What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this tween-oriented sitcom draws material from teen star Lil' JJ's standup routine, allowing him to expound on various injustices young adolescents will relate to -- like getting in trouble for doing something your parents once did or changing your image to impress someone you like. Characters use a lot of slang, but it's fairly innocuous and is mostly used to highlight the vast cultural differences between the Jordan's Arkansas hometown and his new surroundings in Los Angeles. There are plenty of dating-related issues like crushes and flirting, but physical contact is limited to hugs and hand-holding. Jordan sometimes alludes to his parents' recent divorce and its emotional repercussions for him and his younger sister. The multicultural cast includes a mom who's a strong role model with high expectations for her teenage son.

Families can talk about the injustices that kids feel. Can your kids relate to Jordan's frustrations? When have they experienced similar feelings? How did they handle the situation? The show offers a good starting point for conversations with tweens about peer pressure, appropriate relationships with the opposite sex, and the importance of self-respect. Families affected by divorce can also talk about how kids are affected when parents split up.

Common Sense Media Review
In JUST JORDAN, teen comic Lil' JJ plays Jordan Lewis, an ultra-confident ninth grader who's navigating unfamiliar territory after his parents' divorce uproots him from Little Rock, Ark., and lands him in his mom's hometown of Los Angeles.

Far from shying away from the challenges of fitting into his new surroundings, Jordan tackles them head-on. He quickly makes friends with school heartthrob/basketball star Tony (Justin Chon) and the politically minded Joaquin (Eddy Martin). What's more, he sets his sights on beautiful-but-snobbish Tamika (Chelsea Harris), who clearly has no use for him but nonetheless enjoys his puppy-dog devotion to her.

When he's not at school or serving up burgers in his grandfather's diner, Jordan spends much of his time trying to sort through the many uncertainties that accompany his age. Each episode centers on some great injustice as seen through his eyes: "Why do girls say they like the nice guys but only want to date the roughnecks?" for instance. Or "How come sometimes you do all the work but don't get the credit?" Occasional freeze-frame shots give Jordan the opportunity to step out of character and address the audience about his many coming-of-age gripes.

In one episode, for example, a disgruntled Jordan sounds off about being cut from the school's basketball team after he put on an impressive one-man show during tryouts. Not only does he find the omission of his exceptional talent unfathomable, he also can't comprehend the coach's ridiculous (to him anyway) explanation: "There's no 'I' in 'team.'" But after getting advice from his no-nonsense mom (Shania Accius) and new friends, he finally checks his oversized ego and promises the coach to be a more team-oriented player, thereby making the squad.

Though Just Jordan's adolescent storylines certainly aren't unique, there's a freshness to the writing and delivery that makes this Nickelodeon series a worthwhile choice for tween viewers. They'll find a lot to like in the relatable characters and comic spins on woes that they're probably familiar with. Parents, meanwhile, will be happy to know that positive messages about self-respect and responsibility are tightly woven into each plot.

The show does touch on issues related to divorce, including the emotional hardships for kids when they're relocated and their concerns when a parent starts to date again. But Jordan's respectful relationship with his mom -- whose advice is always on the mark -- and his obvious concern for his younger sister, Monica (Kristen Combs), reflect a strong family core that relies on love and communication to work through these and other issues.

Fans may also enjoy Romeo and (for older tweens) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.