Characters flirt, kiss, and date. A teen in a healthy relationship eventually has sex with her teen partner (they kiss in a bedroom; it's implied that sex follows). Parents discuss sex-related topics with their teen kids, including issues of consent, having sex for the first time, pornography, and different forms of sex such as blow jobs, threesomes, and masturbation. Characters briefly open up a laptop and hear moaning sounds of pornography coming out of it; only the back of the laptop is shown.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
"Badass" and "crap." An off-screen character is called a "d--k." Insults in Spanish include "carajo" (hell), "prostituta" (prostitute), and "tetas" (t-ts). A grandmother gets called "vieja" (old woman) and recalls being called "spic" in her past. A Cuban American character describes how he was told to "go back to Mexico."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
One character argues with another that "taking drugs" (antidepressants prescribed by a doctor for PTSD) is not the answer to her problems. Teens smoke marijuana, take edibles, and vape at a concert. Adults discuss underage drug use, including weed and cocaine, with their kids. An important character is a recovering addict; he gets drunk in one scene and pushes a teen.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
A main character, who's a U.S. Army veteran, suffers from PTSD and has frequent panic attacks and insomnia—she eventually seeks help through therapy and medication. A character has a stroke, is taken to the hospital, has surgery, and is in a coma for several episodes (there's no lasting damage, but family members are upset throughout the health scare). A teen discusses getting bullied at school, explaining how he was told "go back to Mexico." Another recounts getting called "spic" in her past. A drunk adult threatens a teen by pushing him.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Brands are mentioned and shown on-screen: Apple, Zappos, Café Bustelo coffee.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Co-created by Gloria Calderón Kellett, who was born to Cuban American immigrants. Centers on the working-class Cuban American Alvarez family. Predominantly Latino cast. Explores a variety of issues, many of them specific to Latino, immigrant, and queer experiences (e.g., generational approaches to Catholicism, occasional Spanish dialogue, undocumented immigration, colorism, coming out and dating as a young gay Latina, etc.). Also touches on Cuban history; grandmother Lydia fled the totalitarian Castro regime. Elena, played by Colombian American actor Isabella Gomez, is a young civil rights activist whose story does at first revolve around coming out, especially to her more traditional dad, but she's eventually embraced and dates nonbinary character Syd. Penelope is a single mother who lives with her own mom Lydia and her two kids, while their dad actively tries to be part of their lives. Penelope is also a veteran who deals with PTSD and gradually comes around to seeking help through therapy and family support.
A loving family anchors this drama, with a grandmother living peacefully in the same apartment as her daughter and grandchildren. They deal with issues that are solved with arguments, then honest discussions, then heartfelt hugs. The show also celebrates self-expression, self-discovery, compassion, and teamwork.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Penelope is sometimes impatient and yells at her mom and kids, but she's respectful of their feelings and opinions. She shows resilience and perseverance in balancing work, family, and her own personal struggles. Grandmother Lydia can be judgmental but supports her daughter emotionally and in practical ways (cooking for the family). Her granddaughter Elena demonstrates courage in standing up for herself and her own beliefs. Grandson Alex has a deep sense of empathy toward others and welcomes different perspectives.
Educational Value
very little
Viewers may learn new things about Cuban culture: quinceañeras, ropa vieja, other Spanish words and traditions.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that One Day at a Time is a reboot of Norman Lear's 1970s–80s sitcom that follows the life of a Cuban American family living together in Los Angeles. In this version, single mother Penelope (Justina Machado) raises her son, Alex (Marcel Ruiz), and daughter, Elena (Isabella Gomez), while living with her mother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), in the same apartment. The family is loving and always there for each other when needed; Penelope listens to her children and treats their concerns with respect. Language includes "badass" and "crap" in English, and "carajo" (hell), "prostituta" (prostitute), and "tetas" (t-ts) in Spanish. Main characters flirt, kiss, and talk about dating on-screen; it's implied that a teen character has sex with her loving partner. Parents and teens discuss sex and pornography in an educational context. Family fights occur but usually end in meaningful conversations and heartfelt hugs. Besides demonstrating character strengths of courage and compassion, the series is incredibly inclusive: Cuban Americans, immigrants, women, queer teens, veterans, single parents, and adults over 60 all have nonstereotypical and central roles.
Hearfelt and funny! I highly recommend even for kids 12 and up!
7th and 8th graders should have already had "the talk" at home and in school and should be able to handle and understand the topics. A lot of my students have already dealt with parents with addiction and this show openly discusses the subject and the struggles involved which makes them understand the issue even more. So there's a few swears; so what? That's how some people talk and worse. I personally don't and neither do my kids but they heard plenty of swears growing up. For young teens, this show will make them laugh, cry and perhaps become better; more understanding of others, more empathetic. They will learn about Cuba's culture and how festive, religious, and controlling a Hispanic abuela is! And everybody should know that Rita Moreno who portrays the abuela is an iconic legend from Puerto Rico. I highly suggest reading her bio online - a fascinating life! One of her biggest accomplishments is that she became the first (and only?) Hispanic to have won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a Tony. Rita Moreno IS the show and she is hilarious. I highly recommend it!
Written by Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce and loosely based on the classic 1970s–80s sitcom by producer Norman Lear, ONE DAY AT A TIME revolves around a multigenerational Cuban American family. Penelope (Justina Machado) is a former soldier and currently a nurse who's recently separated from her husband. She lives in an apartment with her tough-minded traditional mom, Lydia (Rita Moreno), her vocal teen daughter and proud feminist, Elena (Isabella Gomez), and smooth-character tween son, Alex (Marcel Ruiz). Her apartment building's Canadian handyman Schneider (Todd Grinnell) drops by to flirt with Penelope and fix things up, too.
Sweet and fitfully amusing, this sitcom redo could have been a painfully awkward throwback, but appealing actors and good writing give it new life. Fans of the original One Day at a Time may get a bit nervous during the show's theme song, same as the original but given Latin instrumentation and played while images of salsa dancers and rosaries show on-screen. Uh-oh—is this going to be stale, sitcom jokery where its Cuban American characters are turned into stereotypical sub-ins for essentially White characters?
Thankfully, no. Though many of the lines have old-sitcom beats (and are punctuated by the laugh-track-ish giggles of the live studio audience), solid performances and a diverse writers' room imbue them with enough heart and authenticity to make them land. When Penelope has a tough couple of days arguing with her daughter over her upcoming quinceañera and with her son over school clothes, she rants to her mother about how miserable she is without her husband: "Sometimes you just need someone to give you a hug and say 'I got you.'" Her mother, a priceless Moreno, holds out her arms. "I'm very strong," she tells her daughter. "I've been doing my yoga." Even cynical viewers might find themselves misting up a little. The dilemmas and lines in One Day at a Time may be sitcom-y, but the family togetherness is sweet, making this update great whole-family fare with both laughs and feeling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how One Day at a Time compares with other family-centered shows. Does the content seem more or less realistic than that in others? Do the central relationships seem nontraditional to you? How are they different from other sitcom families?
Have you watched the original sitcom on which this is loosely based? Why would the update center on a Latino family? How does this make the show more modern? How does this show fit in with other popular shows about families of ethnic or racial minorities such as Black-ish, The Goldbergs, and Fresh Off the Boat?
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.
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.
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
