Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Alien journalists report on Earth; some slapstick violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Alien TV
What's the Story?
In ALIEN TV, alien journalists Ixbee, Pixbee, and Squee are given assignments to investigate strange Earth phenomena like bicycles, gymnastics, and camping. They land on Earth and get to work trying to figure out why Earthlings do certain things, like riding a dangerous vehicle like a bicycle, using pommel horses, and voluntarily sleeping in a tent when they could be comfortable at home. Their reporting quickly goes awry, leading to mayhem and silliness. At the end of each inquiry, they file a report that ends up getting the story completely wrong.
Is It Any Good?
The premise of this series is a good one, but seeing the same gag played out over and over (with the alien journalists exploring three different parts of Earth life in each episode) gets tiresome quickly. It's fun seeing the realistically animated aliens exploring real-life human settings, but the storylines don't match the cleverness of this conceit. Also, Ixbee, Pixbee, and Squee are frequently getting injured as their explorations go awry. It's a lot of slapstick cartoon silliness (like falling down a manhole, or getting slingshot into the air by a hammock). The characters do show pain on their faces sometimes, and sometimes the aliens set each other up to be in dangerous situations for comedic effect. The aliens are very curious about the world around them, but they don't have many redeeming qualities beyond their curiosity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what made the aliens in Alien TV get the wrong impression of life on Earth. What could they have done differently to report an accurate story on the news?
Imagine you're an alien experiencing something on Earth for the first time. Write a news report about it for your fellow aliens.
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 21, 2020
- Cast : John Cleland , Julie Lemieux , Rob Tinkler
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 24, 2022
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