Parents' Guide to

Schooled

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

'90s-set Goldbergs spin-off doesn't break much new ground.

TV ABC Comedy 2019
Schooled Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

age 11+

Another ABC show that didn't need to be cancelled so soon

This was the best show on ABC except for The Goldbergs, and didn't need to be cancelled. I really liked the humor of the show, as it is appropriate for most kids. There is some bleeped swearing but who cares.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
age 10+

A fun nostalgic comedy for the family

This a Goldbergs spin off set in the 90's and following character Laney Lewis when she become a music teacher at her old high school. The series starts off a little slow but gains its footing as we see more of characters who we already loved from the Goldbergs. Our entire family enjoys this for a light, quick, fun show.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (2):

Nothing about this Goldbergs spin-off is offensively terrible, per se, but the show seems content to mimic the style of its predecessor rather than trying to find new life in its own set-up. Expectations for spin-offs are, historically, pretty low. And those low expectations are often met, as with all-time classic bombs like The Ropers, That 80s Show, or Joey. Maybe that's why Schooled feels like it's barely even trying.

AJ Michalka as Lainey Lewis isn't a strong enough actor to carry her own show, and she's not given much help from the show runners in terms of making the (often surprisingly decent) jokes work. Everyone performs as if there's a laugh track, taking the comedy for granted instead of actually, you know, trying to make it funny. Worst of all, Schooled wastes its opportunities for making 90s-appropriate jokes by only including the most head-smackingly obvious pop culture references from the era (grunge and Michael Jordan are the main punchlines in the first episode). And sometimes they can't even do that right -- sometimes they're in 1991, sometimes 1993, sometimes 1998! Yes, Schooled is just a lowly spin-off, but it could be a lot better with a little more care and attention to detail.

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.

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