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Parents' Guide to

The Bedford Diaries

By Lucy Maher, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

College students gone wild. For mature viewers.

TV WB Drama 2006
The Bedford Diaries 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?

THE BEDFORD DIARIES centers around the lives of a group of students attending a small liberal arts college in Manhattan who are brought together in a thought-provoking human behavior and sexuality seminar where they must examine their sexual pasts and deal with their often-convoluted relationships in the present. Attending the seminar are Sarah (Tiffany Dupont), the student body president who has had an affair with a professor; cocky newspaper editor and wealthy recovering alcoholic Richard (Milo Ventimiglia); Natalie (Corri English), a cute co-ed who is the sole survivor of a mass suicide attempt the year before; Zoe (Victoria Cartagena), a promiscuous-but-technically-virginal sophomore; Lee (Ernest Waddell), an innocent freshman who lives at home with Mom; and Owen (Penn Badgley), Sarah's younger brother who has an eye for the ladies. Matthew Modine plays David Macklin, the seminar professor who coaxes out their innermost secrets via video diaries.

Is It Any Good?

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

Viewers looking for intelligent programming will be sorely disappointed. That's because The Bedford Diaries is like Felicity on a steroid/Viagra cocktail. The ivy-decked buildings and snow-covered walkways are the only things that resemble a typical college campus. Instead of studying, students are thinking about sex, having sex, or discussing sex. Instead of focusing on choosing a major, the students are choosing their next bed partner.

Indeed, the show is so racy that The WB voluntarily deleted two controversial scenes from the pilot in the hopes of avoiding an FCC fine (the uncut version is available on The WB's Web site). Likewise, parents who allow their teens to watch should do so with caution.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sex and voyeurism. Many of the teens who will be watching this show probably haven't had sex yet. What are their expectations? Their fears and concerns? Why is the idea of listening in on someone else's confessions so thrilling? Also, are the situations depicted in the series realistic? Do the characters seem like the type of people you really expect to meet in college?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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