Hollyoaks - TV-14
UK soap's addictive but sends teens iffy messages.
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- TV Rating: TV-14
- Network: BBC America
- Cast: Louis Tamone, Connie Powney, Matt Milburn
- Genre: Drama
Parents need to know
Families can talk about how shows like this portray teen life. Do you think they give an accurate impression of how real teens live and act? Which aspects of the characters' relationships seem exaggerated? Teens: Do your friends or classmates act the way these characters do? Can you relate to the issues they face? Which ones? Do you think the series oversimplifies the way conflicts are resolved? Why do TV shows and movies tend to do that? How is this show different from American teen soaps?
Message
Social Behavior:
Most of the characters are less-than-admirable models of teen and young adult life. In general, they drink too much, sleep around too often, and manipulate people for their own gain. Serious issues like domestic abuse, sexuality, cults, murder, and rape (of both men and women) are explored within the ever-changing plot.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Teens and young adults drink in social settings and to relax at home. In many cases, characters express the desire to get others drunk so they can manipulate them in some way. Date rape drugs are used by guys to "get lucky."
Violence
Fistfights are common and often result in bruises and cuts. Storylines often include violence like arson, murder, rape, suicide, and domestic abuse -- some of which is shown.
Sex
Post-sex scenes show women in bras and underwear; couples make out and begin to undress each other. Sexual topics like adultery, unexpected pregnancy, and rape are common -- it is a soap opera, after all.
Language
Expletives like "bitch" are sporadic.
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Emily Ashby
Is it any good?
How soapy is it? Here's a sample story arc: Date rapist/prison escapee Sam (Louis Tamone) returns to Hollyoaks to stalk the students -- including his own brother and sister -- and plan his violent revenge. His brother, Russ (Stuart Manning), is piecing his life back together, working on his master's degree, and getting involved with new flame Sophie (Connie Powney). Meanwhile, Sophie and her sister, Mel (Cassie Powney), are busy comforting their 16-year-old brother, Justin (Chris Fountain), who may or may not be responsible for the baby expected by Becca (Ali Bastian), a married teacher with whom he's been having an affair.
And that's just the beginning. Several regular cast members have interwoven histories to keep track of, so the whole show has the feel of Melrose Place or Beverly Hills, 90210, just on a much larger scale. It's complicated and always full of surprises, giving fans a lot of deliciously convoluted lives to enjoy, but don't let the fact that the characters are teens encourage you to start bonding with your own teen over Hollyoaks. The show deals with some pretty heavy topics -- from date rape and serial murder to suicide and domestic abuse -- and the characters aren't exactly ideal models of responsible teen behavior. Many use drugs, alcohol, and sex to manipulate friends' actions and get what they want, and sexual content can be strong.
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