Time's Up

age 13+

Mild relationship reality as couples prepare to part.

Network: MTV
Genre: Reality TV

What parents need to know

Positive messages

The show highlights how life's transitions can require you to make some difficult decisions about personal relationships.

Positive role models

The couples appear to care deeply about their partners, but are continuing to make positive life choices for themselves.

Violence

Mild arguments sometimes break out between the stressed couples.

Sex

There's lots of hugging and kissing. Occasionally couples are shown lying in bed together, but are fully dressed.

Language

Occasional curses ("s--t") are bleeped.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

References are made to meeting at bars and partying.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Time's Up is a reality show featuring young adult couples as they prepare for long-distance separations. There's a lot of romantic angst, but aside from some brief scenes of hugging, kissing, an occasional lover's quarrel, and a bleeped curse word here and there, the show's content is pretty mild. Older, mature tweens might be drawn to it, but some of the topics featured here, like leaving to join the military or go off to college, will be more relatable to teens.

What's the story?

TIME'S UP is a reality series that follows couples during the last few weeks before one person goes away. Couples reevaluate their relationships as they prepare to leave for college, join the military, or pursue career-oriented activities that will create a long-distance separation. As they count down the days until departure, they also listen to the opinions of their friends and families about whether or not they should try to keep the relationship going. They eventually say good-bye, but not before deciding whether they are going to try to stay together or break up.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Time's Up features all the elements of MTV's reality relationship drama, including sensitive music, lover's quarrels, and endless angst-filled conversations about how they feel about each other. But it also highlights some very real situations that young people face when they are transitioning to new phases in their lives.

It's not the most action-packed of shows, and some of the conversations -- especially those with friends and family members -- feel heavily scripted. Some folks might even cringe at some of the decisions being made by the love-lorn couples. But older tweens and teens who like this sort of thing will be drawn to it.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about long-distance relationships. What are some of the challenges associated with trying to keep a relationship going from a distance? Is it harder for younger couples to stay together when they live apart Why?
Why do you think these couples chose to document their last few weeks together on a reality show? Do you think conversations featured here were spontaneous, or were they preplanned or scripted for the show? How can you tell?

TV details

Premiere date:	April 21, 2014
Network:	MTV
Genre:	Reality TV
TV rating:	TV-PG
Available on:	Streaming

This review of Time's Up was written by

Melissa Camacho

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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