 | 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. |
Innocent
- BBC America
- Genre: Drama
Common Sense Media says
British law students tackle ethics and cold cases.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
Reality-based British drama INNOCENT follows an inspiring professor who leads a small group of law students in tackling cold cases whose convicted perpetrators' guilt is (at least in their opinion) still in question. Within Professor Jon Ford (Lloyd Owen)'s hand-selected group, idealistic Adam (Luke Treadaway) and industrious Beth (Ruth Bradley) -- both totally devoted to helping the wrongfully accused -- are the driving force behind the group's work. Handsome Nick (Oliver James) often uses his charm to his advantage with subjects (and with the ladies), serious Andrew (Stephen Graham) uses the tactics he learned as a cop (he's on sabbatical) to unsettle troublesome interviewees, and eye candy Sarah (Christine Bottomley) rarely contributes anything of substance to the work conversations, but is always ready to chime in on the social ones. The young lawyers comb through police files, witness statements, and boxes of evidence, looking for items or stories that call original guilty verdicts into question. They re-interview witnesses, order new forensic tests, and start from square one to piece together the clues, hoping to find enough to justify re-opening the cases with new evidence and eventually freeing their clients.
Is it any good?
Innocent often touches on ethical questions that affect the reliability of the justice system, offering plenty of thoughtful discussion topics. Episodes often raise issues like the following: How does race affect a witness' ability to identify a suspect? What role does police corruption play in the legal process? What can be done with evidence that's obtained illegally? These meaty topics make this intriguing series a great choice for parents and teens to watch together, as long as they can handle the crime-related subject matter.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the media affects our view of the legal system. Does news coverage typically put a positive or negative spin on how justice is served? In what way? How is the system portrayed in fictional TV series like Law & Order? Based on watching this show, what's the difference between the British system and the American one? Families can also discuss how the American justice system works. Who are the various players (police, lawyers, judges)? How do their responsibilities overlap? Where is there room for error or corruption?
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| TV rating: | TV-PG |
| Network: | BBC America |
| Cast: | Lloyd Owen, Luke Treadaway, Ruth Bradley |
| Genre: | Drama |
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