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Parents' Guide to

Dirty Jobs Down Under with Mike Rowe

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Spin-off takes ick and shtick to Australia; some language.

TV Discovery Channel Reality TV 2012
Dirty Jobs Down Under with Mike Rowe 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 18+

Based on 1 parent review

amyn1
amyn1 Parent of 2-year-old
October 8, 2014
age 18+

PLEASE block this program if you have children under 17!!!!

"Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe" is a HIGHLY inappropriate program for children of any age. I highly recommend that children under 17 not be allowed to view any of the "Dirty Jobs" episodes what so ever. Sadly, I had on the "Animal Planet" channel at 9:30 am, by 3 year old was watching an episode od "Too cute"... I walked out of the room to get some coffee but was still able to see her, but not the TV... Within the amount of time it took for "Too Cute" to end and "Dirty Jobs" to begin was approximately 3 minutes. 2 minutes into the "Dirty Jobs" program Mike Rowe was climbing over a pile of dead cow corpses with 3 inches of blood covering the floor and every pieces of equipment. He then proceeded to "blow up" the cow with an air hose as all of its internal organs EVERYWHERE!!! I did not realize what she had seen until I downloaded that episode. Within only 3 minutes my child had viewed something that made her scream bloody murder and have nightmares for a week!!! I NEVER take my eyes off my child, I literally walked into the kitchen for coffee, and within that amount of time my child was DAMAGED by this DISCUSTING AND DISTURBING PROGRAM!! I believe this program should ONLY be shown at night! NOT in the mid-morning right after an episode of a G rated program of "Too Cute!" I closely monitor EVERYTHING my daughter views on TV, and it is only on 2 hours per day, I am absolutely appalled just how quickly this program got to showing the most horrific scenes that I have ever viewed on television! I never watched "Dirty Jobs", so I was not aware just how inappropriate and horrific it really is! I made myself watch the entire "Dead Cow" episode, there was ZERO censoring when it came to what was done to these animals after death. It was by far the most unnerving, stomach churning and highly offensive program on the air. It was an up close and personal, detailed view of EXACTLY what happened in a slaughter house! There were blood, guts, maggots, bowels, stomach contents, and feces EVERYWHERE!!!... I am ill just having to recall watching it in order to write this review. PLEASE parents, if you have young children or older children it does not matter, please block this program as it may cause serious ill effects to your child. Especially those who are to young to comprehend exactly what they are viewing! I also scanned through another 30 or so episodes, just stopping on those that contain animal death scenes. I found over 20 episodes (I am sure there are much more!) that contain the killing of animals or what happened after an animal has died. I have to say that there are actually episodes MORE GRAPHIC then the "Cow Slaughterhouse" episode!! I realize that this is a long review, but after researching this horrible program and seeing the damage it did to my daughter in a matter of 3 minutes, I am highly disturbed and worried that other children could possibly have this same terrifying experience, and as a concerned parent I feel I must warm others with children regarding the highly graphic content of "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe" Thank you.
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What's the Story?

The Dirty Jobs spin-off DIRTY JOBS DOWN UNDER WITH MIKE ROWE features comical host Mike Rowe as he works as an apprentice for folks in charge of some of the messiest and most dangerous jobs in Australia. From wrangling deadly snakes from pools and pantries to mining opals, Rowe learns about the many unique and dangerous jobs that people do to make daily life run smoothly in some of the country's more extreme environments. There are some harrowing moments, but Rowe uses his trademark humor to diffuse the most stressful situations. Details about some of the reptiles they confront and trivia questions are also offered throughout the show.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Each episode of the Dirty Jobs spin-off features Rowe learning to do some of the many jobs that most people would never consider making a career, but that are vital for the well-being of the community. It also has the feel of a wild road trip as the entire crew takes pictures and films events from their personal recording devices while they experience some of the many things that make Australia unique.



Dirty Jobs Down Under is a lot of fun, and Rowe's trademark dry humor will also lead to a lot of chuckles. But like the original show, the occasional salty vocab and innuendo makes it a bit too strong for younger viewers. Some of the encounters with (and handling of) local pests might make you a little squeamish, too. For those who can handle it, however, this show is very entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reasons why people do these kinds of jobs. Does featuring people who do these jobs on a reality show help garner respect for them and what they do? Or is it just voyeuristic entertainment?

  • What is the appeal of this show? Is it mainly a platform for Mike Rowe's humor, or do you learn something?

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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