The Office (US): parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated TV-14.
A cringe-comedy mockumentary that many families with teens enjoy together, as long as everyone is ready for nonstop awkwardness. Much of the humor comes from a clueless boss whose remarks about race, sex, gender and disability are meant to make viewers wince, so kids need to understand that he is the butt of the joke. Expect steady sexual innuendo, office romances and an affair, drinking played for laughs, a mock rooftop suicide threat, and a coworker's sick cat killed offscreen as dark comedy. Nothing is explicit, and stronger swear words are bleeped. It suits young teens, around 13, who can read satire.
What's in it
Violence
MildMostly slapstick: pratfalls, slaps, a wall punch, and a jealous worker charging at a rival before being pepper-sprayed. The boss hits an employee with his car, sending her to the hospital, and a staged fire drill causes real panic. Little injury detail.
Language
MildAudible words stay mild: damn, hell, ass and bitch. Stronger profanity is bleeped, often as the punchline itself. Coworkers trade insults constantly, and the boss's racist and sexist remarks are a running source of cringe.
Sex and nudity
ModerateFrequent sexual innuendo and crude jokes, several office romances, a secret affair, and implied hookups between coworkers. Occasional comic nudity is blurred. Some storylines play sexual harassment for laughs even while showing it as a problem.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateDrinking at office parties, happy hours and a booze cruise, sometimes to visible drunkenness. One employee's alcoholism is a running joke, leading to a staged intervention and rehab. Marijuana and cocaine come up in jokes, and an older worker hints at drug habits.
Scary or intense scenes
MildLittle that is scary. A staged fire drill brings on a heart attack, and the boss threatens to jump off the roof to show where depression can lead. A character kills a coworker's ailing cat offscreen and stashes it in his freezer, as dark comedy.
Sensitive topics
- Racism
- Animal death
- Addiction
Worth talking about
Why do the other characters cringe when Michael jokes about race or sexuality, and what could someone do if a boss or teacher said something like that?
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, bark.us, bbfc.co.uk, looper.com, Wikipedia, peacocktv.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.