Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mature humor, great cast in adult animated comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Praise Petey
What's the Story?
When her New York City life goes up in flames, PRAISE PETEY's Petey (Annie Murphy) discovers she has an unexpected opportunity to escape. Her late father (Stephen Root) was the leader of a small town called New Utopia, inhabited by, Petey soon discovers, a dangerous cult. And though cult members like Dad's "right hand" Mae Mae (Amy Hill) seem to want her to take her father's place at the cult's head, other townspeople like hunky Bandit (John Cho) just want her gone as quickly as possible. As Petey learns more about New Utopia, her dad, and herself, she hopes that she's finally found a place where she'll be appreciated at last.
Is It Any Good?
This series has an interesting premise, a stellar cast, and a creator with an impressive resume, but the jokes don't hit often enough to make it a true winner. One of the problems Praise Petey suffers from is that showrunners seem more interested in making gags than in world- or character-building, and the jokes aren't sharply written enough to cover the gap. Petey is a character who could be meaty and intriguing: She's been handed what she believes is a golden opportunity to wield the girl-boss power she was too afraid to lean into in NYC, while she's really being led into a trap.
But neither Petey nor any of the other characters are written with enough specificity to seem like real (albeit animated) people. Instead they come off like stereotypes in service to a show that's mostly interested in advancing a high-concept plot. And so much of the humor seems tired, with Petey's cluelessness, Mae Mae's duplicity, and Bandit's flawed heroics too often played for laughs. Creator Anna Drezen has shown she has the chops for fresher comedy: Her Girls5Eva is an underrated gem. Praise Petey could easily prove its equal by breathing life into stock characters and finding comedy in their foibles rather than just the situation in which they find themselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about who this show is designed to appeal to. Do you think the fact that it's animated gives it more "kid appeal" than a live-action version? Do you think people often assume that anything animated is OK for younger viewers? Do the levels of violence, sex, drinking, and language in the show make it inappropriate for kids?
Can you name other animated shows aimed at adults? How is Praise Petey like or different from these other examples?
A "fish out of water" comedy is one in which a character is placed in an unfamiliar milieu, which becomes a source of humor. Who is the "fish" in this show, and what is the "water?"
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 21, 2023
- Cast : Annie Murphy , John Cho , Stephen Root
- Network : Freeform
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 24, 2023
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