‘How Are We Today’ Brings Conversations About Mental Health to the Family Living Room

Gen Alpha are far more open about feelings than generations past, which can be a surprise for those of us who only started talking about mental health later in life. So it’s about time for something like How Are We Today?, a new PBS sitcom from Tyler Coe, modeling helpful conversations for parents and children to address common mental health topics. It’s aimed at youth ages 11 and up, with the knowledge that many mental illnesses first present in adolescence, leaving families scrambling – sometimes for years – over what to do. “That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to make this show,” he told Parents, “is that the stories we hear, the strife we have to go through, the amount of time it takes – we have to start shortening those years. We have to put a dent in that timeline.” 

While the show works with professionals to ensure its content is accurate and supportive of sound mental health, it also boasts a host of experiential experts in its cast, who have personal knowledge of depression, anxiety and ADHD. Coe, who lives with bipolar disorder, has also overcome addiction challenges and a suicide attempt. The show hopes to make conversations about mental health more common, and to spark more empathy and compassion for folks struggling, as all viewers become educated about the complex ways our brains work.

Central to the show’s impact is its collaboration with clinical psychologist Erin Newins, or Dr. Erin, who ensures every episode blends accurate psychology with actionable tools. Unlike social-media advice that can be fragmented or misleading, How Are We Today? emphasizes evidence-based strategies that viewers can try immediately. For instance, one episode on panic attacks features “awareness activities” like breathing exercises, journaling, and body scans – easy, accessible, and affordable strategies that anyone can employ to regulate stress. 

Coe hopes for the show to fill a gap in today’s mental-health advocacy: “[It’s not] enough to just talk about these things,” he says. “We are giving you real-time things to do.” The show also serves as an entry point for parents and kids who might want to talk about mental health together, but have no clue where to begin. Watching together, families can use the show’s storylines as openings, asking questions as simple as “Have you ever felt that way?” to spark conversation and connection. 

Dr Erin likens its appeal to therapy – it’s not just for people with “something wrong with them” – everyone can benefit. In Coe’s words: “If you’re going through life, this is a good show for you.”

Inspired by PBS icons Fred Rogers and LeVar Burton, Coe crafted How Are We Today to mix kindness, education, and humor and make the science of the mind approachable. Its subject matter might be heavy, but “Kids nowadays can handle it,” he says. “They can handle it better than we did. They’re not stupid.”

The name “MindSite News” is used with the express permission of Mindsight Institute, an educational organization offering online learning and in-person workshops in the field of mental health and wellbeing. MindSite News and Mindsight Institute are separate, unaffiliated entities that are aligned in making science accessible and promoting mental health globally.