Parents' Guide to

Murder

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Gory reality show tests real folks' CSI skills.

TV Spike Reality TV 2007
Murder 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 13+

Based on 5 parent reviews

swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
April 17, 2023
age 13+

Murder in Baltimore - Excellent attempt to remake film has violence, language

Infrequent swearing includes "s--t," "nut job," "screw," "goddamn," "bastard," "weird ass," "shut up," "son of a bitch," "d--k," "crap," "crappy," "piss," "hell," and "damn." The word "pr--k," is used as an insult. A shy detective is called a "p---y."
swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
April 17, 2023
age 13+

Murder in Baltimore - Excellent attempt to remake film has violence, language

Infrequent swearing includes "s--t," "nut job," "screw," "goddamn," "bastard," "weird ass," "shut up," "son of a bitch," "d--k," "crap," "crappy," "piss," "hell," and "damn." The word "pr--k," is used as an insult. A shy detective is called a "p---y."
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Reality competition series MURDER takes CSI wannabes through the process of investigating a homicide and trying to solve the crime. Using a real solved murder as the basis for each faux-investigation, two teams explore a re-created crime scene, watch recorded interviews with suspects, interview the real coroner, and get lab results from the evidence they collect. Based on this pile of information, the groups hash out their theories, ruling out suspects, mapping out the killer's possible movements, and piecing together their hypotheses before presenting their final scenario to Det. Tommy Le Noir, who is also their guide. After the teams present their final scenarios, the detective reveals the identity of the real killer as the circumstances that led up to the murder; the team that best solved the crime wins (the prize is a donation to a crime victims' charity).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (5):
Kids say: Not yet rated

For fans of crime shows who try to solve the case before the cops do, this thoroughly grisly show is heady stuff. Some team members are up to the challenge, and watching the group think through the possibilities can be exciting, especially when they seem to be getting somewhere. But occasional clashes between team members are emphasized through editing, which can distract from the show's strength.

What's shocking about Murder are the intensely graphic crime scene re-creations, as well as glimpses of real photos from the actual crime. Shots of the real corpses appear onscreen, and the replicated scenes sometimes include massive amounts of very real-looking blood, tissue, and bodies. It's gruesome, and younger and more-sensitive viewers will want to stay far away.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what they see on the show. Do the replicated crime scenes have as much impact on you as a viewer as the ones you see on crime dramas like CSI? Does knowing that it's modeled after a real crime make it harder to see the re-created evidence on this show? What's the appeal of solving a crime? What draws people to this kind of work? How does the real work differ from what appears on fictional shows? Do you think this show gives participants a real taste of the work that goes into investigating a crime?

TV Details

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