Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lackluster sitcom has mixed messages about parenting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 33 parent reviews
Based on 60 kid reviews
Kids say the show contains a mix of humorous content and inappropriate themes, with many parents expressing concerns over the language and adult references that might not be suitable for younger viewers. While some find it entertaining for older teens and feel it targets a more mature audience, others strongly believe it should be reclassified due to its themes of drinking, sex, and crude language that seem too explicit for children.
- inappropriate content
- language concerns
- humor appeal
- age suitability
- parental guidance needed
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
WENDELL & VINNIE stars Jerry Trainor as Vinnie, a 30-year-old free spirit whose bachelor lifestyle ends abruptly when he takes guardianship of his straight-laced young nephew, Wendell (Buddy Handleson), after the death of Wendell's parents. For Vinnie, the transition to parenthood isn't an easy one, but fortunately Wendell has maturity enough to spare and helps his uncle find his way. Vinnie's acerbic sister, Wilma (Nicole Sullivan), is happy to put in her two cents' worth about how Wendell should be raised (which usually flies in the face of Vinnie's instincts), and his newly single neighbor, Taryn (Haley Strode), often finds herself in the midst of the chaos as well.
Is It Any Good?
Nickelodeon taps a familiar face in Trainor for the lead role in this sitcom, and those who knew him as iCarly's Spencer won't be surprised at how naturally he slips into the role of grown-up slacker Vinnie. He's hardly parenting material, but Wendell's serious enough for both of them, and the two opposing forces make for some laughable -- if predictable -- exchanges that always wind up having a lesson of some sort for each of them. With Vinnie's help, Wendell learns to relate a little better to his peers, and Vinnie eventually discovers that there's value in shouldering responsibility after all.
But short of poignant moments between this unlikely couple of characters, Trainor's comedic talents account for most of this show's appeal. The trite content has Wendell and Vinnie often vying for the spotlight, and the fact that Wendell's saddled with keeping Vinnie on the straight and narrow has questionable messages for kids about healthy family relationships. What's more, it glosses over instances of bullying, grief, and kids' social challenges in favor of comedy, missing the opportunity to explore them in a meaningful way for viewers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about this show's presentation of family structure. Who is in charge in this household? How does its structure compare to what you're used to? How do these discrepancies contribute to the show's humor?
Single-parent homes are common in TV shows today. What does this say about our culture as a whole? What other "nontraditional" traits are becoming more accepted in the media today?
Discuss in further detail some of the issues touched on by this show, including bullying and the struggle to fit in with peers. How do you handle loss? To whom do you turn for advice in difficult relationships?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 16, 2013
- Cast : Buddy Handleson , Jerry Trainor , Nicole Sullivan
- Network : Nickelodeon
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate