Parents' Guide to The Brak Show

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Common Sense Media Review

Sierra Filucci By Sierra Filucci , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Bizarre Adult Swim alien cartoon spoofs sitcoms.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 10+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 10+

Based on 12 kid reviews

Kids say this show is surprisingly tame for an Adult Swim production, making it suitable for tweens and older children, despite some mild language and cartoonish violence. Many viewers appreciate its quirky humor and character dynamics, though some feel it's not as funny as its predecessor.

  • tame humor
  • appropriate for tweens
  • mild language
  • quirky characters
  • decent show
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

THE BRAK SHOW -- a spin-off of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast -- is an animated comedy that airs as part of the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim. It's a spoof on traditional domestic sitcoms like I Love Lucy (it even features a Cuban husband). The titular character (voiced by Andy Merrill) is a young alien boy whose friends include Zorak (C. Martin Croker), a fiendish alien praying mantis. Brak's traditionally styled mother (Marsha Crenshaw and, later, Joanna Daniel) -- who wears an apron and dishwashing gloves but has Brak's alien eyes -- spars frequently with her shrink-ray victim husband (George Lowe), who usually sits at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and is generally lazy and incompetent, sometimes making chauvinistic comments to his wife. The show's storylines are generally brief forays into the absurd (each is only 15 minutes long).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 12 ):

Jokes about sex, sexism, and beer -- along with twisted examples of family and friend relationships -- mean that this show isn't for young viewers. Teens with a twisted sense of humor might enjoy it, and most will understand the satirical elements. But parents might want to check in with teens about the less-obvious humor regarding gender.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes something funny. Why isn't the same joke funny to everyone who hears it? What are the different styles of comedy? How is each one defined? Which style does this show fall into? Is its humor similar to or different from other Adult Swim shows? How? Families can also discuss why domestic life is so often mined for laughs. Do you think your family could be turned into a sitcom? When does your family have the most fun together?

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

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What to Watch Next

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