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Dead Like Me

(Rated TV-PG, Drama, Starring Mandy Patinkin, Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Where to watch: Syfy, Syndicated, DVD)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Quirky afterlife dramedy is OK for teens.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–15

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    George and her fellow reapers try to ease other people's transitions to the afterlife, but the behavior of those in the living world (including George's family) is iffy and complex.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Viewers see how ordinary people die, and these scenes, while rarely involving murder, can be pretty graphic. For example, a man who is impaled with a high heel is shown with the heel embedded in his forehead. Another slips from a diving board and face-plants into the one below.
  • Sex:

    Some innuendo. An elderly man skinny dips. Some episodes deal with issues like transgenderism.
  • Language:

    "Bloody hell," "idiot," "this sucks," "jackass," "sure as hell," etc.
  • Consumerism:

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

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Dead Like Me

Parents need to know that the main characters in this dramedy are all dead. They serve as "reapers" or spirits who collect others' souls right before they die. Not surprisingly, then, this show is all about death (someone dies in each episode) and the afterlife, which might upset younger or sensitive viewers. Some of the death scenes are also quite graphic and potentially frightening. The show also explores some heavy topics, including transgenderism and bullying.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what happens when you die. Potential topics include funerals, cremation, the afterlife, and other traditions, beliefs, and rituals related to death. How would teens like to be remembered? How would they like their life celebrated? What are parents' beliefs about the afterlife, cremation, and caskets? How did the traditions surrounding funerals come to be? How do other cultures respect and treat their dead?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative role models

    More intense than CSM's review claims, but still a great show

    Be aware that CSM's summary of the profanity used in the show ONLY applies to the censored reruns on SciFi. The original Showtime airings and the DVDs contain a near-constant stream of strong profanity. Expect to hear the f-bomb and many of its derivatives in every episode. The characters are often selfish and make poor decisions. A lot of Burtonesque dark slapstick, too. One character was (and probably still is) a drug addict. That said, this is a great show with very well-written characters. It hits a perfect balance between comedy and drama and is worth viewing for any TV enthusiast.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 1.0

    PG AND 14

    If I had this site, I would not know what to put. The show alternates from TV-PG to TV-14

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 1.0

    Dead Like Me

    When I looked up the show Dead Like Me on this site and saw it was rated only TV-PG, I was thrilled and went to my local Hollywood Video to rent it and see what it was like. Tv-PG's don't have 4 F-Words!!! (And that's BEFORE I turned it off, there could have been more.) The episode I watched was the Pilot. All it did was totally turn me off to this show and I was wondering how in the world it got rated as if it were a kid's movie! Did the website make a mistake or have current episodes tuned down to a TV-PG or what??

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    One of the greatest shows on TV

    I decided to watch this while there was a marathon on SciFi channel and nothing was on. Within five minutes I was hooked. For seventeen hours. Yes, I, with the attention span of a squirrel, watched the same show for 17 straight hours. It's just that good. The show does sound very morbid, but most of it is kept quite lighthearted considering the subject they are handling is death. It's interesting to watch George discover things, and question them. Many of the deaths are violent, but are not shown. The swearing was edited on Scifi channel, but on the DVD it's at a PG-13 level. Some episodes have rather funny sexual references. All in all, it's a great show for kids 13+ and adults too.

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

    I love this show

    The language is very strong in this show and some time the sceans of death can be pretty graphic. This show is for 13 and older.

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