Mattel's party game and hosted by Jerry O'Connell (Billions), celebrity anchored teams of three compete against each other, trying to guess the correct word or phrase represented by the drawings of their fellow teammates.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

As proven by Hollywood Game Night, silly games plus raucous celebrities can equal TV gold. Pictionary, however, fails to deliver on any part of this equation. Surprisingly, the show doesn't offer any kind of twist, opting instead to fill all thirty minutes with round after monotonous round of the classic drawing and guessing game -- which show creators failed to realize is way more fun to play than it is to watch. Host Jerry O'Connell doesn't do much and the lack of a studio audience and weird laugh track make the whole thing somehow chaotic and boring at the same time. To add to the forced, cringeworthy feel, the B- and C-list celebrities aren't terribly convincing in their bid to look like they're having fun. Considering there's a whole host of better celebrity game show options out there, this is one to skip.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why the game Pictionary was chosen to be made into a TV game show. How does Mattel, who makes the game, benefit?

  • What's the benefit of a celebrity appearing on a show like this? Do you think it's all about helping win prizes for people they've never met? What could be another motivation?

  • Why do celebrities on game shows always compete for others? What would people think if they won prizes on a game show that they could keep?

TV Details

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