Parents need to know that although the characters in this British drama discuss violent crimes like rape and murder (as well as details about victims' injuries and deaths), the acts themselves aren't shown. Ethical issues like witness tampering, police corruption, and bribery are central to the show's flawed-justice-system theme, and characters struggle to stay within the boundaries of the law. Drinking and conversations about sexual experience are common in both social and work environments, but teens who can handle the fairly mature subject matter will likely enjoy this intriguing series.
Positive messages:The series deals with violent crimes, as well as ethical issues like racism, unjust criminal systems, witness tampering, and police corruption. The characters struggle to stay within the parameters of the law as they right past wrongs of a flawed justice system. They also wrestle with personal issues like illegal activity and sexual attraction.
Violence:Crimes like rape and murder are described in some detail (what injuries the victim received and in what order, for example) but not explicitly. Physical altercations like fistfights are brief, but do leave traces of bruises and other injuries.
Sex:Sex is sometimes discussed in fairly graphic terms: In one scene, a man describes his first sexual experience, saying "it could have been in, or it could have just been up against her leg." Men and women exchange flirtatious looks, and one female character often wears very skimpy tops.