Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

The Life and Times of Tim

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Lackluster animated series isn't meant for kids.

TV HBO Comedy 2008
The Life and Times of Tim Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

danny800
danny800 Adult
April 21, 2019
age 18+

the life and times of tim is not for kids

i think the life and times of tim is a amazing show but its not for kids because it has lots of swearing like bitch f*** and s*** it has lots of sexual innuondoe thats very innapproapriate for kids and is very vilonte and characters drink alcohol with that being said i think the life and times of tim is a adult cartoon and i dont reccomend it for anyone under the age of 18
danny 7000
danny 7000 Adult
July 30, 2017
age 18+

the life and times of tim is not

i think the life and times of tim is a amazing show but its not for kids because it has lots of swearing like bitch f*** and s*** it has lots of sexual innuondoe thats very innapproapriate for kids and is very vilonte and characters drink alcohol with that being said i think the life and times of tim is a adult cartoon and i dont reccomend it for anyone under the age of 18
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Tim (voiced by Steve Dildarian) is an average New York City guy who lives with his girlfriend Amy (Maryjane Otto) and hangs out with his friend Stu (Nick Kroll). But his life is full of strange, often awkward challenges -- especially when he meets Debbie (Bob Morrow), a prostitute who happens to work on his street. Tim's job at Omnicorp gets a little strange too, thanks to co-workers like Rodney (Matt Johnson) and The Boss (Peter Giles). And while Tim always means well, he has a way of "fixing" tricky situations with bad -- and often offensive -- solutions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Because this animated sitcom focuses on weird scandals and ridiculous solutions to Tim's problems, there's no real message driving its humor. Although some episodes appear to be pointing toward some kind of meaning, they never really seem to get there. As a result, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TIM fails to offer any real substance. Even the moments that are mildly funny are overshadowed by content like gratuitous swearing, strong sexual innuendo, racial stereotyping, and references to pedophilia and violence against women. Some adults may like this sort of thing, but it's definitely not for kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's envelope-pushing humor. Do strong language and/or stereotypes make movies and TV shows funny (or funnier)? Does anything in this show shock you, as well as make you laugh? Why? Are stereotypes ever appropriate? What if they're being used for humor or to make a more serious point? Families can also talk about animated shows. Why are cartoons, which historically have been for young and/or general audiences, increasingly being geared toward older viewers? Why do you think producers would choose to make an animated show over a live-action one?

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.

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