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Parents' Guide to

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Strong women, lots of energy in charming period piece.

TV Amazon Prime Video Comedy 2017
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 31 parent reviews

moviewatchpi
moviewatchpi Adult
January 17, 2020
age 18+

The most disgusting blasphemy I've ever heard. Don't let your kids watch this!!

I watched 2 minutes of this show, and I saw nudity, cursing e blasphemy. In the episode 1 there's the most disgusting blasphemy I've ever heard, I immediately closed the player after this. I don't care to what religion you belong, that's incredibly disrespectful and wrong, even for adults. NEVER allow your kids watch this.
Betterwriters
Betterwriters Adult
September 22, 2019
age 18+

Unnecessary Profanity and nudity.

I thought with all the hype that she would be a funny housewife, and mother, but the character curse way too much, and the nudity is unnecessary. If you could truly write, you could write funny jokes without the F word and, and cleaver lines, without nudity. Check out old classic movies. Just adding trash to a trashy world.
See all 31 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Co-created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls, Bunheads) and Daniel Palladino (Family Guy), THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL introduces us to the inimitable Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a Manhattan housewife in 1958 whose main concerns are keeping a nice house, hanging on to her figure, and advancing the stand-up comedy career of her husband, Joel (Michael Zegen). But when her life takes an unexpected turn, she discovers she has hidden talents. So, with the help of her bullheaded new manager, Susie (Alex Borstein), Midge takes on the coffeehouses and basement comedy clubs of Greenwich Village in the hopes it will lead her all the way to a career-making appearance on Johnny Carson's late-night show. In the show's second season, Midge and Susie attempt to recover from a reversal at the end of the first season, Rose and Abe weather some marital troubles, and Midge agonizes over whether her personal life and her comedy career can exist at the same time.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (31 ):
Kids say (12 ):

Laced with wit and sass, set in a mid-century dream of upscale New York, and starring an actress who could easily pass for a third Gilmore girl, this winning comedy is a delight. At a time when women were supposed to be demure little housewives, confining their interests and passions to producing perfect dinners and obedient children, Midge is a firecracker -- albeit one who's doing her level best to fit into an Upper East Side mold. "Who gives a toast at her own wedding?" she asks the camera in her first words of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She does -- because despite a mother (Marin Hinkle) who's always criticizing her, and a husband who doesn't appreciate her, Midge knows her own worth. She knows she's funny, and she knows that when she gets on a stage in front of a microphone, people laugh -- and that doesn't happen for everybody.

It helps -- Midge's career, and our entertainment -- that she's starting off in an era in which comedy was big, and getting bigger; when comedy albums sold, and a chance to sit on Carson's couch could launch a funny person into stardom. Lenny Bruce makes an appearance, as does the Friar's Club, pot-smoking beatniks, grimy Greenwich Village clubs, and any number of other vintage delights. Best of all is Alex Borstein as Midge's determined manager, a women who sees something amazing in Midge, a star quality she herself lacks. "I've accepted that I'll always be alone," she tells Midge in her authentically miniscule, moldy Village apartment from atop her Murphy bed, her eyes burning fiercely. "But I don't want to be insignificant." A whole world of misfits will see themselves in Susie and Midge, two women who are underrated by everyone -- but themselves.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the time period in which The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was set. What jobs were typically open to women at that time? Was "performer" or "comic" one of them? What female comics can you name from the 1950s? Would it have been harder or more unusual for a woman to succeed in comedy? Is it harder or more unusual now?

  • How do Susie and Midge demonstrate courage and teamwork in building Midge's comedy career? Why are these important character strengths?

  • Both male and female characters mistreat women in this show. What examples of sexism can you name? How does the show want us to feel about its female characters and how they are treated?

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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