The Suits spin-off series, Suits: LA, is finally here. Naturally, one of the first things you’ll look at is whether it’s suitable for the kids.
I’m going to be honest here and say that the majority of kids will not find this series interesting. It’s a legal drama, and what kid wants to sit through something with no action? They want the fun of superhero shows, right?
Suits: LA is packed with conference room drama. There are a few scenes with a little bit of action, but it’s a lot of legal explanations and the use of brains rather than brawn. You need to know if it’s something you can watch while they’re around doing their own thing.
Suits: LA age rating: Why this series is TV-14 rated
The official age rating for Suits: LA is TV-14, which is standard for broadcast TV. This is a series that airs on Sundays at 9/8c on NBC, and broadcast networks know that there’s a chance kids will still be up. It also needs to work for syndication later on, which can mean daytime slots. So, why is it TV-14 and not TV-PG?
Sex & nudity: There hasn’t been any sex and nudity in the first two episodes of the series, but we could see that ramp up a little. There won’t be anything full-frontal or gratuitous. Broadcast networks do things tastefully and leave a lot of the sex and nudity to the imagination. Think of a bedroom door closing as people walk into it kissing, or people waking up in bed the next morning covered by sheets. Suits did it, so we expect Suits: LA to do it, too.
Violence & gore: There has been some mild violence in the series already. The first episode opened up with an explosion at a house and one person killed. Stephen Amell’s character sported a cut above his eyebrow after that, which stuck around for that episode.
This is the type of violence and gore that we’re expecting to see throughout the series. It’s not going to be heavy and graphic, but it will be somewhat realistic for adults who end up in fistfights.
Language: The language in the series is mild, with “son of a B” and other similar phrases being the worst of them. The S-word and F-bomb are not used at all to help keep the age rating down. Also, broadcast networks have some heavy rules when it comes to the language allowed in the series.
Alcohol & drugs: There are times that we see some of the adult characters drinking in a bar or at home after work. We may see a couple of scenes with drug use depending on the type of clients the lawyers are representing. However, this is not a series where alcohol and drugs are used gratuitously based on other NBC shows.
It’s hard to compare with the original Suits, as that aired on USA Network, and cable networks have a few looser rules. There was some drug use in that, as well as drug selling, but that was mostly only in the first season.
Overall verdict: Who is Suits: LA appropriate for?
I stand by the statement that kids will probably find the series boring. Legal dramas just don’t have the action that younger kids are looking for, so while the series is okay to have on with them around, it’s not something they’ll want to watch with you.
Older teens could certainly enjoy it, and Suits: LA is definitely suitable for them. It could be fun as they learn more about law, especially entertainment law.
Suits: LA airs on Sundays at 9/8c on NBC.