Parents' Guide to

The New Adventures of Old Christine

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

A "family show" that's not for kids.

TV CBS , Syndicated Comedy 2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

yuri13
yuri13 Adult
September 29, 2014
age 13+

It's not SOOOOOOOOOO... inappropriate

some sexual references,language and drinking.If Were a movie,will be rated:PG-13

This title has:

Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
STEPcoach
STEPcoach Parent of 10-year-old
October 29, 2010
age 16+

Good adult fun - not for kids

While this comedy is not suitable for kids under the age of 15 -16, for adults, and especially divorced parents, there are some positive messages here. Christine admittedly drinks too much, is promiscuous, and seems to be prejudiced against everyone (equally!); however, this divorced couple has figured out how to work well together to raise their son. Dad's steady relationship with "new" Christine is dealt with straight forward, and "old" Christine's attempts to find love and happiness are character studies in what works and what doesn't - in both cases.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine, a woman who owns a Curves-type gym franchise and is trying to forge an identity beyond that of mother and ex-wife. Endearing and insecure, Christine struggles with life as a single mother after her son starts attending a new, more exclusive school and her ex takes on a younger, spacier Christine (yes, they share the same name, which is why Louis-Dreyfus' character is the "old" Christine). Her ex, Richard (Clark Gregg), is cavalier about having a new girlfriend; Christine's co-worker gets all the witty one-liners; and her roommate (her brother) is slacker-snarky, ever the observer.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

In the able hands of Louis-Dreyfus, Christine sometimes manages to be complex, but only for a moment, until she's drowned out by the ubiquitous laugh track. All too quickly, the show falls into stereotypes -- the rich-stay-at-home moms are brittle and bitter; the new girlfriend is pretty, and pretty vapid -- but the intended irony may not be clear, especially to young viewers. Instead, they may think new girlfriends of divorced fathers are usually vacuous (and good in bed, if inferences are to be believed); that divorced moms are frantic and sex-starved (one episode mentions "sex" so many times that nothing else seems important); and that children of divorce suffer only from a severe case of flatly written dialogue.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what happens when a nuclear family detonates, and what the fall-out is for both parents and children. How can families survive divorce? What's it like for kids? They can also explore questions of race and class, both of which are brought up in the episodes that deal with Christine's son switch from public to private school. Is it easy to start over? How does one begin again?

TV Details

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