The A List
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A lot or a little?
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What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The A List is a teen drama that incorporates supernatural components into its narrative. There are scenes of people falling and jumping off cliffs and other dangerous behaviors, but there isn’t any blood or gore. There’s some kissing (including same sex) and other mild sexual innuendo, mainly among teens crushing on each other. Later episodes refer to deaths, medical procedures, and potential ghost-like beings. Some young people will find it compelling, but others may find it a little slow.
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This show was amazing!!
What's the story?
THE A LIST is a British teen drama series about a group of teens at a Scottish island summer camp that becomes the site of some strange supernatural activity. Mia (Lisa Ambalavanar) arrives at the idyllic Peregrine Island camp expecting to be the most popular girl there. She quickly makes friends with the bubbly Kayleigh (Savannah Baker) and sets her sights on the handsome Dev (Jacob Dudman). Joining them at the camp are Alex (Rosie Dwyer), Harry (Benjamin Nugent), Brendan (Michael Ward), and Zac (Jack Kane). But when new girl Amber (Ellie Duckles) appears, Mia finds herself competing to be the group’s defacto leader. At first it’s annoying, but then strange things start happening to her when Amber is around, and she realizes that this rivalry isn’t what it seems to be. Unfortunately, everything seems to be normal to those around her, including counselors Dave (Cian Barry) and Mags (Nneka Okay).
Is it any good?
The character-driven series combines teen drama with the supernatural to create a engaging, but creepy, narrative. The cast plays cliched characters, including the arrogant popular girl, the antihero, the stereotypical airhead, and the geeky social outcast. The interactions between them reveal the details about what is really happening on the island, creating a growing sense of suspense. Like most young adult television, the plot lines are pretty farfetched, but still offers enough twists and turns to make them compelling. However, because The A List relies on dialogue, rather than action, to move the story along, some may find it a little slow. Nonetheless, tweens and teens who tune in may find it worthy of binge watching.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about teen dramas. Why do you think there is often a character so focused on being popular? What about the geek? The jock? The ditzy sidekick? What are the functions of these roles? Are they stereotypes?
How does The A List set the audience up to be surprised by the supernatural twist? Did you go into the show thinking it had an entirely different premise about teenage cliques and summer camp flirtations?
How does the location of the summer camp -- which is set on a remote island off the coast of Scotland -- play a role in the story?
TV details
- Premiere date: October 25, 2018
- Cast: Lisa Ambalavanar, Ellie Duckles, Jacob Dudman
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Available on: DVD, Streaming
- Last updated: September 20, 2020
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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.
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