Big Shot on Disney+ Is a Heartfelt, Family-Friendly Show — Here's What Parents Need to Know

Published on 4/19/2021 at 4:35 PM

Uncle Jesse, I mean, John Stamos is back, and this time he's learning how to get along with a whole new group of girls in Big Shot, now streaming on Disney+. This new series stars Stamos as Marvyn Korn, a temperamental college basketball coach who gets fired and has to take the only job he can get — as the girls' basketball coach at an elite private high school in San Diego. Unlike his former position, this job requires Coach Korn to have empathy and vulnerability, leading him to connect with the players and grow into a better person himself. The show also stars Jessalyn Gilsig as assistant coach Holly Barrett, Yvette Nicole Brown as principal Sherilyn Thomas, Sophia Mitri Schloss as Emma, Nell Verlaque as Louise, Tiana Le as Destiny, Monique A. Green as Olive, Tisha Custodio as Mouse, Cricket Wampler as Samantha, Darcy Rose Byrnes as Harper, and more.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before streaming the first episode of Big Shot with your kids.

There's some basketball-related violence.
Coach Korn loses his job due to his anger issues, and you can see him yelling at refs. At one point, he throws a chair at a ref, knocking him to the ground. There are also scenes of basketball players getting rough on the court, but nothing graphic or gory.
Insensitive comments.
The girls' team jokes that they don't like being told what to do by a white guy, and it's obvious why. When Coach Korn walks in blowing his whistle, Olive tells him that they don't like whistles because they can be triggering, and he responds by blowing the whistle right in her face. He also tells Destiny she needs to lose five pounds, making her cry, and he tells the girls that if he calls them "stupid" they can ignore it. Later, he complains he doesn't know how to act around teenage girls because of these comments, as if it would be impossible for him to remember everything they don't like — even though these things are just basic human respect.
Sexual innuendo.
At one point, Nell tells that if she is going to sweat and grunt for somebody five days a week, it might as well be somebody cute. Later, he asks Cricket and Mouse to spend time together until the game, so they can get to know each other better. They act uncomfortable, and he asks if they don't like each other. Cricket tells him that the problem is Mouse thinks Cricket likes her too much, but she doesn't because she has a boyfriend. Coach Barrett tells them they don't have to go out to dinner, and they both leave relieved. Coach Korn is confused, so Coach Barrett tells him it's just normal teenage romance, confusion, and exploring.
Mild language.
There was one instance of "What the hell."

Despite its clueless white man trope (designed to make us dislike Coach Korn), I thought the Big Shot pilot was a heartfelt, diverse, emotional tale of girls finding themselves, discovering self-confidence, and learning how to stand up for themselves, which makes for great viewing for the whole family. One episode in, and I'm already rooting for Coach Korn to show more of his nice guy side, the girls to come together to chase their dreams, and the world to recognize the power of women. Like Coach Barrett said, "These girls are going to lead the world some day." I can't wait to watch them do it!