Parents' Guide to

The Academy

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Real deputy recruits learn to protect and serve.

TV MyNetworkTV Reality TV 2007
The Academy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

Reality series THE ACADEMY follows a class of more than 100 recruits as they complete 18 weeks of intense training at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Academy -- the nation's largest Sheriff's Department. The men and women must survive the rigors of a program designed to make sure they're up to the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of the job. On a day-to-day basis, that means coping with nonstop pressure placed on them by the staff instructors, undergoing grueling physical conditioning, learning to make life-or-death decisions in a split second, and demonstrating integrity, leadership, and self-discipline at all times.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Watching the recruits' struggle is intended to be more educational than entertaining -- staff instructors regularly offer viewers some of the underlying reasons for their extreme training tactics.

The series, which is narrated by Holt McCallany, also highlights some of the recruits' personal thoughts as they search within themselves for the strength and confidence to make it to graduation. As a result, The Academy provides an honest view of what it takes to work in law enforcement -- and it what it means to people who have chosen this career.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it takes to complete the intense physical and mental training necessary to become a law enforcement officer. Do you think this show accurately portrays what it's like to prepare for that kind of career? Is this show more or less realistic than other "reality" shows? How so? Which type do you prefer, and why?

TV Details

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