Parents' Guide to

Human Target

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Fun but action-heavy crime drama OK for teens and up.

TV Fox Drama 2010
Human Target Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

rnbizjack
rnbizjack Parent of 8, 8, 11, 11 and 14-year-old
February 23, 2011
age 11+

OK for tweens

My 8- and 11-year-olds watch it and like it very much. Yes, it does have some violence, but not blood and gore. It has plenty of comic relief. I put it in the same category of Magnum PI when I was a kid. Some of the content goes over the head of my 8-year-old and my 11-year-old is very mature for her age. At any rate, I think it's one of the more kid-friendly shows on primetime because the purpose of the team is to help someone. And they always stick together as a team.

This title has:

Too much violence
Great role models
friend of toodleloo
friend of toodleloo Parent of 8, 12 and 14-year-old
May 2, 2010
age 12+

Possibly o.k. for 8 and up depending on sensitivity.

We started watching this show with our 14 year old daughter. She loves it. It has grown on me. Because of it's placement BEFORE American Idol on Fox, which we watch as a family, it has been hard to keep our 8 and 12 year old from watching it. We have started letting them watch it on a night by night basis, and they've all enjoyed it. I haven't noticed violence and fighting any more then video games and movie previews, etc. that they are exposed to all the time. The role models on the show are iffy. While we thoroughly enjoy the character, Gerraro, his background is shady and his method's of getting information is frequently illegal or unethical. Still, much is only implied and off screen. So, currently we are letting them watch it each week. I wouldn't call is a "family show" but the last 6 weeks of the season were o.k. for our family.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) looks like any average guy, just another face in the crowd -- which is a key asset in his unusual profession. He calls himself a security expert, and he typically gets called in as a specialized bodyguard to protect people whose lives are in danger. Chance inserts himself into his clients' lives, blending into the background. But when the assailants reveal themselves, he emerges to shield the potential victims by making himself a HUMAN TARGET.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Chance exudes calm -- he's always in control and always aware of his surroundings, which makes him seem both a consummate professional and a man of mystery. Who is he? Where did he become a martial arts expert and fluent in Japanese? Valley makes this enigmatic character appealing as he slowly reveals tiny crumbs about his background. He's matched by Chi McBride as Chance's business partner; Jackie Earle Haley as Guerrero, a freelance hacker with a dark side who revels in digging up secrets that can be used as currency in tense negotiations and Ames, a talented thief whose victims are often distracted by her looks.

While the show's acting and characters are good, the plots can be formulaic. Each episode finds Chance and the team in a new situation, matched against a new villain. The first half of the program shows the group tracking down the bad guys, while the second half is generally filled with a fight scene or three and maybe some explosions. The combat sequences can go quite long and are technically impressive, but they're also a shade more intense than the average TV brawl. While the main dilemmas are wrapped up every week, fans might be more intrigued by the small clues about Chance's origins that pepper each chapter.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the show's fight scenes compare to those on other series. What's the impact of seeing intense fights on TV?

  • Who is this Chance? Where did he pick up his impressive fighting skills, and why does he pursue this kind of work? The show reveals little about his background; how do you think viewers will respond to that?

TV Details

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.

See all recommended tv lists

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