Parents' Guide to

The Great

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Fun, bawdy period series is full of swearing and sex.

TV Hulu Comedy 2020
The Great Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • The Great TV Series: Young Catherine.
  • The Great TV Series: Peter and Catherine go hunting.
  • The Great TV Series: Catherine argues with Peter.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 9 parent reviews

jadax1dlover
jadax1dlover Adult
January 6, 2021
age 13+

reviews are over-exaggerating!

the show was based in the 1800s so what did y’all expect of course it’s going to be a lot of sex and swearing. but other than that that this show is really great but yeah since there is a lot of swearing and sex it should be 13+ but not what the other reviews say 18 plus no i think 13+ you can’t keep hiding stuff from young teens as if they aren’t going to experience it soon.
meyghunjentsun
meyghunjentsun Adult
June 27, 2020
age 18+

VERY Adult

I just barely turned 18, so I’m rating this from more of a teenage point of view than as an adult. This show is entertaining - don’t get me wrong. But I have never seen a show with so much sex, violence, and foul language in my life. I was shocked by how crude it was. If the story was amazing, I could probably get past it. However, the rest of the show is not as good as I had hoped and instead of enjoying the show, I felt bombarded with unnecessary gore, violence, sex, and language. I felt robbed of a compelling story because of all of the crudeness, which was very disappointing. It honestly ruined the show for me. I watched 9 of the 10 episodes. The amount of gore and sex definitely increased as the series progressed, so be wary if you decide that it’s okay for your kids after watching the first episode. I would definitely have your kids steer clear of this.
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

From The Favourite co-writer Tony McNamara comes THE GREAT, a dramatic comedy series about the rise of Catherine the Great. Elle Fanning plays the young and romantic Catherine, who is sent off to Russia to marry the self-absorbed and untalented Emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult). Upon arrival, she is forced to deal with her husband's womanizing and abuse, and must find companionship among the empty-headed ladies of the court, including the vindictive Lady Antonia Svenska (Danusia Samal) and Lady Georgina (Charity Wakefield), the wife of the Emperor's best friend, Grigor Dymov (Gwilym Lee). Meanwhile, her every move is monitored by the Archbishop (Adam Godley), who is responsible for the marriage. But with the help of her maid Marial (Phoebe Fox) and the intellectual Count Orlov (Sacha Dhawan), she begins plotting a path toward becoming one of the great rulers of all time.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (7 ):

This fun, adult-oriented period piece tells of the rise of the young Catherine the Great through a successful blend of historical drama and campy, slapstick humor. It stays true to some accurate history about Catherine, including her love for education and the arts, as well as her desire to build a more progressive and powerful empire. But the storytelling process also relies on physical comedy and bawdy hypersexuality. This is mostly used to highlight the absurdity of Emperor Peter's court, which is ruled by an insecure man who is often ridiculous and, when crossed, cunningly cruel. Some of the comic devices feel a little too repetitive at times, but these are easy to get past, thanks to Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult's superb performances of their mercurial characters. Overall, The Great is smartly written and well produced, making it binge-worthy entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the story of Catherine the Great. What aspects of her life are presented accurately in The Great? What of her story is changed for dramatic or comedic effect?

  • Is it necessary to include a lot of swearing or sexual content for a series or a movie to be funny? Even if it's geared toward adults? Why or why not?

TV Details

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