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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this dark crime drama has significant supernatural elements and occasional moments of suspense that will definitely frighten younger viewers. In addition, the level of violence is sometimes heavy and includes weapon use (shootings, etc.) and occasional scenes of explicit blood and/or gore. Language is relatively sparse but does include "ass," "hell," and "damn."
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What's the story?
Taking its name from the infamous island prison near San Francisco, ALCATRAZ centers around a massive mystery: How did more than 300 prisoners and guards disappear from the facility just before its closing in the 1960s? What happened to these men, and why are they now appearing again 50 years later, seemingly unaged? After following a seemingly routine murder case, Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is recruited by the enigmatic Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) to help track down and investigate these missing people, who have begun appearing out of nowhere back in the prison they once called home.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
Fans of Lost who are still looking for a series to fill its void might find something appealing in J.J. Abrams' dark police mystery drama. Alcatraz has the vibe down -- the pulse-pounding music, the moments of surprise and suspense, the enigmatic figure of authority who seems to know far more than he's letting on. (Plus, Lost's Hurley -- Jorge Garcia -- is one of the show's stars.)
On Alcatraz, the central conceit borders on the ludicrous: 300 criminals and guards disappear from the prison in the 1960s, but no one knows how or why, and now they're coming back unaged and ready to be evil again. It's like elements were drawn from a fish bowl and glued together on a sheet of paper. What makes Alcatraz watchable are the occasional flashes of wit in the scripting and some classic scenery-chewing from Neill, a longtime master at sideways glances that imply more than you can ever hope to understand.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about Alcatraz's violence. Does it aid or detract from the story?
Do you expect all mysteries to be resolved? Or is there room to leave audiences guessing even after a show ends?
TV details
| Cast: | Jorge Garcia, Sam Neill, Sarah Jones |
| Network: | Fox |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Topics: | Adventures |
| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Available on: | Streaming |
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QUALITY
Good but too violent
Lots of bloody, gory, violence. Probably too much for people under 15.
What other families should know
Too much violence
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QUALITY
An interesting and thought provoking show
This show is an interesting show that makes you think unlike a lot of television. Although there is some violence and blood it is not as bad as many shows and movies out there. While violence and blood is shown it is not gory. The main guy who owns a comic shop is a really smart person who has a PHD in History and has wrote books on Alcatraz and is a specialist on Abraham Lincoln, I think he is a great role model because he doesn't use violence to solve problems. So far there are no inappropriate scenes and there only 1 or 2 inappropriate comments that are over right after they are said.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
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QUALITY
Good for 14+, Pause for 13
I think the CommonSense content summary above is pretty inaccurate. There is plenty of violence, no doubt, and a fair amount of blood. However, nothing takes it over the top for a mature 13-14 year-old kid. It really is the same amount of violence portrayed in various action movies (i.e. Casino Royale, Bourne Identity). In this show, it is better, because the violence is portrayed as what it really is: something atrocious, malicious, and terrible, rather than something done by a few careless bad*sses who work for the government, like James Bond. There is more language than the above summary lists; *ss, d*mn, h*ll, d*ck, and SOB are all used. There are also a few positive messages about how violence is very bad, and the main characters are very good people who work for the common good. The show is off to a good start; it could get better or worse (but hopefully better!).
As a final note, there are violent themes; all the escaped inmates are serial killers, child kidnappers, robbers, etc.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
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