Parents' Guide to

The 4400

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Strong sci-fi mystery OK for older tweens, teens.

TV USA Science Fiction 2004
The 4400 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 6 parent reviews

Nique H.
Nique H. Parent of 6, 9, 11 and 13-year-old
January 28, 2022
age 15+

Ratings Not Accurate

I've watched most of the seasons when they first aired as a teenager with my mother and now I am re-watching with my children. There is most definitely language present AND some sexual content. Some "soft" swears like hell and damn, but I've also heard b**ch at least three times within the first 7+ episodes. I think this warrants *at least* 2/5 for language. There is a lot of kissing, between adults and teenagers alike, and aroundabouts episode 7 maybe there is a brief sex scene, sensitive body parts are covered by sheets, but quite a bit is left to the imagination. I'd give the sexy stuff 3/5 upon re-watching the first 7+ episodes. It can be scary for young and/or very sensitive children, there's a scene in the first or second episode for example where a character dies and falls backward on a sharp object becoming impaled through the chest, you're not spared the full impact of this. If yours are kids that like Jurassic Park, they'll be fine with this (IMO).

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
OldergentnamedDEinSC
OldergentnamedDEinSC Adult
November 3, 2021
age 18+

Same basic tale as tv serial now on Netflix except cast featured mostly white people this time while 4400 was mostly African Americans.That is OK with me ,after all, I am a fan of the outstanding TV writer s

People over the age over 18 will eventually realize that these types of plots HAVE to end abruptly because the writers cannot imagine an ending that would make them proud of his/hers. Instead , they resort to texts across a blank screen.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When 4,400 dazed people arrive near Seattle in a big ball of light from the sky, they don't know where they've been or how long they've been gone. Turns out, they've been abducted by humans from the future, and, viewers find out later, they're supposed to help save the world. But in the meantime, they struggle to sort out their lives, which have been cruelly disrupted. None of them have aged at all while they've been missing. As a consequence, for some, like Maia (Conchita Campbell) -- who was abducted as a child in 1946 -- returning to their families isn't an option. Others have been gone for only a few months or years, but making the transition back to normal life is still difficult.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (4):

Complicating the abductees' reintroduction to normal life is the special powers some have returned with. For young Maia, it's the ability to know the future. For earnest 19-year-old Shawn Farrell (Patrick Flueger), it's the ability to heal and hurt with just the touch of his hands. As these abilities become known to the public, fears arise that the abductees will use their powers for evil. Taking a page from The X-Men, "The 4400" join together to protect themselves against an antagonistic and sometimes-violent public.

Quarantines, secret government plans, splinter groups, and the arrival of a potential messiah figure combine to make this dramatic series rich with sci-fi mystery and plenty of surprises. The acting is generally very fine, but occasionally the drama seems overwrought. Most teens will be able to handle the occasional violence and spooky overtones, but the general feeling of a planet in crisis may tap into anxieties about the real world.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what special powers they'd want to have -- and which they wouldn't. What's the burden of mind-reading or being able to foresee the future? What kind of similarities do teens see between the issues the show brings up and what's happening in today's post-9/11 world? What does fear of a specific group of people do to society as a whole?

TV Details

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