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Parents' Guide to

Midnight, Texas

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Violence, sexy stuff in fun show about supernatural misfits.

TV NBC Drama 2017
Midnight, Texas 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 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Khai3490
Khai3490 Adult
August 20, 2018
age 16+

Fantastic

To me "Midinight Texas" is an exciting show. Supper spooky and supernatural which is something I love. Thanks characters in the show are very unique there stories there supernatural abilities are amazing . When you go and you watch a supernatural show, or a super hero show or anything with super powers or mystical abilities people watch that stuff to escape reality, or to kind of sorta relate to the characters to make themselves feel better . This is not a bad thing at all because some people like the idea of feeling different and this is the type of energy "Midinght Texas" gives off. I mean when you are watching a show you want to be able to relate to it and you in a way want to really connect yourself to that or one of the characters and this is what "Midnight Texas" gives off, an escape feeling.
einat162 E.
einat162 E. Adult
September 5, 2017
age 13+

The show feels "Flat" to me. No the spame spark Grimm had at first (also by NBC)

This show feels "flat" to me, and I'm not saying this after reading the books (since I didn't). Not the same spark Grimm had on first couple of seasons. Personally, I was hoping NBC will replace the ended Grimm with Forever (getting rights, or teaming up with Warner Bros).
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ghosts aren't real, vampires don't exist, and psychics don't really have powers. That's what everybody who lives near -- but not in -- MIDNIGHT, TEXAS keeps telling themselves. But as evidence mounts that there's something very strange going on in this backwater town, it's getting harder to believe. New "Midnighter" Manfred (François Arnaud) is a man on the run, hiding from a powerful enemy who wants something from him, even while he can't hide from his own visions of living dead people. His new landlord, Bobo (Dylan Bruce), has a problem of his own -- his fiancé, Aubrey (Shannon Lorance), walked out on him recently and hasn't been seen since. Before he knows it, Manfred's embroiled in local politics. And since Midnight's most prominent citizens include vampire Lemuel Bridger (Peter Mensah), practicing Wiccan Fiji (Parisa Fitz-Henley), and human with a dark past Olivia (Arielle Kebbel), it's safe to say that Midnight's goings-on are a little more exciting than in your average small town.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Zippy, silly, and fun, this drama operates in the unhinged True Blood mode -- which makes sense, since Charlaine Harris authored both of these book series turned TV shows. NBC is clearly hoping lightning will strike twice with Harris's creations, and for the most part, it has. Like True Blood, Midnight, Texas deftly weaves realistic conflicts -- fitting in, romance, finding suitable work -- into far-out fantasy plots. Just how did a vampire, a psychic, a witch, a werewolf, some kind of winged angel, and a bunch of other assorted creatures of the night find their way to this tiny Texas burg where the veil is thin between the living and the dead? Is the town drawing them to itself? For what purpose? What's the end game here?

While that big question hangs in the air, viewers will be pleasantly entertained by a multitude of side stories: romances and dark power-hungry plots and mysterious pasts -- that sort of thing -- all enlivened by spooky gardens, terrified local teenagers who dare each other to walk up Midnight's country roads after dark, Ouija boards, pentagrams, cats who talk, and ghosts who turn into pillars of smoke. The show seldom stops to explain how any of this could be, and you won't care anyway. Just sit back, take in the high horror-gothic drama, and enjoy this fresh guilty pleasure.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why supernatural storylines are a staple of TV shows like Midnight, Texas. Why do networks like making these shows, and why do viewers like watching them? What are some of the most popular you know? What about them interests or reaches so many people?

  • Ensemble dramas, with multiple characters and storylines, offer a lot of dramatic possibilities for TV shows, which, after all, must spin out stories for weeks, months, even years. How can you tell which character on a show is a main character? How can you tell what character to pay attention to at any given time? How do TV shows communicate what's important in a storyline?

  • Midnight, Texas is a show with a lot of violence: deaths, characters appearing after death, mortal threats. What's the impact of media violence on kids? Is it OK to allow children to watch violent shows if they enjoy them?

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.

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