The Pretender - TV-PG
Multi-layered suspense will engage older tweens.
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- TV Rating: TV-PG
- Network: Hallmark Channel, Syndicated
- Cast: Andrea Parker, Michael T. Weiss, Patrick Bauchau
- Genre: Drama
- >Available On: DVD
Parents need to know
Families can talk about how this show compares to more recent crime/action dramas. Does it seem less violent? How do you think it would be different if new episodes were airing today? Families can also discuss helping others. What do you get out of assisting someone in need? Tweens: Have you ever lent a hand to someone you didn't even know? Why did you do it? How far would you go to help someone? Would you do something immoral or illegal if it was for a good cause?
Message
Social Behavior:
The main character devotes his life to helping acquaintances resolve past wrongs -- even when it puts his life in danger. But the series includes a lot of iffy behavior -- like theft, dishonesty, murder, and suicide. The lone recurring female character is a no-nonsense leader, but she often shows her temper's short fuse.
Consumerism:
Rarely, products like Cracker Jacks get air time.
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
The main female character often smokes, and others sometimes join in.
Violence
Depending on the subject matter, there's potential for fistfights and confrontations with guns, knives, and other weapons. Characters are occasionally shown dying; photos depict corpses with gunshot wounds. Plot topics touch on murder and suicide.
Sex
Themes sometimes touch on things like extramarital affairs and illegitimate pregnancies.
Language
"Hell" and "damn" are used infrequently; in the syndicated version of the show, words like "bastard" and even "panties" (in the context of "don't get your panties in a wad") are bleeped.
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Emily Ashby
Is it any good?
Mixing emotional drama and suspense with mystery and touches of fantasy, The Pretender is a fun choice for thrill-seekers who can handle the many plot twists and heart-pounding surprises that lurk around nearly every corner. But check out a few episodes before giving tweens the go-ahead, since the show's shifting nature and often-mature themes -- which, along with the supporting cast, change in nearly every episode -- makes episodic subject matter (including violence and language) difficult to predict.
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Parents and kids say



