Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that The Cleveland Show -- an animated spin-off of Family Guy -- is too racy for young kids. Creator Seth MacFarlane's brand of humor is heavy on shock value -- as in sequences that seem to condone sexual harassment among elementary school students or encourage teens to ignore their parents' instructions -- and includes lots of over-the-top references to sex and drinking. The series is also rife with racially-tinged comments and other salty language (including words like "douche" and "boobs"). All of the edgy content unfortunately overwhelms the genuinely sweet message about love and family at the core of the show.

Sexual Content

Frequent references to sex and sexual activities. A boy in elementary school drops his pencil on purpose as an excuse to look up the skirts of his classmates. Cleveland says he hopes to "get in a bit of petting" on a date. Another character says he wants to "touch boobs." There's no animated sex or visible cartoon genitalia, but couples do kiss, and Cleveland appears naked in the bath.

Violence

Little explicit violence, though some characters do have guns, which sometimes go off accidentally for comic effect.

Language

Pretty raunchy for primetime animated fare, though that likely won't come as a surprise for fans of creator Seth MacFarlane. Though none of the most explicit swear words are used, expect plenty of others, including "boobs," "douche" (used as a put-down), "damn," "jive-ass turkey," "what the hell," and others. The show also features many comments about race and plenty of references to sex.

Social Behavior

Despite its raunchy tone/content and frequent reliance on race-based humor and other stereotypes, the show does have a sweet undertone thanks to Cleveland and Donna's relationship. The show also demonstrates how people can sometimes be blind to the obvious faults of others -- but if they can learn to stand up for themselves and see these people for what they are, they can find happiness with someone else.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Several characters often hang out at a bar drinking beer, and Cleveland and Donna sometimes drink wine at home.