Parents' Guide to

Rodney

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Blasé family comedy OK (but boring) for teens.

TV ABC Comedy 2004
Rodney Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

dannyaston
dannyaston Parent of 2 and 2-year-old
December 17, 2008
age 7+
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

RODNEY is another formulaic family sitcom about an average American guy just trying to get by with the support of a wife and two kids. Comedian Rodney Carrington stars as Rodney Hamilton, and he certainly knows how to deliver funny lines, but it's doubtful whether kid viewers will understand the humor. One interesting angle to this show is that Rodney works by day at a fiberglass plant but would like to pursue his life-long dream of doing stand-up comedy. He gets gigs locally, but with the pressures that come with being the family breadwinner, he can't take on the dream full-time. He and his wife Trina (Jennifer Aspen) deal with the regular stress factors -- money, raising their sons -- but they always manage to kiss and make up, modeling a strong family unit with equal partners (though the division of household chores plays into a few gender stereotypes).

Is It Any Good?

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

Ultimately, Rodney is innocuous for older teens but probably boring, too. Keep an ear open for the show's mild profanity and sexual innuendos (references to sexy underwear and how women carry their breasts).

That said, the other characters -- including Rodney's best friend Barry (Nick Searcy) and flirty sister-in-law Charlie (Amy Pietz) -- don't add much to the show's depth. They just tag along on Rodney's adventures, usually delivering predictable punch lines. The show also suffers from a blatant lack of cast diversity; all of the main and supporting characters are white.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the family unit as depicted by the Hamilton family. Is this family "typical"? What's the definition of family -- is it even possible to define? Parents can discuss the many ways that families are defined today -- single parents, co-parenting, grandparents raising kids, families with parents of the same gender. Last but not least, how are gender stereotypes demonstrated by the division of household chores between the mom and dad?

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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