The Office, but make it feudal
The show is essentially a mockumentary in the vein of What We Do in the Shadows, but instead of vampires in Staten Island, we get a delusional nobleman in 1670s Poland. It relies heavily on the "talking head" format where characters break the fourth wall to explain their schemes or justify their idiocy. If your teen is a fan of that specific brand of awkward, direct-to-camera comedy, the format will feel familiar.
The central character, Jan Paweł, is desperate for fame and historical relevance, which provides a hook that resonates with the modern influencer-obsessed era. It’s a satire of the "Sarmatian" myth—the idea that Polish nobles were descended from ancient warriors—and it plays that absurdity for all it’s worth. However, because the historical context is so specific to Eastern Europe, some of the sharper political bites might fly right over a viewer's head unless they’re a history buff.
The humor hurdle
There is a massive divide between what critics think and what the internet thinks about this one. While professional reviewers have called it a "slog" and "tiresome," the 7.9 IMDb score tells a different story. It has a cult-like following among viewers who enjoy absurdist humor that doesn't try too hard to be prestige television.
The main friction point for a parent isn't going to be "is this too dark?" but rather "is this too annoying?" The gags are broad, repetitive, and often revolve around the same few notes: the peasants are miserable, the nobles are idiots, and everyone is probably drunk. If your kid liked the dry, repetitive pacing of something like Napoleon Dynamite, they might find this hilarious. If they prefer tight, fast-paced writing, they will likely turn it off after twenty minutes.
What your teen is actually seeing
The "mature" elements here aren't subtle. Alcohol isn't just present; it’s a character. Drunkenness is used as a punchline in almost every episode, which is why Common Sense Media flags it for 14+. It’s not a gritty look at addiction, but a slapstick glorification of being wasted.
If your teen is looking for a "Netflix show" to binge and you’re worried about the quality or the tone, keep in mind that this is very different from the platform's typical high-budget dramas. For a completely different vibe that trades the silly historical satire for high-stakes psychological tension, you might want to look into The Beast in Me: Netflix's Dark Thriller—What Parents Need to Know instead.
Ultimately, 1670 is a "vibe" show. It’s for the kid who likes memes about the middle ages and doesn't mind a show that is occasionally stupid on purpose. It won't teach them much about actual history, but it might give them a few new ways to roll their eyes at authority figures.
