Parents' Guide to

The Neighborhood

By Mark Dolan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Regressive racial attitudes and bad jokes mar family sitcom.

TV CBS Comedy 2018
The Neighborhood Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 14+

Based on 16 parent reviews

Sharon T.
Sharon T. Parent of 5, 6 and 7-year-old
April 19, 2023
age 18+

???

I like the dynamics of this show. I think Calvin bullies Dave a little too much though. I love the Bond between Gemma and Tina. The sons need to have better roles and shouldn't overact as much. Grover is really very cute and comedic. He needs more oneliners. 👍🥰 Thanks for letting me add my 2 cents. I wish this show continued success and a chance to evolve thrive. Their could be changed made especially the bullying of Dave. Tone it down Ced. Tina is very cordial and respectful of her neighbors. 👍🥰

This title has:

Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
stevypoo
stevypoo Adult
February 20, 2020
age 18+

Hollywood continues to push racist agenda

To summarize, a black man is excited to hear that "the Johnsons" are moving in because he is assuming they are black. When he sees that they are white, he gets upset and is always rude to this nice white guy that tries to cater to him. The show runs with this theme as the reoccurring dynamic. How is this okay? If a show was ever made about a white guy that was upset that a black family moved in it would be, rightfully so, shunned. Promoting a show like this just furthers the divide.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 16 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE NEIGHBORHOOD tells the story of two families: the Butlers and the Johnsons. Dave Johnson (New Girl's Max Greenfield), his wife, Gemma (Beth Behrs), and their young son, Grover, have just moved from the Midwest to Los Angeles to their modest new home in a predominantly black neighborhood. Calvin Butler (Cedric the Entertainer), his wife, Tina (Tichina Arnold), and their adult sons, Malcolm (Sheaun McKinney) and Marty (Marcel Spears), live next door. Where Dave is all aw-shucks Midwestern positivity and openness, Calvin is closed-minded and unwelcoming. Will the two families ever get along?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16 ):
Kids say (6 ):

A good cast is wasted in this lazy, regressive comedy. Comedian Cedric the Entertainer, whose energy is infectious onstage, plays a third-rate blustering Archie Bunker-type delivering cheap insults that are supposed to pass for jokes. Greenfield, who spent seven seasons as the hilariously fastidious Schmidt on New Girl, has to soften his lovably smarmy edges to play the blandly amiable Dave.

Beth Behrs, one of the leads of Two Broke Girls has barely anything to play here, and precocious young Grover (Hank Greenspan) has to be one of the most egregious examples of "sitcom kid who spouts one-liners" in recent memory. The only rays of light in The Neighborhood are Sheaun McKinney and Marcel Spears as the adult Butler sons who manage to find fun and entertaining ways to take satisfaction in exploiting their dad's prejudices. It's just not enough to salvage this unfunny show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about racism and the notion of reverse racism. Do you agree with the way the characters on The Neighborhood define these terms?

  • What are stereotypes? How can these kinds of characterizations affect our understanding of people from different cultures or races? What are some of the stereotypes present in this show or others you've seen?

TV Details

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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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