Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kevin James NASCAR sitcom has product placement, alcohol.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Crew
What's the Story?
THE CREW is a comedy series about a NASCAR pit crew whose beloved owner retires and places his young daughter in charge. Kevin (Kevin James) is the crew chief of a moderately successful team that includes his good friend Beth (Sarah Stiles), the anxious Amir (Dan Ahdoot), steady Chuck (Gary Anthony Williams), and young driver Jake (Freddie Stroma). But when Stanford-educated, Silicon Valley vet Catherine (Jillian Mueller) takes over, she makes it clear that she values success above all else and threatens to fire people if their performance doesn't improve. Kevin and Catherine may not approve of each other's methods, but over time they both realize they can learn a lot from each other.
Is It Any Good?
Kevin James has made a career out of playing low-key, charming, everyguys, so it makes sense that he runs his NASCAR pit crew like it's a small local business. The Crew gets a lot of mileage out of Kevin's struggle to keep his team intact in the face of his boss's desire to turn it over, but outside of the clash between Silicon Valley and small-business values, the series is another typical workplace comedy. It's basically just an extension of the NASCAR brand, and a further opportunity to please NASCAR's sponsors. Racing stars make guest appearances, and a lot of the jokes are made for NASCAR's fan base at the expense of easy targets like higher education, anxiety disorders, and Broadway musicals. But the series misses a real opportunity to deliver those fans a higher-octane show by offering some behind-the-scenes insight, for example, or showing any racing footage at all. The Crew merely delivers a pleasant ride, but one that never shifts into a higher gear.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Kevin's team. Who are the members of Kevin's crew? What roles do they perform? How do they work together? Are they successful? Why, or why not?
What skills does Kevin bring to his job as crew chief? How does he manage his team? What does he value in his teammates? What are his own values? How do these values inform the way he works with Catherine?
What is Catherine's background? What are her goals for the crew? What are her values? What tactics does she use? How does this inform the way she works with Kevin? What can they learn from one another?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 15, 2021
- Cast : Kevin James , Jillian Mueller , Sarah Stiles
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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