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Recess
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is very little to worry about in this show. Although sometimes minor rules get broken and the characters are a slightly idealized group, overall the series is thoughtful, funny, and insightful.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
A Show to Watch Together!
Political Satire for Kids!
What's the story?
RECESS abounds with clever insights into a child's perspective. Whether facing a school bully, a math test, or a forgotten permission slip, the kids band together to solve problems creatively and thoughtfully. Each kid is different, and yet they love and rely on each other's differences. The biggest guy isn't tough at all, but instead a poet and a ballet dancer. A petite girl is the toughest of the bunch and watches professional wrestling. Another girl is a genius but loves kickball, and the one African American main character is a tremendous athlete. The rest of the kids on the playground are given labels, such as Guru Kid, Upside-Down Girl, and the Diggers (twin brothers who dig holes all around the playground), and yet rather than represent generic types, they celebrate children's unique preferences and peculiarities.
Is it any good?
The kids' mistakes create the show's most humorous situations, and viewers laugh because they understand the daily ups and downs these cartoon kids go through. The main characters may represent an ideal group of friends rather than a group that might actually be found on a typical playground. But Recess delights in presenting the obsessions of childhood, which kids sadly outgrow as self-consciousness kicks in, as perfectly normal.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the different kinds of people that make up their kids' school. Is it better to try to be all the same, like "The Ashleys," or all different, like the main characters? Which of the main characters does your child admire most? Another potential discussion topic is school rules and the ramifications of breaking them.
TV details
- Premiere date: August 31, 1997
- Cast: Andrew Lawrence, Rickey D'Shon Collins, Ross Malinger
- Network: ABC
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Available on: DVD
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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.