Eureka

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Intriguing drama puts science in the spotlight.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this series starts out with a few eyebrow-raisers -- including a brooding teenage girl with a nose ring and a potty mouth -- but it quickly morphs into something that's actually OK for family viewing, within reason. While it's not meant for young kids, the show is fine for older teens, who will likely connect with the hellion described above, and might encourage them to give science a second look.

  • The overall implication is that science can be pretty cool if used correctly. Alternately, the show reveals that terrible things can happen when the wrong elements come together.
  • Eureka's brainy residents are brilliant, but their scientific knowledge occasionally produces negative results. (The show also has its share of "bad guys.") The main teen character starts off brooding, surly, and rebellious, but she undergoes a significant change over the course of the series. The sheriff's number-one priority is keeping the town and his daughter safe.
  • The town experiences several instances of strange, bloodless violence -- including a cop who loses his leg, a cow who loses half its backside, and lots of explosions. One character murders another by poisoning her cup of tea.
  • Adult characters engage in some sexually charged innuendo, and sex is sometimes used as a weapon. Flashes of skin also pop up occasionally, including shots of women's cleavage and men's naked torsos.
  • Relatively mild: "bitch," "bastard," 'hell," "suck," and the implication of "motherf---er" (a character is cut off before he can finish the word).
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

There's a big secret in the small town of EUREKA, a picturesque place in the Pacific Northwest where kids idolize Archimedes, blow prism-shaped soap bubbles, and go to the Museum of Theoretical Physics for fun. The secret is big enough to convince Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a perceptive U.S. marshal who's passing through town with his delinquent daughter (Jordan Hinson) in tow, to stay a while and get to the bottom of it. Eureka's oddball citizens include a deputy with a chip on her shoulder (Erica Cerra), a leggy government liaison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), a dogcatcher with unconventional tactics (Matt Frewer), and a B&B owner who dabbles in psychiatry (Debrah Farentino). There's also the matter of a secret government think tank, where the world's most brilliant minds (headed by Greg Germann) are always at work.


Is it any good?

 

As a dramatic series, Eureka works well by teasing out a series of plot twists and turns that are bound to keep sci-fi fans interested -- and the special effects are, well, downright effective. There's also a lot to be said for the show's message, which subtly sexes up science and shows the wonderful -- and terrible -- things that can happen when the right elements come together.

Eureka's plot and characters are both titillating and interesting, and Ferguson, especially, proves a likeable and charming lead. The fact that the show isn't entirely appropriate for young children shouldn't discourage parents from watching along with their teens -- it's just another case of exercising caution.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about whether the oddities seen in the town of Eureka could actually happen in real life -- and if you're not sure, it's the perfect excuse to look it up. What exactly is quantum physics, anyway? And are top-secret, government-funded science programs merely the stuff of fiction, or is the show's plot partially based on fact? The sometimes-tumultuous father-daughter relationship between two prominent characters could also serve as a springboard for conversations about marriage, divorce, and the challenges of co-parenting.


This review of Eureka was written by
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Good
I really find this entertaining. I enjoy the idea that there's a secret town of highly intellegent people out there trying inventing wonderful, new things!

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Adult
July 16, 2010
 
not for my family but maybe for others
i hate eureka, it appalled me the first episode i tried to watch with the family and it showed a chick on the bed wearing black almost see through bra and underwear and i said "CLICK" and turned it off. that is not something i want to see being a woman let along my kids to see it..
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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Fantasticle
The best show on tv. I even have my mother hooked. Smart, fun, entertaining, and above all, sci-fi.

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Parent of 11 and 15 year old
September 4, 2009
 
Mostly positive. Check individual episode ratings.
I'd rate this ON for kids younger than 14 because when you look at the entire series--not just an individual episode--it's mostly a great show appropriate for younger kids. I have screened some episodes and not let my daughter watch one or two but they are the minority. Overall the show is inventive, smart and funny. Science is spotlighted. The "difficult" child turns out to very responsible and smarter than she realized. When things go wrong it's dealt with responsibly. The person who solves many of the town's problems is not the smartest person in town but he's got common sense. The few issues I don't like aren't common enough or bad enough for me to feel that I should stop my 11 year old from watching it.

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Teen, 13 years old
April 20, 2011
 
this is brillant series

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Educator and Parent of 5 and 8 year old
May 8, 2011
 
Choose a few scenes, but save the show for when they're older
There are some great nuggets in this show, but it's not for kids. The sexy stuff is my biggest concern. I do, however, occasionally choose a scene for my eight year old. The show incorporates some real science, extrapolating to fiction in interesting ways.
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Parent
August 8, 2009
 
give me a stinking break these morons at common sense don't know what they are talking about there is a mans chest no cleavage so don't believe these morons
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Kid, 12 years old
August 8, 2009
 
give me a stinking break these morons at common sense don't know what they are talking about there is a mans chest no cleavage so don't believe these morons
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This review of Eureka was written by
This review of Eureka was written by
 

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