Quint-Essential
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Multiples are a handful, but parents take it in stride.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
QUINT-ESSENTIAL follows the daily life of an Illinois family whose size more than quadrupled with the birth of quintuplets. When Jenny and Pete Ferrill learned they were having not one or two but five babies, they knew they had their work cut out for them. But nothing could prepare them for the joy -- and exhaustion -- of raising a handful of tots at the same time. This series follows the Ferrill family's emotional highs and lows from delivery to adjusting to life as a septet.
Is It Any Good?
Very little about this show will surprise any viewer who's either had a baby or watched one of the ubiquitous baby-related reality series already on TV, but there's still something that draws you to a heartwarming human-interest story like the Ferrills'. You can't help but worry along with them over troubling test results or watch in awe as the babies overcome the odds and develop into healthy, thriving infants.
While there's no cause for concern in sharing this series with tweens, don't expect them to feel the same emotional draw that you might, since they've never felt the awesome responsibility of caring for their own newborn (let alone five!). This touching series is best suited for adults who can appreciate the parents' emotional journey.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about raising children. How do you think the task of raising kids is complicated by having multiples? What coping techniques do you think parents of multiples use to handle the extra workload? What responsibilities does each family member have in your house? How does that help things run smoothly? Also, what do you think would be the benefits of being a twin (or triplet!)? And what do you think you might not like about it?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 21, 2007
- Network: TLC
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Book Characters
- TV rating: TV-G
- Last updated: February 24, 2022
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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate