The Idol age rating and parents guide: Is the HBO show appropriate for kids?

HBO’s got a brand-new show that’s already getting people talking, and if you haven’t heard of The Idol until now, you’re bound to read a lot more about it. For better or for worse. Sam Levinson’s latest project is a collaboration with The Weeknd and Reza Fahim, following a pop star named Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) who’s on a mission to revive her career. In the premiere, she meets a club owner named Tedros (The Weeknd) and starts a relationship with him, which I’m sure will be nothing short of tumultuous in future episodes.

The Idol released its first episode on Sunday, June 4, and the reviews so far certainly haven’t been flattering. After Rolling Stone published their piece detailing the behind-the-scenes allegations surrounding the production and filming process, all eyes have been on the series. Is it actually as bad as it’s been made out to be? The Idol premiered its first two episodes at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and based on the Rotten Tomatoes score, I was honestly nervous to start watching.

Not only is the new HBO show controversial with its storylines that have been branded “sexist” and “gross”, but similar to Levinson’s previous show Euphoria, The Idol is also wildly inappropriate for young audiences. So if you’re wondering if your children should be watching the buzzed-about show, we’re here to confirm they definitely should skip this one.

The Idol age rating: What is the HBO show rated?

The official age rating for The Idol is TV-MA, with the Parents Guide on IMDb rating the series as “Severe” for Sex & Nudity, Violence & Gore, Profanity, Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking, and Frightening & Intense Scenes. Having seen the first episode of the series, I can confirm there’s nudity, sex, drug use, language, a scene of Jocelyn masturbating, and more. The final scene in the premiere shows Tedros covering Jocelyn’s face with a robe, suffocating her as part of foreplay. There’s a lot of mature content throughout the first episode and I doubt that’ll change as we get deeper into the season.

All in all, The Idol is not intended for viewers under 18 and we wouldn’t recommend children of any age watching it.