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Seconds From Disaster

(Rated TV-PG, Educational, Where to watch: National Geographic Channel)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Intriguing docu series dissects modern tragedies.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The show offers an educational look at scientific and man-made causes of various disasters.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Computer-generated images of fires, natural disasters, and transportation crashes can be disturbing. Re-enactments of the scenes include some implied trauma as well as some shots of dead bodies.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Seconds From Disaster

Parents need to know that this documentary series explains in minute detail the factors leading up to some of the most memorable natural and man-made disasters of modern history -- like the loss of the Columbia space shuttle and the eruption of Mount St. Helens. While depictions of physical trauma are usually vague and bloodless, there are some re-enacted scenes of corpses that could upset kids. The series uses video footage and photos as well as graphic computer-generated images and eyewitness accounts to re-create the scenes of the disasters, resulting in intriguing -- yet emotionally wrenching -- tales. Expert testimony and scientific tests offer explanations of how and why these disasters occurred.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how people respond to crises. How do survivors continue on after experiencing such life-altering events? Where do people find strength in difficult times? How do emergency personnel prepare for the many contingencies of disasters? Is a program like this exploiting a painful experience, or using it as a teaching tool? What's the difference? Parents can also use this opportunity to refresh family members' knowledge of emergency procedures where they live.
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