A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
-
Educational Value
a little
Greek mythology is woven into the stories.
-
Positive Messages
a lot
Great messages around staying true to yourself, doing the right thing even when it's hard, and working as a team.
-
Positive Role Models
a lot
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover aren't perfect, but that actually makes them great role models for tweens and teens. They work through/with their flaws in order to complete heroic tasks. They have tremendous courage and a strong moral compass and work well as a team.
-
Diverse Representations
some
Main character Percy has ADHD and dyslexia. He's White (played by Walker Scobell), but many of the other main and supporting characters are people of color, including Percy's best friends Annabeth (Black actor Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Indian American actor Aryan Simhadri), and many of the adult Greek gods. Mentor-figure Chiron is a Black man who uses a wheelchair in the mortal world and appears as a centaur in the mythological world.
Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.
-
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Percy and his friends are frequently in peril. There's lots of fighting scary monsters with swords and other weapons. Stylized death (characters appear to disintegrate), but no gory injuries. Ever-present ominous feeling because Percy is in serious danger just for being a demigod. Percy's mom appears to be killed in the first episode. Percy's stepdad is mean (and it's implied that he's violent toward Percy's mom and drinks to excess, which is fleshed out more in the book series). Verbal hostility between several characters, and some tween bullying behavior.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Flirting among tweens/teens. Percy's human/god lineage is frequently discussed, so there are oblique references to his conception.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Language
very little
Put-downs like "loser," and some verbal hostility.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Products & Purchases
very little
Nothing of note in the show, but the Percy Jackson franchise has many tie-in products.
-
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Percy's stepdad appears to be drunk on screen. It's implied that he's frequently mean and irresponsible, possibly as a result of his drinking.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
-
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a TV series based on Rick Riordan's hugely popular Percy Jackson book series about the human son of a Greek god. Percy (Walker Scobell) and his fellow demigods are frequently in peril. The entire series has an ever-present ominous feeling, especially once Percy learns that he's being pursued for his "half-blood" lineage. Expect lots of battles, some involving weapons, with scary mythological creatures. Characters, including parents, die stylized deaths, but there aren't any gory injuries. Percy's stepdad is mean (and it's implied that he's violent toward Percy's mom and drinks to excess). There's verbal hostility between several characters, and some tween bullying behavior. Characters flirt, but language is mild (mostly insults like "loser"), and there are strong themes of courage and teamwork, as well as messages about staying true to yourself and doing the right thing even when it's hard.
What's the Story?
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS follows Percy (Walker Scobell), a seemingly "normal" 12-year-old boy who is shocked to learn that the Greek god Poseidon is his father. This revelation means that Percy is a demigod -- and therefore is constantly under threat from mythological monsters. He heads to "Camp Half-Blood," a sanctuary where demigod kids can learn how to harness their powers. Percy is accompanied by his satyr friend, Grover (Aryan Simhadri), who's been charged with protecting him from evil forces. At camp, they meet Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), who becomes the third member of the story's core friend trio. Percy, Grover, and Annabeth must embark on an epic quest across America as they try to prevent war among the gods, facing creatures of all sorts along the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Percy's courage in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He goes on dangerous missions to help other people even when there's great risk to himself. What do you think is the most courageous thing Percy does?
Percy struggles with being "different," at first because he's bullied and doesn't do well in school, and then again when he learns he's a demigod. Do you ever feel "different"?
Is there any part of Greek mythology that Percy's story has inspired you to learn more about? Are there any characters or myths you want to get to know better?
What are some examples of diversity and positive representation on this show?
