Dog the Bounty Hunter - TV-PG
Engrossing, gritty reality show has some bite.
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- TV Rating: TV-PG
- Network: A&E
- Cast: Duane Chapman, Beth Smith, Leland Chapman
- Genre: Reality TV
- >Available On: DVD,Download
Parents need to know
Families can talk about the consequences of breaking the law. What happens when someone is arrested? How do the courts work? Is prison the best option for punishing criminals? Do you think going to prison can help some people turn their lives around?
Message
Social Behavior:
Enforces the importance of following laws, since the consequences of breaking them won't be pretty. The Chapmans have strong family relationships. Dog is a colorful character who says what he thinks and isn't always PC. The behavior exhibited by suspects is hardly role-model worthy.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Some of the areas Dog visits are clearly drug-infested -- and many of the people he apprehends are users -- but no use is shown.
Violence
Chapman sometimes threatens to use force on suspects, and he'll hold down a suspect while he handcuffs him.
Sex
Language
Fairly mild: "Goddamn," etc.
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Lucy Maher
In DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER, Duane "Dog" Chapman and his family risk their lives to capture suspects who've gone on the lam. Chapman is an ex-con himself; after spending time in a Texas prison, he vowed to redeem himself by working with the law to catch fugitives. Joining him are his wife, Beth; son, Leland; "blood brother," Tim; and nephew, Justin. The gang travels to rough communities, dank hotels, and even drug-infested neighborhoods in search of their prey.
Is it any good?
Often, the Chapmans find that the person they've been searching for has already been apprehended by the police -- which means they don't get their $5000 bounty. Other times, Chapman, whose weathered exterior and all-black ensembles belie his sensitive side, takes pity on the fugitives he's seeking and agrees to let them go if they turn themselves in the next day.
What's great about Dog the Bounty Hunter is that it allows viewers to see a side of the law that's not often portrayed. When Chapman apprehends a suspect, he's a tough talker, but -- being a former criminal himself -- he's able to speak frankly to those on the lam and help them see the error of their ways. Though the subject matter is gritty, it isn't too violent, and parents don't have to worry about letting their tweens watch.
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Parents and kids say
All Reviews
There are 11 reviews.
Adult Reviews
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Kids Reviews
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