Common Sense Media Review
By Jill Murphy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
RFR rocks! Responsible teens question "the man."
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
RADIO FREE ROSCOE is an underground radio station run, under tight anonymity, by four high school classmates: Travis \"Smog\" Strong (Nathan Carter), Ray \"Pronto\" Breno (Ali Mukaddam), Lily \"Shady Lane\" Randall (Kate Todd), and Robbie \"Question Mark\" McGrath (Nathan Stephenson). Every day after school, the foursome produces a show in which they're free to speak their minds on a range of topics -- from dating advice to free speech.
Is It Any Good?
Subjects like crushes, friendships, and censorship are all handled maturely by the cast, who discuss the issues over the airwaves and in the hallways and classrooms of their high school. While it doesn't shy away from drama and teen angst, RFR also doesn't rely on scantily clad, overly sexed-up teens, unlike cohorts The O.C. and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Rather, there is depth to both Radio Free Roscoe's characters and their issues.
While RFR teaches responsible thinking and taking action, the teen characters feel compelled to do their part over the radio, while hiding behind false identities. Does this tell teens that to be a free thinker or your own person you have to do it in hiding? Still -- to even have teens posing such a question puts RFR leaps and bounds ahead of popular shows in which beach-dwelling hotties struggle with their overdramatic lives.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other programs that use politics or civil liberties to drive their premise (if they can think of any ...). Is the characters' maturity level realistic? Are they role models? Do teens prefer watching shows filled with drama and sex, or have they simply become accustomed to that type of programming? How does this series differ from other programs your teen watches?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 1, 2003
- Network : TeenNick
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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