Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Decent messages, fun music in movie-inspired series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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School of Rock
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 20 kid reviews
Kids say that this show has a mixed reception, with many praising its humor and nostalgic music, while others criticize it for character development issues and a departure from the original movie’s storyline. Some viewers appreciate the family-friendly nature and positive messages, whereas others find it lacking in substance and originality, noting that it often feels like a generic Nickelodeon sitcom.
- character issues
- mixed reception
- nostalgic music
- family-friendly
- humor vs substance
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
SCHOOL OF ROCK follows a group of prep school students who are inspired to rock out together by their unorthodox substitute teacher. When Dewey Finn (Tony Cavalero) first sets foot in their classroom, Zack (Lance Lim), Lawrence (Aidan Miner), Freddy (Ricardo Hurtado), Summer (Jade Pettyjohn), and Tomika (Breanna Yde) can tell he's not up to the challenge of filling in as their regular teacher, and they're quite right. He's not a teacher at all; he's a down-on-his-luck guitarist trying to fill the gap between music gigs. But somehow he manages to get through to them through music, and they wind up forming a band that brings out something special in each of them and that Mr. Finn hopes will help him win a local competition.
Is It Any Good?
It's immediately obvious that this series is trying to match the magic of the original School of Rock, but it comes up a little short. Cavalero is decent as the overgrown kid Mr. Finn, but he's no Jack Black, and the students range from borderline obsessive (ahem, Summer) to freethinking and freewheeling. Of course, kids who haven't seen the movie won't care that the role has already been mastered, and they'll love the hilarious fallout from this totally cool -- but entirely inept -- teacher.
School of Rock's stories raise some issues that beg for follow-up with your kids, particularly when it comes to Summer's mild fixation on turning Freddy's head. It also would be valuable to remind kids that this kind of disregard for rules and more orthodox education (no, history and science aren't "the boring stuff," Mr. Finn) doesn't fly in the real world. It's also a lot of fun to see the guest stars from the music and Nickelodeon worlds pop up on some episodes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about teamwork in School of Rock. In what areas of your life (hobbies, school, home) do you have to work with others to reach a common goal? What challenges exist in situations like these? How does winning as a team feel?
Kids: Which teachers have most inspired you? Which methods did they use that did so? What other role models have you looked to for guidance?
Is there ever an appropriate time to keep secrets from parents and authority figures? In a real-world setting, how might these kids' and teacher's actions affect them down the line? Is telling the truth always easy?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 12, 2016
- Cast : Jade Pettyjohn , Breanna Yde , Tony Cavalero
- Network : Nickelodeon
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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