Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Optimistic science documentary series is intriguing and fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Future Of
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE FUTURE OF is a docuseries, narrated by Emmy-nominated actor Jurnee Smollett, that consists of short episodes (each around 20 minutes) revolving around what the future of a particular item or topic will be.
Is It Any Good?
A refreshingly optimistic look at the future that exalts scientific discovery, The Future Of is the kind of inspirational content that our next generation of leaders desperately needs. Which is why it's so sad that the episode on dating is completely out of sync with the rest of the series. While the episodes covering the future of dogs, houseplants, and space vacations strike the perfect tone to get elementary school kids excited about all things STEM, the dating episode is jarringly adult with talk about "getting laid", "being turned on" and inexplicably no longer bleeping out the profanity that is censored in other episodes. The rest of the series uses short and sweet episodes to stoke curiosity about what could be possible without going into much detail. While this may be tiresome for older viewers, it's ideal for sparking curiosity in young kids -- making this an engaging family show that may even lead to some interesting conversations after the TV is turned off.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the value of documentaries. How can they be used as a tool to teach, and learn, new things?
To achieve the scientific advancements discussed in this series, researchers will need to persevere. What is perseverance? How does failure lead to discovery?
How does this series make you feel about the future? What are the benefits of being optimistic about the future? What can you do to help make the future better?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 21, 2022
- Cast : Jurnee Smollett
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : STEM
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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