Parents' Guide to

Impact: Stories of Survival

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Brace yourself for true tales of beating the odds.

TV Discovery Health Channel Reality TV 2002
Impact: Stories of Survival Poster Image

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

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What's the Story?

By telling stories of men and women who experienced horrific accidents -- and lived to tell about it -- reality-based series IMPACT: STORIES OF SURVIVAL illustrates how easily life can change in an instant. Each episode introduces viewers to victims of life-threatening catastrophes like vehicle crashes, natural disasters, sporting mishaps, and burns. As they talk about their accidents, video footage and dramatic re-enactments illustrate their words and family members offer their emotional memories of the events. Doctors then explain the victims' extensive physical injuries, outlining the surgeries and various other treatments that were part of the patients' recovery and using computer graphics to show how bones and muscles responded to the forceful impact of the accidents. Throughout each episode, the victims talk honestly about how the traumatic experiences altered their lives.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say (1 ):

The series' intense nature and potential for graphic scenes of accidents and injuries means that it's not for the faint of stomach. In one episode, for example, a man is shown hurtling through the air after being hit by a race car; he's then run over as he lies motionless on the ground. In other segments, viewers see a man's charred, dead skin peeling off his burned body, and a victim of a speedboat accident talks about how his painful recovery led to a depression that made him wonder why he was still living.

It's important to know your kids' tolerance level for the emotions and physical trauma that accompany a powerful series like Impact: Stories of Survival. If they're able to handle the content, they (and you) will be impressed by the medical advancements and human determination that save accident victims' lives every day.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the technological advances that affect patients' chance of recovery. How has science helped doctors better understand the human body? How does that improve their ability to diagnose and treat injuries and illness? What procedures allow doctors to pinpoint and treat a patient's problem? What role does a positive outlook play in a successful recovery from injury or illness? Is it easier or harder to watch graphic injury footage in this context than it is when you see it in primetime dramas? Why?

TV Details

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