 | 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. |
Beyond the Break
Common Sense Media says
Surf's down on this soggy, sexy teen drama.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that characters spend most of each episode in their swimsuits. The female lead characters (17 and under) live with an older, attractive male surf coach in a house, without any parents. One teen runs away from home and has an alcoholic mother and an abusive father-figure. She also has a criminal history for stealing and drinks herself unconscious. Teens manipulate others to get what they want. Some of the girls are assertive, which may be perceived as using their sexuality to influence others -- which also happens. A threesome is implied, and there is some kissing.
What's the story?
BEYOND THE BREAK washes over the lives of six teenage surfers: wealthy princess Dawn (Suzie Pollard), smart and sassy Birdie (Tiffany Hines), bad-girl Lacey (Natalie Ramsey), level-headed Kai (Sonya Balmores), bad-boy-next-door Bailey (Ross Thomas), and sidekick Shoe (Jason Tam). Thanks to a sponsorship from WaveSync, the wannabe surfers are given room and board -- complete with a former-surfing-legend-turned-coach, Justin (David Chokachi) -- and the chance to be competitive professionals. The four main female characters come from diverse backgrounds and bring many of their issues into the house. Fights ensue over boys, money, and surfing, and the girls are forced to learn life lessons without parental supervision. At the end of the day, friendships and bonds are formed, but not without a "whodunit" angle to keep the drama alive until the next episode.
Is it any good?
The show's visuals are more appealing (or appalling) than its storylines. The series is shot on location in Oahu, Hawaii, but the sandy beaches and crushing waves play second fiddle to teens constantly sporting their bikinis, washboard abs, short shorts, and glistening muscles -- all of which are prominently featured in slow-motion images as they surf the waves. The editing plays more like a music video than a TV series, and the scenes leave little room for character-driven plots.
To a distracting degree, Chokachi, a former Baywatch babe himself, is too young and attractive to play a realistic father-figure living with four 17-year-old girls. In the end, the show is entirely too sexual to drive home any real value or even warrant status as a "guilty pleasure" drama like The O.C. or Blue Crush.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about focusing on goals and going after what you want. How far would teens' parents be willing to let them go to achieve their goal in sports, education, or a future career? Do kids think the series' set-up is realistic? Would real teens be this wild/mature/focused if they were given this kind of responsibility and freedom?
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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
I like the way it's going.
The beginning of Beyond the Break was a little unrealistic.. but I think this is going to be a great show. It is just beginning so for the people that don't really enjoy it or whatever give it some time. This show talks about some things that could happen in a way and when it does get kinda, unrealistic, that's pretty much some of the fun in things. For me, I'm 13 almost 14 years old.. and watching this doesn't really seem like a problem to me. If it does for you then just don't watch it.
GREAT SHOW, I think anyway.
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Teen, 14 years old
December 12, 2009
AGE
The new season is so much better than the season reviewed!
This review is about the first season, but this show is in its third season now and has gotten MUCH better. The sexual content and language is much less in the new season. There's only two things I can think of that parents might object to: 1. a character attempts a drug deal but gets in huge trouble for it and spends the whole season suffering the consequences and 2. in one episode there's a brief discussion between a 23-year-old character and a 14-year-old character about why you shouldn't have sex until you're an adult. It's very brief and only in the one episode. Swear words are pretty mild. And it's a much better show, not so much a soap opera like the first season. It's got drama without being melodramatic. The female and minority characters (actually all the characters, pretty much) are strong and independent and work hard for what they want. Relationships are portrayed realistically as taking time and effort. The dynamics between the housemates are realistic too. And the location is really cool, it's set in Makaha Beach, Hawaii.
What other families should know:
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Make a Sex Tape and You Too can Be Hired for a Kids Show!
Beyond the Break just signed Kim Kardashian to appear on their show. She is the latest to appear in a raunchy sex tape. She's half-heartedly protesting, so it seems to be clearly a publicity ploy. This is a really bad message to send to our kids. That woman shouldn't go near a kids' show with a 10-ft. pole. Let her get a job with Playboy.
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Teen, 16 years old
May 29, 2010
AGE
Wow, this is what the first season was like?!
I've only seen the third and final season and was shocked when I read this about the first season. The third season has NONE of this stuff except for some mild language. The sexual content is way less, only kissing. Really good role models in season 3. Lacey overcomes a difficult background to achieve her dreams. Birdie works as well as surfs and is a strong African American female role model, she's very driven to accomplish things but is also very nice and compassionate. Major characters are African American, Pacific Islander and Asian. All relationships are portrayed excellently as taking time, effort, and compassion, and couples on the show are very respectful towards each other. Drugs are mentioned but the show makes it very clear that selling drugs is NOT a good way to make emergency money. It was such a fun drama, it's too bad it's over.
What other families should know:
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| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Network: | TeenNick |
| Cast: | Erik Aude, Sonia Balmores, Suzie Pollard |
| Genre: | Drama |
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