Parents' Guide to

Wendell & Vinnie

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Lackluster sitcom has mixed messages about parenting.

TV Nickelodeon Comedy 2013
Wendell & Vinnie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 40 parent reviews

Gregory Nelson
Gregory Nelson Adult
September 16, 2015
age 18+

Not Even for 9 Year Olds and It's Disgusting

Wendell & Vinnie had lots of sexual content and language, it even said that the only thing the internet was useful for is porn, which is totally wrong, This show wasn't even appropriate for 9 year olds, more like for 18.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
clarence
clarence Adult
August 5, 2015
age 8+
See all 40 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (40 ):
Kids say (69 ):

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

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 suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

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