Parents' Guide to

Popular

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Edgy teen dramedy tries to spin a positive message.

TV WB Drama 1999
Popular 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 6+

Based on 1 parent review

Mrs. Daisy Muffins
Mrs. Daisy Muffins Adult
July 13, 2019
age 6+

The BEST learning movie...

THIS IS THE BEST LEARNING MOVIE. TEACHES MY KIDS TO BE SMART AND GO AGAINST EVERYONE. BRAVO!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Blonde cheerleader Brooke McQueen (Leslie Bibb) might be POPULAR. But there's no way she'll ever be friends with dark-haired alterna-girl Sam McPherson (Carly Pope) ... at least, not if Sam has anything to say about it. There's a social line drawn in the sand when the cheerleaders humiliate Sam's best friend Carmen (Sara Rue), and Sam and her friends declare an all-out war. But the battle stalls when the rivals learn that their parents -- Brooke's divorced dad (Scott Bryce) and Sam's widowed mom (Lisa Darr) -- plan to marry and make them step-sisters.

Is It Any Good?

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

If you're an avid Glee fan, it won't take you long to realize that Popular sounds a whole lot like it, minus the singing. (And with good reason, since Ryan Murphy, who also dreamed up the adults-only Nip/Tuck, created both series.) In both shows, for example, you'll find a star football player who's considering sex with his virginal cheerleader girlfriend and secretly loves to sing. You'll also spot an aggressive, sexually ambiguous science teacher in Popular that clearly inspired -- but pales in comparison to -- Glee's Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), and catch glimpses of Glee's Mr. Schuster (Matthew Morrison) in one of Popular's overly dedicated student advisers.

When it originally aired in 1999, Popular only stuck around for two seasons and left its fans hanging with one heck of a cliffhanger that would never get resolved -- and that's a shame, because it was a pretty good show. It became a pretty great show, however, when Murphy added an infectious soundtrack, changed some of the central plot points and called it Glee. So maybe things do get better with age.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's portrayal of the high school social scene and whether it's been grossly exaggerated. Who are the heroes and villains supposed to be here? Does pitting overly simplistic stereotypes against each other -- ie., preppy, blonde cheerleader conformists vs.grungy, brunette alternative outsiders -- serve a certain purpose? Does it reinforce those stereotypes, or make them seem ridiculous?

  • What are the show's main messages when it comes to teen sex? Do you think the show handles the topic in a realistic way? Why or why not?

  • Why do you think this show only lasted for two seasons before it was canceled? Do you think it would have any fared better in today's media market?

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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