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All parent reviews for Doctor Who

Age
8
Average rating based on 39 parent reviews:
  • 62% say there are positive role models
  • 62% say there are positive messages
Educator and Parent
September 6, 2010
 
Depth, Nuanced Themes, Bowties, and A Lot of Innuendo
Doctor Who has been around for almost my mother's entire life--and I'm an adult. That should tell you something. Since 1963 the values and appropriateness of the show has varied alot. I'll tell you that the earlier stuff is more appropriate than now for most part, and keep my commentary mostly to the new series. Doctor Who started as a family program and it still tries to be that. The story of an ancient, lonely alien who travels through time and space helping people who need it. He has trouble without someone to bounce his ideas off, and he's lonely, so he almost always has a companion, almost always a brilliant or brave young woman. If you have a teenager you needn't worry about Doctor Who. There are the odd racy comment, and a fair amount of violence, but it's nothing your teenager hasn't heard on the school bus, and is often much more elegantly phrased and genuinely funny on the show anyway. My concerns for younger, tween viewers are a few. The biggest iis its mild sexual comments. It's almost all a handful of jokes here and there, but they are subtle jokes that kids might accidentally repeat without a little clarification--and do you really want to explain the other definition of those words? They still aren't that bad, but let me tell you, being the naive kid to repeat that stuff without knowing it is not fun. The violence can be fairly intense, but is usually contained enough. Remember, this is prime time programming in the U.K. The Doctor generally avoids all but the most temporary, emergency violence, preferring to talk, scheme, or sabotage his way out of trouble. His companions do not alwayts agree and there are traditional military battles in later seasons. Creatures are occasionally killed, sometimes violently and callously, and the series features at least one suicide, on-scene but off-screen. Also, expect a lot of mild swearing. Nothing too crazy, but if you don't want your kid spouting the midlest but most religious of four letter words, talk to them before watching. On the bright side, the show features great role models like the Doctor (courageous and resourceful) and his companions (especially Martha, a brilliant and brave woman who knows when to follow along and when to stand up, and Rory, a loyal, courageous friend unafraid to speak up for his beliefs). The Doctor is a flawed role model, and his character arcs in season 2 and 5 are too complicated for younger teens without a parental explanation of deconstruction or a close watch of "The Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time." The show advocates standing up for what's right and heping others, but is also careful to remind us to be careful in our meddling and to pick our batles wisely, with the way fixed points in history cannot be changd. It is a deep, thought provoking show best saved for older teens, but fine for viewing by younger ones and a good conversation starter for tweens and parents. Plus, David Tennant rambling at fifty miles an hour and Matt Smith insisting that bowties are cool. Fun for the whole funny family!

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Parent of 12 year old
March 28, 2011
 
Good for tweens
As a Christian mother, I see Doctor Who as a complex, rich allegory without the vulgarity of other modern TV shows. Of course, some of the monsters are a bit scary for small children, but for tweens. No problem. Despite it being a sci-fi show, it is the only show I know of that shows consequences to every action and still contains superb role models. Definitely a favorite in our family.

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Parent of 12 year old
January 23, 2010
 
OK for all ages if you take precautions and know their limits
Perfect for all, unless the littlies are prone to bad nightmares - healthy scares are OK. We started my son on it at age 7, but I knew the series of old, so let him watch the first episode in daylight, with nibbles and cakes so I could distract him if he got spooked. I think that's better than missing out on it altogether. He's now 11 and prefers watching it in the evening with the lights low for maximum spookage! The Doctor always values talking your way out of trouble over fighting. No swearing (or at least made up words if so). The right kind of scary.

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Parent
April 4, 2012
 
Timey-Wimey
Brilliant! Great, imaginative show for all ages. The creatures and situations can be scary, but the Doctor is charming and always saves the day! Some very mild swearing (d*mn, hell and a**) from time to time. The positive messages outshine any negative aspects of the show. Second chances and forgiveness are nearly always offered to the "villains".

