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Look Around You

(Rated TV-PG, Comedy, Starring Peter Serafinowicz, Robert Popper, Olivia Colman, Where to watch: Cartoon Network)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Low-tech science spoof could confuse younger viewers.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Conclusions derived via the show's pseudo-scientific "experiments" are meant to be funny, but kids could miscontrue their facts, resulting in a murky message overall. For example, water is said to boil at 1,000 degrees (the actual boiling point is 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit), and someone is shown eating ectoplasm (the physical existence of which has never been proven). In another experiment, scientists take a sample from an overflowing sewer and drop it onto a human subject's tongue to test the spread of germs. You get the picture.
  • Violence:

    A few experiments (plunging your hand into boiling water, removing an egg, and slicing it open with a scalpel, for example) would be dangerous if younger viewers tried to replicate them.
  • Sex:

    Although the general tone is straightlaced, there's occasional innuendo. For instance, the narrator explains that "kissing a tramp" is one way to get germs. In another instance, an older man removes his pants and underwear to have his temperature taken rectally -- although no sensitive body parts are shown.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Usage is infrequent, but it happens. One experiment involving water produces whisky, and the narrator says, "Whisky is a pleasant-tasting, thirst-quenching drink, and it's enjoyed by all." Later, an adult scientist pours a glass from the beaker, drinks it, and promptly falls over.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Look Around You

Parents need to know that this British send-up of educational programming from the 1970s and '80s is loaded with ridiculously distorted science "facts" and flat-out untruths that are meant to amuse adults, which makes it an iffy choice for kids who are still working on mastering basic scientific principles. While not too much of the content is inherently inappropriate for older teens (aside from a bit of sexual inuendo and a few humorous references to alcohol), they could get a few answers wrong on their next exam if they don't do their own homework. There are also some British pop culture references that kids -- and American adults -- might not get.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the art of using fictious "facts" for comedic effect -- and the importance of knowing that this show is just a parody. What "facts" were presented that you know to be 100% wrong -- and what are the actual answers? When it comes to science, were any of the program's statements true -- and if so, can you be 100% sure? What elements make it clear that this show is meant to be funny instead of serious? (Think about everything -- from the narration to the art direction.) Teens: How does this program compare to the genuine educational programs you watch in school?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0

    Wow, great funny show for the whole family!

    This may be AdultSwim's best TV show yet. The first time I saw it I could hardly breathe because I was laughing so hard! Anyways, this show does have some rather inappropriate content. In one eppisode,a guy sticks his hand into boiling water, which leaves a bad message for younger kids. Good show for anyone 11+

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