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The Outer Limits

(Rated TV-PG, Science fiction , Starring Kevin Conway, Where to watch: Syfy, Syndicated, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Thought-provoking sci-fi tales for tweens and up.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Many episodes of this anthology series center on characters who must defy the authorities to achieve some important goal. Often this requires convincing another, sympathetic character that the authorities have made a major mistake or are involved in some big deception.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Some episodes have fight scenes, ranging from fist fights to blaster battles to wartime combat, but the action is generally pretty tame.

  • Sex:

    Though there are often romantic encounters, there's no nudity or explicit sexuality.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Little.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Outer Limits

Parents need to know that a major theme throughout this sci-fi anthology series is questioning -- and subverting -- authority. Though there's little violence, many episodes deal with both characters in power who are trying to manipulate others in order to retain control and those who are trying to convince others to reject the status quo. Though there's wisdom in teaching kids to ask critical questions about big issues, it's also important to help them realize that this is best done carefully and thoughtfully.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about their basic assumptions of reality. Many episodes of this series have plots that build to a huge, surprising twist at the end and are designed to make viewers question their beliefs. What would you do if a stranger tried to convince you that the government was run by evil aliens? What if he said the fate of the world depended on your willingness to believe him? What if you felt his evidence was convincing but still had a nagging doubt about his sanity? How would you react if you realized that some of your most basic beliefs about society, about the world, about your close friends, turned out to be terribly wrong? Is it the media's job to make you think about things like this?
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