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Parent
March 26, 2012
 
Long live The Doctor
The Doctor is a family tradition in our home. As a young child, 5 and up, I would curl up with my mum and watch Tom Baker, Peter Davison, and John Pertwee deal with crazy alien situations which I as a child thought were scary and yet very cool! Yes, the old monsters were very cheesy, but the writing drew me in and made me a fan of sci-fi forever more. A few times I do remember hiding my head under the blanket or literally hiding behind the sofa. The new Doctor Who series has been watched by my daughter and I for as long as it has been on, but she didn't really become addicted until 7 years old. Now she watches the old ones with me too, and she is still riveted by the new and the old monsters, and the witty dialog. And I now giggle when she hides her eyes while peaking out over my shoulder or behind the sofa. The Doctor is written as a complex character and yet a knight in shining armor. In some iterations he is darker than in others, but most of his iterations believe in mercy and nonviolent solutions and the inherent human abilities for love, persistence, and compassion. This show is one of the few on TV that I have little to worry about because it is very moral and explains things with the intent that your children are watching. It also does not condescend to children, but rather, since the The Unearthly Child, makes sure to show children that they are valuable individuals full of complex thoughts that are as valid and useful as any adults. In the new series this is especially characterized in the young Amelia Pond and her resulting life as the Girl Who Waited. Bloody brilliant. I will admit that Captain Jack Harkness's behavior did spark some questions from my daughter but they were easily resolved. Some of the Doctor's companions in the new series have been very strong female characters as well, and not just the damsel in distress. Many times these companions end up saving him which gives a much needed twist to the knight in shining armor background that was seen in the older series and sent many women reeling from the misogyny. But now we have Martha Jones, a medical doctor, activist, and security agent; Madge Arwell, the strong mother and war widow; Harriet Jones - Prime Minister; and the incomparable River Song, a mature woman, doctor of Archaeology and time traveler. These strong female role models allow young ladies to see that anything is possible in the future, and that self reliance is attainable and beautiful. As a woman of science with a young daughter, I really appreciate these positive role models. Cheesy at times, scary at times, heartfelt all the time, I really recommend Doctor Who to any family looking for a fun show to gather around the tele and share for a lifetime.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Not really good for younger kids because it can be scary at times (even for us adults), most of the innuendo (very rarely happens) will go over the head of youngsters. Only "iffy" sexual situations involve Captain Jack Harkness, who is bisexual and only in a total of 6 episodes in the first 3 series of the new run. this is British TV, so references to the pub and drinking are minimal, but treated as normal.

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Parent
April 6, 2012
 
Great conversation starters
The doctor is a nerdy hero who abhors violence. In one controversial episode, when offered casual sex, he refuses. The Doctor is a great role model for kids. It offers great conversation starters, too. Does the end justify the means? What about ethics? What is a paradox? Questions raised in the episodes stretch the brain.

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Parent of 3, 8, and 10 year old
March 29, 2012
 
Especially in later seasons, there is ample opportunity for discussion
I'm a total fan of Doctor Who, and I couldn't wait to introduce my 9yo to the Good Doctor. Parents should know that in later seasons, the Doctor's actions are often more morally ambiguous than in the early Who shows. This can lead to great discussions of such concepts as "the lesser evil".

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Parent
March 8, 2012
 
Doctor Who is brilliant for the entire family!
Doctor Who is wonderful for the whole family! Good role models, the Doctor is extremely smart and is enthusiatic about science and using your mind to solve any and all problems. He encourages everyone to do what's right and to stand up for what's right peacefully. My husband and I just recently introduced my 8-year-old step-daughter to the show and she loves it. Immediately after watching 5 episodes in a row she wanted to draw the characters. And told me that when we see her she wants to "watch 4 episodes every time she's with us." Wonderful, I'm glad to see her excited about a show that encourages such great things instead of mind-numbing cartoons.

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Adult
February 26, 2012
 
kid friendly
good show i think. Very kid friendly!

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Parent of 12 year old
February 7, 2012
 
---
I really liked Doctor Who, before season 5 came out. In the first season, I really like the Doctor. The Doctor in seasons 2-4 was even better. However, the following season was a disappointment. Not only did Matt Smith annoy me to death, but I found the episodes boring, and so were Amy and Rory. In seasons 1-4, they went on new adventures every episode, exploring a new planet or finding aliens. They started off with the same type of thing in season 5, but then it became boring and I remember "the skin" which was interesting at first, but, after four episodes of it, got annoying. I was very happy when The Doctor left Amy and Rory. I hope they will not return for the next season. And, if we are lucky, we might even get a new doctor. Overall, I think its a great show (apart from the last two seasons), and recommend it to both children and adults.

