 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Alcatraz
Common Sense Media says
Dark, supernatural drama with strong violence, some humor.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this dark crime drama has significant supernatural elements and occasional moments of suspense that will definitely frighten younger viewers. In addition, the level of violence is sometimes heavy and includes weapon use (shootings, etc.) and occasional scenes of explicit blood and/or gore. Language is relatively sparse but does include "ass," "hell," and "damn."
What's the story?
Taking its name from the infamous island prison near San Francisco, ALCATRAZ centers around a massive mystery: How did more than 300 prisoners and guards disappear from the facility just before its closing in the 1960s? What happened to these men, and why are they now appearing again 50 years later, seemingly unaged? After following a seemingly routine murder case, Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is recruited by the enigmatic Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) to help track down and investigate these missing people, who have begun appearing out of nowhere back in the prison they once called home.
Is it any good?
Fans of Lost who are still looking for a series to fill its void might find something appealing in J.J. Abrams' dark police mystery drama. Alcatraz has the vibe down -- the pulse-pounding music, the moments of surprise and suspense, the enigmatic figure of authority who seems to know far more than he's letting on. (Plus, Lost's Hurley -- Jorge Garcia -- is one of the show's stars.)
On Alcatraz, the central conceit borders on the ludicrous: 300 criminals and guards disappear from the prison in the 1960s, but no one knows how or why, and now they're coming back unaged and ready to be evil again. It's like elements were drawn from a fish bowl and glued together on a sheet of paper. What makes Alcatraz watchable are the occasional flashes of wit in the scripting and some classic scenery-chewing from Neill, a longtime master at sideways glances that imply more than you can ever hope to understand.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Alcatraz's violence. Does it aid or detract from the story?
Do you expect all mysteries to be resolved? Or is there room to leave audiences guessing even after a show ends?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
An interesting and thought provoking show
This show is an interesting show that makes you think unlike a lot of television. Although there is some violence and blood it is not as bad as many shows and movies out there. While violence and blood is shown it is not gory. The main guy who owns a comic shop is a really smart person who has a PHD in History and has wrote books on Alcatraz and is a specialist on Abraham Lincoln, I think he is a great role model because he doesn't use violence to solve problems. So far there are no inappropriate scenes and there only 1 or 2 inappropriate comments that are over right after they are said.
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AGE
Good but too violent
Lots of bloody, gory, violence. Probably too much for people under 15.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 18, 2012
AGE
This is the best show since terra nova !!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw the series premiere on monday and I love this show. I like how they switch back to the past to the present. Watch this show monday nights on Fox. Ths show is okay for kids that loved terra nova
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AGE
Video game violence
I don't want to see "blood" spurting out of the cops that are ambushed/shot doing their job, why would I want my 13yr old kid to see this. I can't believe the network would air this at 8pm, what if a younger child was just cruising the tv??? This is video game violence as tv entertainment. Good luck to the new generation growing up on this stuff. The culture they are creating in video games, music, and tv, they will soon be living in. This is another show to undermine authority. One of the characters who is supposed to be soooo smart, he writes comic books, "advises" he did the opposite that his parents, who "are both smart", told him to do. Great. Also the prison officials are bad and the bad guys are good and victims of the state. Typical jailhouse attitude. Thats what this show teaches your kids.
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AGE
iffy
violence is my only worry, they are caching people that were murderers and they did something that they were not supposed to do, so i think this one i iffy. i have watched them to make sure they were appropriate. some of them i watched were'nt. careful parents, this is not all appropriate.
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AGE
Interesting show, pretty violent
This show is actually a little more violent than I expected. And the violence all seems very real and sort of upsetting, considering a lot of it has to do with murderers. The pilot wasn't AMAZING but it may develop into an interesting series, kind of like Fringe. Strong female characters. Entertaining show, well written. Recommended to older teenagers and adults.
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AGE
Good for 14+, Pause for 13
I think the CommonSense content summary above is pretty inaccurate. There is plenty of violence, no doubt, and a fair amount of blood. However, nothing takes it over the top for a mature 13-14 year-old kid. It really is the same amount of violence portrayed in various action movies (i.e. Casino Royale, Bourne Identity). In this show, it is better, because the violence is portrayed as what it really is: something atrocious, malicious, and terrible, rather than something done by a few careless bad*sses who work for the government, like James Bond. There is more language than the above summary lists; *ss, d*mn, h*ll, d*ck, and SOB are all used. There are also a few positive messages about how violence is very bad, and the main characters are very good people who work for the common good. The show is off to a good start; it could get better or worse (but hopefully better!).
As a final note, there are violent themes; all the escaped inmates are serial killers, child kidnappers, robbers, etc.
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Kid, 11 years old
March 21, 2012
AGE
Intense and interesting with a little gore
This is a great show... except for the obvious blood whenever someone shoots another. It's kind of gross. Just make sure your kid won't shoot people.
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AGE
GORE
If you've been watching/keeping up with the newer episodes, you will notice that they are getting progressively more violent. In one episode, there are references to a man getting sawed to death with a chainsaw. Also, there are many graphic violent scenes. OVERALL: good show, don't watch at night, and it could loose a ton of the violence.
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Kid, 12 years old
May 14, 2012
AGE
One Of The Best TV Series of the Year Alongside Game of Thrones!
Alcatraz is one of the best crime thrillers of the year! The edge-of-your-seat drama has a decent amount of violence and some blood splashes which make it inappropriate for some ages - but it is suitable for the more mature children!
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| Topics: | adventures |
| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | Fox |
| Cast: | Jorge Garcia, Sam Neill, Sarah Jones |
| Genre: | Drama |
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