Parents' Guide to

Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Killer concept injects edgy humor into small-town life.

TV IFC Comedy 2010
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

hamstergurl09
hamstergurl09 Adult
January 5, 2013
age 15+

The Kids Are Still Funny

As a fan of "The Kids in the Hall," I expected to like this show, but I was not completely sure if the Kids would still be able to pull off a funny show after being off the air for so long. "Death Comes to Town" entirely exceeded my expectations, as it is absolutely brilliant. People who aren't into dark humor won't like it, but dark humor is my favorite genre of comedy, so it was perfect for me. It's moderately edgy (about the same amount as the original "Kids in the Hall" series) and completely hilarious. Considering some adult themes in this, it will probably not be appropriate for younger teenagers, although I'm fifteen (which is more of mid-teenaged) and I can handle it just fine. I find myself and my family often quoting the show. Sadly, it's only a miniseries, and it ends so quickly! I love the show. I definitely recommend it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
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What's the Story?

DEATH COMES TO TOWN quite literally when the Grim Reaper (Mark McKinney) rides his bicycle into Shuckton, Ontario, and moves in to the No Tell Motel. He's got plans to kill, of course. But nobody suspects what tragedies await until the town's mayor, Larry Bowman (Bruce McCulloch), turns up dead. Suddenly, everyone's a suspect, including the mayor's alcoholic wife, Marilyn (Dave Foley); his blustery mistress, TV news forecaster Heather Weather (Scott Thompson); and hand sanitizer-huffing town miscreant Crim Hollingsworth (also Thompson).

Is It Any Good?

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

This "gothic comic miniseries" was co-written by Canadian sketch-comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. And when it comes to laughs, Death doesn't disappoint, particularly if you're already a fan of the Kids and their unique brand of subversive humor. The concept itself is quite clever -- it plays like a mash-up of Reno 911! and Waiting for Guffman -- and these characters are some of the best the Kids have ever come up with. Fastidious town coroner Dusty Diamond is a definite keeper.

Although there's some iffy stuff to be aware of, content-wise, older teens (and their parents) with a penchant for subtle humor will definitely appreciate the bone-dry gags. The only downside is that the miniseries consists of just eight 30-minute episodes, which breeze by so fast that you feel like you're leaving Shuckton far too soon. Here's hoping the Kids pen another chapter so we can come back and visit again.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's use of satire. How can you tell that it isn't meant to be taken seriously? Does the presence of deadpan humor downplay the violence and make it seem any less extreme?

  • What are the potential real-life consequences of some of the behavior you see in the show? What message does it send when a show plays that kind of behavior for laughs?

  • Why do we laugh when men dress in drag and impersonate women? Would the show be as funny if male actors only played male characters, and female actors played the female characters instead?

TV Details

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