Parents' Guide to

Bedlam

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Sexy British soap's take on spooky feels forced.

TV BBC America Drama 2011
Bedlam Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

A group of fashionable friends (Charlotte Salt, Will Young, Ashley Madekwe, and Theo James) living in the newly renovated BEDLAM Heights apartments -- conveniently located inside an abandoned institution for the mentally ill -- find they have unwanted roommates in the form of long-dead ghosts who've never left the building. Luckily, one of them has the ability to see the spirits and keep them from seriously harming the humans.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Some critics have described Bedlam as a "Haunted Melrose Place." But in truth, that's giving Bedlam a lot more credit than it really deserves. For while Melrose Place (and its 21st century reboot) at least packs enough camp to make it a mildly addictive guilty pleasure, Bedlam is ultimately forgettable, thanks to its ultimately ineffective attempts to scare you into caring.

The special effects, in particular, play out as cheesy rather than spooky, a real let-down given the potential of the whole insane asylum setting. So instead of feeling like you got the frights you came for, you end the hour feeling frighteningly shortchanged.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the significance of the show's title and the real-life Bethlem Royal Hospital in London that inspired the word we commonly use today to indicate chaos. Is mental illness viewed differently today than it used to be?

  • Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a spooky experience? Why are ghosts and other supernatural beings such popular fodder for movies, TV shows, and other media?

  • Do you think the show is scary enough, or could it be scarier? Why do people purposely choose to watch things that will frighten them? What's the appeal?

TV Details

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