Parents' Guide to

Catch It Keep It

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Science-based contests will get tweens' gears turning.

TV SCIENCE Educational 2009
Catch It Keep It Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 2 parent reviews

homer123
homer123 Parent of 14-year-old
November 4, 2009
age 5+

good show

best new show
scienceFan
scienceFan Adult
August 20, 2009
age 12+
Pointless and wasteful. Creating silly contraptions for a silly situation. Science? don't waste your time. Opening music is horrible also--probably the worst part.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In CATCH IT KEEP IT, contestants get 48 hours to overcome the scientific and engineering challenges that stand between them and a prize. In each episode, a three-person team must devise a way to protect a specific item -- a guitar, an aquarium, or a year's supply of beer, for instance -- from the destructive tactics of the show's resident engineer, Mike Senese, who simultaneously builds his own invention for meeting the same challenge. If the team is successful, they win a prize associated with the episode's theme.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This no-frills, science-based series is an intriguing choice for older tweens and teens who enjoy watching the problem-solving process in action. The challenges are designed to get viewers' gears turning along with the contestants', and families can have fun devising their own solutions to the tasks (which they're invited to submit via the show's Web site).

And aside from some occasional strong language as a result of the participants' stressful working conditions, the content is mostly worry free, so families of tweens and teens can tune in without concern.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can also talk about science and its applications. How do science and technology improve our daily existence? What aspects of science interest you? What problems would like to solve? How would you go about it?

  • What parts of the show are based in pure science, and which do you think might have been added to make for more exciting TV? Would you have been as interested in watching if there weren't any explosions, etc?

  • How much of what you see on TV is actually advertising? How do TV shows and movies include product placement in their content? Does the Internet increase this advertising overload?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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