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Haven
Common Sense says
- Syfy
- Science Fiction
- 2010
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this sci-fi series based on Stephen King's novella The Colorado Kid is eerie and full of supernatural mystery, but not particularly violent. Law enforcement agents do carry and sometimes draw their guns, but they rarely use them. And characters die under mysterious circumstances, but their bodies are shown only briefly. Sex and swearing are mild ("ass" is about as strong as the language gets), and drinking and drug use aren't at issue. The main character is a gutsy female role model.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
New style intrigue and mystery!
Reviews of series need to be updated
Haven
THE BEST TV SERIES EVER!!!!
What's the story?
FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) is sent to HAVEN, Maine, to investigate a mysterious death; once there, she uncovers even more mysteries. Strange things happen in this seemingly peaceful fishing town -- things that appear to violate the laws of nature and physics. And there’s more: Parker, an orphan, finds that a local legend about an unsolved killing years earlier may be a clue to her own background.
Is it any good?
There’s little original in this X-Files-esque show about a hotshot agent who finds herself immersed in strange events that defy explanation and is determined to get to the bottom of things. It’s a tried-and-true formula, but it’s so common because it usually works. The dialogue is snappy, and Parker has an easy chemistry with both Nathan (Lucas Bryant), the local cop she teams up with, and Duke (Eric Balfour), Haven’s surprisingly urbane ne’er-do-well.
But this kind of show lives and dies not by the acting, but by the plot -- and that means the writers could face a tough task coming up with more and more mysteries in this small town. In The X-Files, the agents could travel the world to investigate weirdness, but Haven's structure means that Parker is stuck in Haven. The whole point of a show like Haven is the barely believable mysteries, so limiting it to a single small town could make it hard for the show to stay within the realm of even semi-plausibility.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the supernatural. Do you think the mysterious things that happen in Haven could happen in real life? Do you think there are hidden forces at work?
Why do you think there are so many shows about people investigating unexplainable supernatural events? Do viewers want to believe in the supernatural?
What's scarier -- violent scenes or eerie ones? Why?
TV details
- Premiere date: July 9, 2010
- Cast: Emily Rose, Eric Balfour, Lucas Bryant
- Network: Syfy
- Genre: Science Fiction
- TV rating: NR
For kids who love sci-fi
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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.