Parents' Guide to

The Exes

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Male bonding post-divorce is mild but unfunny.

TV TV Land Comedy 2011
The Exes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

Momma comma
Momma comma Parent of 0, 5 and 7-year-old
July 21, 2013
age 12+

Good, not appropriate

Some scenes take place in a bar. Sexy stuff includes sex, labor, relationships, divorce, kissing, etc. Me and my spouse love it

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Following the advice of his sympathetic divorce attorney (Kristen Johnston) after a painful split, Stuart (David Alan Basche) moves in to an apartment with two other divorced men, rounding out a mismatched trio of platonic roommates. But Stuart's needy, buttoned-up style doesn't always mesh with that of THE EXES he lives with: ladies' man Phil (Donald Faison) and socially awkward slacker Haskell (Wayne Knight).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

While it's great to see male bonding elevated above the level of, say, Two and a Half Men, The Exes certainly falls short on matching wits with Hot in Cleveland, the female-driven TV Land hit that precedes it. Part of the problem is the ho-hum writing, disappointingly devoid of smart quips or zingy one-liners. But there's also a lack of comedic chemistry among the central male cast that makes it difficult to care what becomes of them.

Of course, resurrecting former cast members from long-dead series can work (see: Hot in Cleveland). But in this case, there's an undefinable element missing -- and the fact that Knight hardly gets any screen time only makes us long for an appearance from Newman to liven things up a little.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about male friendships (sometimes called "bromances") and how they're typically portrayed on television. How do other shows about men and their friends compare to the relationships modeled in this series?

  • Do the characters reinforce any negative stereotypes about men and male behavior? Do any characters test the boundaries of what we typically think men say and do?

  • What are the real-life effects of divorce on two people who were once in love? Does divorce affect men any differently than it affects women? What about kids?

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.

See all recommended tv lists

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