Parents' Guide to

The Buried Life

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Reality series encourages young folks to seize the day.

TV MTV Reality TV 2010
The Buried Life Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

none now
none now Adult
October 21, 2010
age 14+

Best "Reality" show on TV

In a world where "reality show" is anything but REAL, this show is really good and send way positive message to kids to enjoy life while we are here, and help others. One of the BEST shows MTV has on. KEEP IT GOING STRONG, Ben-Dave-Duncan-and Jonnie!

This title has:

Too much swearing
Great messages
Great role models
Plague
Plague Parent
February 8, 2010
age 10+

The Buried Life

A great group of young men who live their lives to the fullest, and inspire others to do so as well. I love the dedication the group has to make sure they succeed in their goal to complete their list. A good show for kids, tweens, teens, and yes, the adults will love it too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE BURIED LIFE follows the journey of four twentysomething men who are challenging themselves to complete a list of 100 things they want to do before they die. Canadians Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Duncan Penn, and his brother Jonnie travel across North America in a purple transit bus attempting to cross off items on their list. They also ask members of the communities they visit to think about the dreams they want to realize before their lives are over. For every item they cross off their list, the team helps a stranger in that community accomplish a dream of his or her own.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (2 ):

The team's journey, which began four years ago, is based on the idea that people's dreams often don't get realized because they get buried under the responsibilities of everyday life. The show challenges viewers to motivate themselves to pursue as many of their dreams as they can today, rather than waiting until it's too late to think about them.

Granted, the four young men sometimes use silly and/or underhanded tactics (like sneaking into places in disguise) to accomplish their goals. And some of their adventures seem a little staged, too. But the general message is overwhelmingly positive: Live today's life to the fullest, and give back to those who need a little help doing so.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what they would put on their "buried list." What might stop you from accomplishing those dreams? What will it take to realize them?

  • Is it worth breaking rules or going to extremes to fulfill your dreams? When do you think that it's time to stop trying? How can you help others in your community realize their own dreams?

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.

See all recommended tv lists

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