Parents' Guide to

StarTalk

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Awkward format hinders radio-inspired science series.

StarTalk Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Tyson rightfully has earned a reputation for his ability to turn lofty scientific concepts into fascinating entertainment. Based on his long-running radio show of the same name, StarTalk tries hard to ride the wave of its host's success into late-night prowess, but it's hampered by a choppy format that alternates between previously filmed interview clips and Tyson's panel discussions with his two guest hosts, typically comprising a comedian and a fellow scientist. Rather than keeping viewers' attention, it succumbs to redundancy since the interviews don't really need the kind of translation that's Tyson's bread and butter.

Tyson and his hosts seem at ease with each other, and their conversations are entertaining, but because the guests aren't interacting in person there's little flow to the episodes. That's not to say that the show's topics aren't interesting, and the inclusion of a comedian each time ensures that there's plenty of levity to the conversations regardless of the subject at hand. Ultimately, though, this show caters more to viewers with a specific interest in the topic of the day than it does to a general audience.

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.

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