Is Netflix’s Wednesday a kids’ show? This article discusses the age rating of the series and the content within the show.

The new Netflix original series, Wednesday, has already caught the general public’s attention, with much praise for Jenna Ortega’s unique portrayal of the titular character and the show’s fascinating mystery elements, which have kept viewers hooked for the entire eight-episode run. The series does contain an addictive murder mystery at its core, but it is a mishmash of other genres too, featuring: a high school setting, teen romance, teen drama, lots of comedy, and moments of supernatural horror as well. But overall it is a coming-of-age story, which is a genre that can be pitched at many different ages and audiences. This begs the question, is Netflix’s Wednesday a kids’ show?

Is Netflix’s Wednesday inappropriate?

There have been many adaptations of the Addams Family over the years, from TV shows to live-action movies and animated feature lengths. The franchise has always been aimed primarily at a kind of PG/PG-13-friendly audience. So viewers may be interested to know if the new Netflix series is also appropriate for younger audience members or if the new teen angle means that Wednesday is aimed squarely at a teenage viewership and older.

The new show centers on a teenage Wednesday at Nevermore Academy, a high school for outcasts and magical beings. Whilst settling in at her new school, she finds herself entangled in a murder mystery and the hunt for a terrifying monster. This seems to be a more adult-themed narrative, which may be inappropriate for younger viewers, but let’s explore the show’s content in more detail.

There is no sex or nudity in the series, although there are a few scenes of characters kissing. There are moderate levels of violence and gore throughout, with death and destruction that may frighten younger viewers. The profanity, drugs, and alcohol content is mild, with a clique being referred to as stoners. But it is the horror elements that will make this series inappropriate for a certain age group. It can be quite scary at times and the series leans into horror conventions from time to time, building tension and delivering jump scares throughout. I would therefore avoid showing this to anyone under the age of 12.

Is Wednesday a cartoon?

There have been CGI-animated adaptations of the Addams Family franchise in recent years, but this series is solely a live-action adaptation. The first feature-length animation was released in 2019, titled The Addams Family, with a sequel released two years later, simply called The Addams Family 2. These movies were directed by Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2) and Greg Tiernan (Sausage Party), with voice work from Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Finn Wolfhard. These films were both given a PG rating and can be found online. The first film is available in the UK on Netflix and for American viewers it’s out on Prime Video.