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Roswell

(Rated TV-PG, Science fiction , Starring Shiri Appleby, Jason Behr, Katherine Heigl, Where to watch: Syfy, Syndicated, DVD, Online)
  • 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 13.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    All the drama of high school, plus space aliens!

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–15

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The main characters are all privy to a huge secret -- that four of them are from another planet -- and must often lie to protect their knowledge. They're hunted by another group of aliens who are devious and violent in their efforts to find the visitors from space.
  • Violence:

    Some fighting and the occasional explosion, but no graphic violence.
  • Sex:

    Though there's no onscreen sex or nudity, a good chunk of the series centers on who's dating whom and how far they go.
  • Language:

    Fairly mild: "Bitch," "damn," "hell," etc.
  • Consumerism:

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

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Roswell

Parents need to know that this teen drama centers on a group of high school students who are hiding a huge secret -- from their families, from teachers, from the world. Certainly the stakes are high; if word gets out that actual aliens are living among the unsuspecting residents of Roswell, there could be all kinds of trouble. Still, the series' entire premise supports the idea of teens hiding important things from their parents. The characters also deal with the usual batch of angsty high school issues related to friendship and dating.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about fate and free will. One of the main characters is an alien prince who has fallen in love with a human, but he's repeatedly told that it's his destiny to marry one of the other extraterrestrials. Should he follow his heart? Should he sacrifice what may be the great love of his life to save his people? And how can he even be certain that the future of his planet will be affected by his choice? How do the issues the alien characters deal with reflect real-life teen concerns? Are the characters' lives at all realistic?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    great for older people and tweens

    love it

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

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

    High school aliens in love

    Roswell was a phenomenal series that spanned 3 seasons. It centered around the love story of Max and Liz with substories involving Micheal and Isabelles lives becoming more prevalent as the series went on. The half-human aliens are often more human than any characters you'll find on TV and the sci-fi and action crowd won't be disappointed either.

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