Extreme Engineering
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Bridge-and-tunnel show will wow construction fans.
Why We Rated This
for Ages 7 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Extreme Engineering was written by Sierra Filucci
Parents need to know that this educational, documentary-style series takes a close look at current and future large-scale engineering projects. The show goes into great detail about each project, providing an informative -- if sometimes boring, depending on your level of interest -- glimpse into the world of engineering and construction. The narrator attempts to build tension and create drama by emphasizing costs, weight, temperatures, and even the risks to human life that an engineering mistake could have. But there's really nothing to raise eyebrows here; if your kids like this kind of thing, they'll learn a lot.
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the structures they see in their daily lives. Do you go over bridges or through tunnels? Have you ever thought about how they were built? Would you be interested in taking a closer look at them? (If so, a trip to look under a bridge or meet with a construction professional might be in order.) What kind of futuristic structures can kids imagine?
More on Extreme Engineering
What’s the Story?
Is It Any Good?
Though Forster attempts to build excitement through each project's many steps, some episodes are less interesting than others. For example, one that detailed an extremely complicated Swedish project called the Hallandsas Ridge Tunnel is dull despite the narrator's enthusiasm and the pre-commercial break cliffhangers (what will happen after the dynamite blast to that wall?!). The episodes that deal with issues that are more familiar to viewers -- like the one exploring the Big Dig -- are more attention-grabbing. So kids with a particular interest in engineering, construction, science, and math may well find Extreme Engineering fascinating, but others probably won't be converted.

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