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The Phone

(Rated TV-14, Game shows, Starring Emmett J. Scanlan, Where to watch: MTV, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Timberlake-produced game show is intense but clean.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Contestants' behavior can go either way, and with a $50,000 prize at stake, players' primary motivation is old-fashioned greed. In the beginning, teammates have to work together in order to succeed ... but toward the end, it's every man for himself.
  • Violence:

    Game show plots tend to revolve around an act of violence. In the first episode, for example, contestants were on the hunt for a mad bomber (who wasn't actually a bomber, of course, but an actor). Pre-planned special effects include graphic car explosions, choreographed combat scenes, and gun battles, which use blanks instead of real bullets.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Virtually none -- generally just things like rare uses of "hell."
  • Consumerism:

    Contestants use matching LG phones with AT&T service. The branding isn't excessive, but the phone (with visible logos) is shown briefly at the start of each episode. The show also recruits new contestants via Facebook.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Phone

Parents need to know that the mood of this fast-paced game show is realistically tense -- and the dramatic special effects (including car explosions and gun battles) might seem a little too real to tweens and young children. That said, the language is surprisingly clean, there's no sex or drinking/smoking, and the contestants are typically smart, athletic, and brave (although they are doing it all for a $50,000 prize...). The logos of sponsors LG and AT&T are thankfully kept to a minimum, too, which keeps the focus on the action instead of the actual phone.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how the show mimics the style of popular action films like The Bourne Identity, Speed, and Die Hard: With a Vengeance. Do the explosions and other tense moments have more or less impact here than they do in those movies? Why? Why do you think the show's producers chose the action-movie format over the run-of-the-mill reality game show style? Is it an effective choice? Why or why not? Would you want to participate in a game show like this one if you had the chance?

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Our Members Say

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See all 6 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    awesome

    OMG you parents that think this is innapropiate are complete idiots.

  2. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 1.0

    No way

    your letting kids watch a show where they risk there life's to earn money. No not good enough for me.This should be for mature teens that know there limits! But over all in entertainment it is excellent but not for bad kids.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    a must see on mtv!

    I ws so excited for this show and i loved in the first five minutes. its not at all inapropriate. there is some violence.

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