Parents' Guide to

Tuca & Bertie

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Energetic animated series tackles complex adult topics.

TV Netflix Comedy 2019
Tuca & Bertie 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 5 parent reviews

Cosmicutie
Cosmicutie Parent of 10-year-old
January 9, 2023
age 16+

A lot of female genitalia is seen, not for children!

Well, it's definitely an adult cartoon. 16+ is the very least I'd recommend. It's a great relatable show for adults but not for children. Very graphic scenes are shown, including breasts, female masturbation and sex references.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Marcus Dubois
Marcus Dubois Adult
October 18, 2020
age 18+

An odd mixture of childish and adult

I don't recommend this show to anyone really. It lacks substance and tries to make up for this with excessive randomness, noise, and a rather annoying character. There is sexual content and substance use, which is fine, but in combination with everything else, it simply didn't work.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TUCA & BERTIE, a toucan (Tiffany Haddish) and a songbird (Ali Wong), respectively, are best friends and former roommates who still live in the same apartment building. Tuca is living on her own for the first time after getting sober, while Bertie has just moved in with her boyfriend, Speckle (Steven Yeun). The two best friends help and encourage one another as they deal with life issues like going up for a promotion and buying a house.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Pulling from a bottomless well of energy (and supported by an incredible cast), this series frenetically switches art styles to land jokes and confront complex everyday issues. Creator Lisa Hanawalt is giving absolutely everything she has to her first series (she previously gave BoJack Horseman its signature look).

Early on, Tuca & Bertie can't quite decide whether it wants to be a colossal rush of classic sitcom story subversion, or just an endless stream of memes, but it's exciting to watch as it settles into itself and finds its own unique voice.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the world of Tuca & Bertie. What does it mean that everyone is an animal? Why do you think a show for adults is presented this way?

  • What else happens on Tuca & Bertie that couldn't happen in real life? What do these surreal events mean? What do they add to the meaning of the story that wouldn't be there otherwise? What other stylistic choices do the creators make to help tell the story?

  • What kinds of difficulties do Tuca and Bertie encounter throughout their day? How do they deal with these problems?

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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