Parents' Guide to

The Cool Kids

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Throwback sitcom has mature (and funny) humor.

TV Fox Comedy 2018
The Cool Kids Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Dio fry
Dio fry Parent of 13, 13, 14 and 15-year-old
January 31, 2019
age 14+
Fredswife4life8257
Fredswife4life8257 Adult
November 5, 2018
age 14+

Comedy At It's Best

I think it's hilarious. Occasional talk of SEX related issues & cussing. **1 of the Lead actors plays a gay man IF YOU ARE OFFENDED by that &/or DON'T want your children subjected to Gay Relationships** None of the below choices are appropriate for this. I would categorize it has A GOOD SHOW with plenty of comedy.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

At Shady Meadows retirement village, Hank (David Alan Grier), Charlie (Martin Mull), Margaret (Vicki Lawrence), and Sid (Leslie Jordan) are THE COOL KIDS, seniors who want to keep having goofy adventures instead of settling down to their golden years. This sitcom was co-created by Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Paul Fruchbom (Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television) and is based on Day's time working in a senior community.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (4 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

With good wisecracks elevated by comic actors who know how to land a joke, what could be a real cringefest winds up as a lot of fun. There's life in the old sitcom format yet, and despite a huge potential audience of TV-watching seniors, there's not actually a lot on the networks specifically aimed at them. Oh, sure, a Hot in Cleveland or a Grace and Frankie will pop up every now and again, but largely network TV is a landscape lousy with hot 20-somethings. But The Cool Kids is a potent argument for hiring actors with well-worn comedy muscles, with every single one of the main cast members delivering their lines with ease and panache. Jordan in particular is a stitch who cuts a Truman Capote-like figure playing a very rare TV bird indeed: a confident older gay man.

The setup is great too. In many ways, a retirement community is much like a college dorm: a coed cheek-to-jowl living situation filled with peers with too much time on their hands. It's easy to imagine a string of The Cool Kids adventures stretching into the future: The gang take a driving test! Throw a surprise party! Accidentally wind up feeding pot brownies to everyone at the retirement village! Schlocky? Sure. Hilarious? That too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Cool Kids' viewpoints on age. Does it reflect or shatter stereotypes about people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s? Are older people the butt of jokes here, or are they the tellers of jokes?

  • There aren't very many TV shows about older people. Why do you think this is? What type of viewer is this show aimed at? How can you tell?

  • Have you seen co-creator Charlie Day's other show, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? What do you think about a younger person's idea of what older people are like?

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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