Parents' Guide to

Death Row Stories

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Docuseries offers justice-system lessons, graphic images.

TV CNN Drama 2014
Death Row Stories Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

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

Though parents may be turned off by the horror-movie music and vivid descriptions of crime at the beginning of each episode of Death Row Stories, it's really no worse than your average episode of Law & Order: SVU, gorewise. After you get past the just-slightly-sensationalized murders, though, Death Row Stories follows the twisty turns of each case in a sensitive and very educational fashion that will teach teens and others interested in the legal process a lot about how crimes are prosecuted in our country.

What makes for an expert witness? Why do prosecutors sometimes offer snitches deals? What can happen to someone who's in the wrong place at the wrong time? These are the kinds of questions answered in each show, and the kinds of things parents will want to talk over after watching with teens. Many young people have a passionate interest in equality and fairness, and thus may be particularly interested in Death Row Stories' focus on the unfairly imprisoned.

TV Details

  • Premiere date: March 9, 2014
  • Cast: Susan Sarandon
  • Network: CNN
  • Genre: Drama
  • TV rating: NR
  • Last updated: November 5, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

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.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate