Star Trek: Voyager - TV-PG

Getting lost in space has never been so much fun.

(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)

Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the show?
6424_orig.jpg
details
  • TV Rating: TV-PG
  • Network: Spike, Syndicated
  • Cast: Jeri Ryan, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • >Available On: DVD,Download

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that some of the main characters in this series die, though they're generally resurrected through a variety of advanced technological devices, including time travel. This can make life and death seem somewhat fluid, rather than a permanent condition, which might seem confusing to some young viewers -- though older children will probably understand that these twists are just one of many common plot devices in the sci-fi realm. Overall, as with most of the Star Trek series, there's not too much content to worry about.

Families can talk about humanity's need for companionship. This series follows the lonely travails of a ship that's been transported to the farthest reaches of the universe and is struggling to find a way back to Earth -- which could take about 75 years. How do you think you'd react in that kind of situation? How does the ship's separation from the rest of society make this series different from the other Star Trek shows? What does it have in common with those shows? Which is your favorite?

Message

Social Behavior:

Half the characters are by-the-book Starfleet members, while the other half comes from a renegade terrorist group who join the crew when their own ship is destroyed. One of the series' long-running themes is the conflict between the two groups, who have very different ideas about how to run a starship. Captain Janeway is a strong female role model.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Occasional social drinking.

Violence

Marooned in uncharted space, the Voyager encounters many hostile aliens. Combat often ensues, and some characters have died during the course of the series, but there's no graphic violence.

Sex

No onscreen sex or nudity, but several romances blossom among the crew during their long voyage home.

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Will Wade

STAR TREK: VOYAGER follows the crew of a starship that's been teleported to the very farthest reaches of the galaxy and is struggling to find its way home, a 70,000-light-year journey that could take decades. This handy plot device means that Voyager's structure can be pretty much identical to its predecessors, but with an almost completely new set of alien guest stars. Many of the ship's crew members perished when the Voyager was zapped across the universe; a renegade ship that the Voyager was pursuing was destroyed shortly afterward. Circumstances force the two groups to team up -- predictably, the "marriage" of the Starfleet crew and the rebels doesn't always go well.

Is it any good?

3

Because the Voyager is stranded out in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) -- the only female captain in the Star Trek franchise -- has to solve any problems that arise on her own, without being able to call for backup. The influence of characters who never attended the rigid Starfleet Academy leads her to make decisions that might never have happened on another starship or on a more traditional mission. In this way, the series harkens back to the original Star Trek's off-the-cuff feeling and can be refreshing.

What Voyager doesn't have is many storylines that serve as metaphors for important social issues, which gave the original series such cultural heft -- though this isn't necessarily a flaw, just a difference. The lost-in-space premise gave Voyager (which originally aired from 1995 to 2001) a compelling narrative arc. It may not be as deep as the original series, but it was ultimately a good addition to the Star Trek universe.

Other choices

Support Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is a non-profit and will receive a portion of your purchase from Pricegrabber. Learn more.

Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 3 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/05/08 by Frylock234 Kid contributor, age 9

me and my dad love this show

5


Posted on 01/29/08 by 994michael73072 Kid contributor, age 11

Great!!!

I LOVE this! I am still watching this on 'spike' and i cant get amough of this!
5


Posted on 05/11/07 by mr.gn Kid contributor, age 12

Adult Reviews

There are 0 reviews.

There are no adult reviews.

Kids Reviews

There are 3 reviews.

5


Posted on 04/05/08 by Frylock234 Kid contributor, age 9

me and my dad love this show

5


Posted on 01/29/08 by 994michael73072 Kid contributor, age 11

Great!!!

I LOVE this! I am still watching this on 'spike' and i cant get amough of this!
5


Posted on 05/11/07 by mr.gn Kid contributor, age 12
Review It
Who's your favorite TV holiday special character?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
100%
The Grinch
0%
Frosty the Snowman
0%
Charlie Brown
0%
Shrek
0%
1 votes