Parents' Guide to

The Frankenstein Chronicles

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Gloomy 19th-century detective tale is clever but gory.

TV Netflix Drama 2018
The Frankenstein Chronicles Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 17+

Based on 4 parent reviews

badietzen
badietzen Adult
January 9, 2021
age 18+

Interesting, but gratuitous nudity

Beware: while this may seem a cool entree to a classic Shelley novel, it actually is simply a venue for gratuitous breast exposure.
Dio fry
Dio fry Parent of 13, 13, 14 and 15-year-old
February 1, 2019
age 14+
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE FRANKENSTEIN CHRONICLES kicks off with the grisly discovery of a dead girl, washed up on the banks of the Thames -- and it only gets darker from there. Post-autopsy, we learn the girl's corpse was actually surgically assembled from the bodies of at least eight children, and Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel (Tom Ward) assigns river policeman John Marlott to find the person or persons responsible for the heinous act. Peel has his own motivations for wanting to find a suspect, and the case dredges up emotional and physical demons for Marlott, a widower with a troubled past. Marlott is assisted in his investigation by the earnest Sergeant Nightingale (Richie Campbell) and headstrong orphan girl Flora (Eloise Smythe), who wants to atone for her possible role in endangering other children. The crew's explorations lead them straight into London's seedy underbelly, full of money-grubbing graverobbers and menacing pimps -- but also into the acquaintance of some of the era's leading literary minds, such as William Blake and Mary Shelley, whose recently published novel Frankenstein may have served as inspiration for the crimes in question.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (4):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though the show's awkward title may suggest otherwise, this is less a straightforward horror series than it is a clever, atmospheric crime procedural -- sort of a souped-up Law and Order: SVU set in 19th-century London. As John Marlott delves deeper into what may have spurred this outrageous crime, a real feeling of dread begins to permeate The Frankenstein Chronicles. Was it a copycat inspired by Mary Shelley's sensational novel? Or perhaps a jealous amateur scientist angered by Sir Robert Peel's proposed new legislation, the Anatomy Act? The act would mandate that only licensed physicians be able to practice medicine -- and that the deceased bodies of the poor become property of these budding surgeons, for educational purposes.

Though the series starts off a bit slow, and isn't above dipping into genre clichés at times, Sean Bean's gruff sincerity is eminently watchable, and the supporting cast is markedly strong. Some will compare the show to another serial killer-driven period piece, The Alienist -- but The Frankenstein Chronicles actually pre-dates that show by three years (it began airing in the UK in 2015) and manages to find its own unique -- if not a bit pulpy -- ways to examine issues of classism, faith, and the morality of medicine.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about character motivations in The Frankenstein Chronicles. What is it that drives John Marlott to continue pursuing the case, even after he's told it has been solved? Why does Flora agree to help Marlott and Nightingale?

  • Period dramas have to find ways to convey to the viewer where and when they're set. How does this drama tell the viewer where you are in space and time? Would you know without the opening titles? How?

  • There are many literary references and "Easter eggs" in The Frankenstein Chronicles. Some are overt, such as Marlott crossing paths with Mary Shelley and William Blake. Can you think of any other nods to famous literary figures in this series?

TV Details

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