Will Trent parents guide: It's no mystery that teens will love this show

Since it's on a broadcast network, it probably won’t be that surprising to hear that Will Trent is a TV-14 series. After all, those are the rules of the broadcast networks. Some are more strict than others, such as NBC shows having a little more leeway than FOX shows.

But before you get into any series, you'll want to look at why a series has been given a particular age rating. This is to make sure it’s suitable for the kids in the house, naturally.

As Will Trent airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesdays, you’ll likely have it on while the kids are still up. This is suitable for teens, and I’d actually say it’s something to watch with them if they’re interested in the crime genre.

Why is Will Trent rated TV-14?

This is a fairly standard broadcast show when it comes to nudity and language. There isn’t anything overly worrisome for teenagers. There are a few comments that are clearly aimed at older audiences, but the show itself is tame compared to crime dramas on Netflix and Prime Video. To be fair, it’s tame compared to some CBS shows, as well.

The bit that makes this more for teens than tweens is the description of the crime scenes. These can get a little colorful at times. Where NCIS has more of a standard description of how the victim was found, similar to how you might read in a newspaper, Will Trent can sometimes have fun with some of the wording. It’s a little more like you would hear between colleagues, versus "just the facts."

One thing that I love about this series and think that it makes it perfect for teens is the fact that the lead has and hides his dyslexia. While we are growing in acceptance and understanding of people in general, there are still many people who fear that sharing their learning disabilities will lead to them being overlooked for a job. Will doesn’t want to share with people that he’s dyslexic, but he uses it to his advantage, looking at crime scenes in a vastly different way to others. This helps him do a better job.

I also love the way the series has handled a particular character’s death (no spoilers!) in recent episodes. This hasn’t been brushed over, making it clear that we are allowed to grieve. These are some excellent lessons for children to learn.

If your kids have read the Karin Slaughter books, they are most definitely ready for the TV series. I’m on the fence for my 11-year-old, but that’s more due to interest than content. There are just some conversations and storylines that will go over her head. It’s definitely something I would have been perfectly happy watching as a teen—but then, I loved the likes of CSI.

Will Trent airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC. Catch up the following day on Hulu.