Hulu

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Free TV and movies online; some have iffy content.
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 some of the free TV shows and movies streaming on this site may not be appropriate for kids. Although a lot of the content on the classic sitcoms, network dramas, and cable reality shows are fine for tweens, there are some programs, such as Prison Break, The Girls Next Door, and Saturday Night Live, that have violence, sex, and other inappropriate content that even some teens shouldn't be seeing. And, making the selection process difficult for parents, the site doesn't include a rating system or even the most basic MPAA and TV ratings. It also lacks a listing system of what type of bad stuff may be included in a show.

  • Varies from show to show. Parents really need to preview shows to know what to expect.
  • Streamed shows feature violence, such as on Cops, Murder One, and Prison Break, but also there are also a lot of shows (like Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?) that are fine.
  • Several shows are sexually oriented, like The Family Guy, The Girls Next Door, and Dr. Steve-O.
  • Feature films include profanity and some cable TV shows also include crude humor and language. Some are OK.
  • Commercials appear before each program.
  • Drinking, smoking, and limited drug use scattered throughout some of the shows.

What's it about?

HULU.COM, the video library joint venture between NBC and FOX, hosts a slew of TV shows, movies, and interview clips available for free online. You can watch everything from tween-friendly classics like Who's the Boss? and The A-Team to newer shows such as The Office (not for tweens) and Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (fine for tweens). There are also a growing number of full-length feature films to watch.


Is it any good?

 

Hulu.com is such a great place for entertainment it's hard to believe it's free. There are commercials, usually for about 2 minutes, before the show starts, but less than you have to sit through during a traditional TV program. The site's organization is very intuitive and there are nice features like full-screen and "lower lights" that add to the viewing enjoyment. As the site becomes more popular, the review section will probably become a top resource for what to watch. Who needs cable, when you have Hulu?


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about which TV shows are appropriate for kids to watch and which ones aren't? What themes make a show good for all ages? What storylines should be reserved only for older teens and adults? Families can also talk about how old and new TV shows differ. Are the story lines and characters in these classic shows similar to today's shows? How?


This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
Teen, 15 years old
November 28, 2009
 
Good Legal Source
Unlike most other free TV sites, this is a legal way to watch online TV. Money goes to the shows and they are in charge if they stay on or not. Except for consumerism, I'm not going to point out anything else because there is a wide range of entertainment.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
February 13, 2010
 
good for mostly all ages
its the best! It's safe free and awesome!I've found some very funny snl skits and every one I've showed them to has loved them. I've showed them to adults and friends. I think it's so COOL, its one of the top sites that I go toin my free time!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 12, 15, and 18 year old
August 2, 2009
 
perfect for your teen-bopper or high school child
my older teen loves this site while there are commericals there's usually only four to five ads total per show

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
December 23, 2009
 
every body can go on this site
has kids shows and adult shows. jest for every body

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
My Favorite TV Watching Site
I watched all of the Arrested Development episodes and all of the Office episodes on this time and was pleased by the limited commercial breaks and great quality of video.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
March 12, 2011
 
Mature Teens & Up
Hulu is great for mature teens and up. Consumerism is an issue because there is (at the least) one commercial that must be played through before viewing the selected TV show/movie.

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Kid, 12 years old
January 16, 2011
 
why did so many people say it for older kids?
there's no account or downloading needed to watch shows (the shows are the ones you should be worring about)im 11 years old and i go on this.i watch the simpsons on this and OK they show commercials,but that's beacause they think ADULTS watch them. so i say this site for 10+

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Kid, 13 years old
May 14, 2011
 
Hulu is a horrible Cartoon website
I can not find of my favorite ben 10, ben 10 alien force and ben 10 ultimate alien (Only 1 or 2 of them appear but they only lead to CN website). I also can't find any of the old classic good shows like Sonic Sat. PM or super mario world. What a rip-off website this is. And Netflex is even worse then hulu because you would have to pay a extra $10.00 for the Dvds and a extra $8.00 for the membership for one month and that is a lot if you have it for 6 months by kid standards ($56.00). If you would be smart enough to buy a recording dish like directv of Dish Network, you would probaly record the episodes if you would be lucky enough to catch them.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
December 22, 2009
 
best for all ages
I clicked all the things because it depends what your watching on it.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
 
not as plaesed as i expected to be

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
Genre:Creating

This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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