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American Experience

(Rated TV-PG, Educational, Where to watch: PBS, DVD, Download)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    History comes alive in excellent docu-series.

updated 07.04.08

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The series' goal is to provide a positive educational experience about various aspects of American history. It doesn't aim to teach values, but rather to simply document the values of others. It also brings attention to people who are normally not given recognition for their pioneering efforts, including women and racial/ethnic minorities.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    While the subject matter may deal with violent events, such as wars, no real/active violence is shown.
  • Sex:

    Some episodes may discuss issues of a sexual nature. These discussions are in context and aren't salacious in nature.
  • Language:

    Occasional mild language: "damn," "bitch," etc. This language is often used when quoting someone.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products are sometimes visible (as part of the documentation of events) in some episodes. Addiction and drug/alcohol related deaths are sometimes discussed.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About American Experience

Parents need to know that this PBS documentary series is committed to educating the public about events in American history. To that end, episodes are commonly used as supplemental teaching tools in schools and other educational settings. Parents should also know that some installments deal with mature subject matter and include strong language and graphic descriptions of events and behavior, making the show better suited to older tweens and teens than young children.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about which historical figures they admire and why. What makes them admirable? What challenges did they face as pioneers in their field? Families can also talk about important innovators who might be "left out" of history. Who gets credit for inventing new technology and creating other significant historical events? Why? How can we find out more about them? What did you learn from the show that you didn't know before? Parents and kids interested in learning more about the topics covered by the show can plan a trip to the library or do some Internet research.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    An excellent show for people into history

    However, this show can get rough. One episode I saw had moderately violent pictures of slaves who had been "punished" and had moderate profanity, like "bitch". One episode was about the Scottsboro boys of the early 1900's and contained racial slurs and intense sexual dialogue. (That specific episode should've been rated TV-14-D.) But if you can get past all the objectionable content that could be present in some episodes of "Experience", I highly recommend this show. It's highly educational and interesting. Just be sure kids under 12 are asleep due to the late time slot and possible objectionable content.

  2. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in California
    Kids ages: 21
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 4.0

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