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Parent
January 18, 2012
 
AMAZING SHOW!! NOTHING LIKE IT IN AMERICA!!
I would have said that this show is suitable for all ages but in terms of the scariness of some aliens I'll recommend it for 5 and up. Doctor Who has probably the best role models there is on TV. The Doctor never resorts to violence, he always tries to find the nonviolent way out of a situation. But when it comes to matters of aliens or earth he always picks earth. And there is hardly any blood and there is no gore. The only thing for sexual content is some flirtation. Few kisses, and innuendo thrown in throughout nothing worse than what you typically hear in a normal day though Language is used sparingly throughout each episode. Infrequent use of the H-word and D-word. Other language includes religious exclamations. All in all a great family show for almost all ages if your kids can handle scares at a young age. Then go ahead you will not regret watching Doctor Who.

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Adult
December 5, 2011
 
Great show!
Personally, I've loved watching Doctor Who since season 3 was aired on BBCAmerica. Yes, it is a bit strange - and it does have characters that can be frightening to young children. I dislike this new season, because it seems more romance-related, what with Amy(her obsession with The Doctor) &her husband Rory... :\ I preferred Doctor Who before Matt Smith (so, from the 10th doctor and prior to that). Aside from that - I do quite like Doctor Who and would reccomend it to any sci-fi fan. :)

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Parent of 5 year old
September 19, 2011
 
Hello Sweetie!
My daughter has been watching Doctor Who for over a year now. I tell her that any monsters are either people in suits or created in the computer like a drawing. We talk about how the Doctor uses his brains instead of guns to get out of trouble. She had AMAZING insight when we watched the Doctor Donna episode about the Ood and how treating them as slaves was wrong. Matt Smith is the perfect Doctor for children. Yes some things can be a little scary but that is sort of the point. I always watch the show with her the first time. After that she asks me "Mommy can I PLEASE watch the weeping angels again?!" She knows it's my Achilles heel. When I won't let her watch anything else I can't say no to the Doctor. :D

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Adult
August 8, 2011
 
Fantastic
The only thing I believe might be some problems for some families are the scary situations and some people may have a problem with the sexualities presented (there are sometimes gay characters). My values make it so that this doesn't bother me at all and some families may enjoy it, while others might be bothered by it. However it's a very small part of Doctor Who. Overall it's a fantastic series that gives people of all ages a thrill. It's fun, smart, and quirky and can sometimes scare even the oldest person.

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Parent of 6, 7, 9, and 11 year old
April 18, 2011
 
Perfect!
Is perfect for kids! My whole family has WWTDD (What Would The Doctor Do) Braclets to remind the to be kind like he is. The only fall back is it is scary sometimes and with the new series you get questions form your 6 year old like "What is a concubine?" and "Why is Jackie pregnant" so that can be awkward but it still is the best telly program out there me and my husband named all 4 kids after characters form the iconic series

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Parent of 6 and 8 year old
March 22, 2011
 
Perfect for kids who like sci-fi and fantasy, if they're not overly sensitive
Our two boys, ages 6 and 8, completely love Dr. Who! We watch it as a family so we can answer questions that they have. There are often messages about war and how it's sad that creatures try to destroy each other, so this is a conversation opportunity. Occasionally, some episodes get a little "creepy" (an episode called "The Empty Child") was *almost* a bit too scary for the 8 year old, who is more sensitive than his little brother, but he really wanted to see it. We discussed it a lot, and watched early in the day, and he was fine. A very sensitive kid might not have been. This show is great for sci-fi fans, and for anyone looking for a cool role model who travels the galaxy trying to help people and often discusses how important it is to settle things in a nonviolent way. The show is British, so you might find yourself explaining British slang sometimes.

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Adult
January 29, 2011
 
A fun romp through space and time, with some questionable morality.
You can take this show at face value: A fun romp through space and time with the Doctor and his companion. It's bright, it's colourful, charming, and generally the resolution is a happy one. Or, you can dig deeper and come up against some wonderful moral and social quandries to discuss with your children. While the Doctor is the eponymous hero of the show, some of his actions (particularly in the past) have been incredibly questionable. While there is no doubt he is the saviour of mankind many times over, he has also committed genocide and specicide in order to do so. He may be our hero, but to many others he is a villain; is a single culture worth the destruction of so many others? Discuss how perspective and the individual can radically alter our view of a situation. The alien cultures and races presented are also a wonderful opportunity to discuss prejudice and stereotyping against the unknown in our own lives.

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Parent of 2 and 4 year old
December 31, 2010
 
My British father introduced me to this show when I was very young and my husband and I were happy to introduce it to our preschooler with Matt Smith taking over as the 11th Doctor. With DVR, I recommend a prewatch before you watch with younger kids, but the Doctor is awesome and an experience I was thrilled to share with my child like my father.

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Parent
November 13, 2010
 
family fave
perfect for any age

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