pg or pg-13?

Is 'Ginny & Georgia' Appropriate For Kids? Here's Your Age Rating Rundown

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The opening scene from 'Ginny & Georgia' features a woman and her two kids.
Courtesy of Netflix

With a cast of young Hollywood stars and a metric ton of media buzz, Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia is the type of show your tween or teen might be begging to watch. And, admittedly, the mother-daughter duo at the center of the series makes it seem as though it could be a great mother-daughter show — but this is no Gilmore Girls. A Ginny & Georgia parents’ guide like this one can help you navigate all of the ways this show is edgier than the relatively wholesome town of Stars Hollow.

Starring Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry as the eponymous mother and daughter, Ginny & Georgia is a much more realistic look at some of the real-life situations teenagers find themselves in and some of the darker sides of growing up. Although it’s only aired one season so far and hasn’t yet announced when the second season will land on the streamer, we anticipate it being in much the same vein as the first season, which was full of tough conversations between Ginny and Georgia. That means it will call for similarly challenging discussions between you and your child if you’re watching together.

Our best recommendation for knowing what’s appropriate for your child to watch is to watch it yourself first so you know what to expect. You know your kid’s maturity level, so you’ll be aware of scenes they can and cannot handle. Plus, this way, you’ll be prepared for any questions that may come up while you’re watching.

Ahead, find our Ginny & Georgia parents’ guide with what you should know. Then pop over to these shows like Ginny & Georgia for what you should watch next.

What is Ginny & Georgia about?

Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Georgia (Brianne Howey) are a mother-daughter duo who recently moved to a new place after the death of Georgia’s husband. Along with son Austin (Diesel La Torraca), the family settles into a quiet town where Ginny befriends twins Marcus (Felix Mallard) and Max (Sara Waisglass).

Courtesy of Netflix

Ginny and Georgia have their differences — Georgia is a young mom, and Ginny is a strong-willed teen. But Georgia has her own struggles outside of her home life when it comes to her career. Namely, she’s working for the mayor and skimming money off the top. Though she comes across as a strong, independent woman, it turns out she has a history of abuse that has scarred her deeply, so she’s incredibly protective of her kids. The show is a mother-daughter show at heart, but it’s full of a lot of tough topics that real-life families face.

Is Ginny & Georgia appropriate for kids?

Ginny & Georgia isn’t inappropriate, per se, but there are *many* mature themes. Ginny gets herself into some tricky situations — that are incredibly relatable — like losing her virginity, trying to decide between two guys, underage drinking, and sneaking out. These are all things that your own adolescent may be going through, and this show may be a way for you to discuss it together. So, with that said, the series is probably OK for your teenagers to watch with your supervision and blessing.

But it isn’t just Ginny’s scenes that are a bit troublesome. Georgia is openly stealing from her employer and discusses her abuse. While the history of abuse can open a conversation with your child about consent and taking care of yourself, it is a very, very hard talk to have, especially if anyone in your family has gone through this.

Other moments worth mentioning that may factor into your decision to let your tween or teen watch: teens performing sex acts and watching porn (although no nudity is shown, there is implied action and some noises heard); sexual language and innuendo; profanity; both teens and adults smoking marijuana; teens shoplifting; someone getting stabbed in the hand; a teenage girl self-harming; armed robbery; a glimpse of a man in a casket.

Courtesy of Netflix

How old should you be to watch Ginny & Georgia?

The recommended age rating for Ginny & Georgia is TV-14. “This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program may contain one or more of the following: intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations, or intense violence,” the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board defines a TV-14 rating.

Ginny & Georgia is rated TV-14 for a reason and will probably be better handled by teens. Common Sense Media recommends only kids aged 15+ watch the series. Parents on the site counter that 16+ should be the recommended age rating, while kids on the site say 14+ is fine. That being said, if you have a mature preteen who understands the difference between fiction and real life, this show could potentially be OK.

Courtesy of Netflix

There are a lot of adult themes in Ginny & Georgia, though, so you want to be prepared to talk about those with your child if necessary and explain the dangers of things like underage drinking and discuss safe, consensual sex.

What are examples of inappropriate scenes from Ginny & Georgia?

  • Two teenagers have sex, and no nudity shown. Most of the actual sex scene is skipped. You can see the covers moving, which insinuates sex, but it only lasts a few seconds.
  • A group of teen girls watch pornography. None of the porn is shown; only the noises are heard.
  • A teenage boy performs oral sex on a girl.
  • A woman uses a vibrator. Only the vibrator is shown, but no nudity.
  • Someone gets shot in the hand.
  • A bunny is murdered, but there is not a lot of blood shown.
  • There is a flashback of a young woman being abused by a man.
  • A group of teenagers smoke marijuana together.
  • Two adult women smoke marijuana while drinking alcohol.
  • A teenage girl self-harms with a lighter.
  • A woman discusses being molested as a child.
  • A boy stabs his classmate in the hand with a pencil. No blood is shown, but we do hear a sound.
  • There are multiple times when poisoning someone is looked to as a means to fixing a problem.
  • An armed robbery, embezzlement, and stealing are shown.
  • There is a quick shot of a man in a casket.
  • Flashbacks of a woman being slapped and pushed against a wall are shown.

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