Parents' Guide to

Time After Time

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Violent but entertaining story of time-traveling Victorians.

TV ABC Drama 2017
Time After Time Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

777regina
777regina Adult
March 17, 2017
age 17+

This movie has "modern misogyny" written all over it

The acting is fairly good and it has a good pace of action. In spite of that there are lots of modern cliches and classical faux-feminism . While it does not imply that "it's ok to kill prostitutes" it normalizes and sanitizes the existence of Prostitution itself. Is it really necessary to show a woman being killed DURING sex ? The politics of Gun violence is addressed, but not the horrific plight of modern day sex trafficking. Instead, for the most part, "it's the happy and willing hooker until she is killed". The usual mix of misogynistically portrayed sex and violence is all over this series. In my book I would not recommend this movie for children nor teenager. TV movies riddled with sex and violence and the objectification of women as entertainment maybe all over TV and movies, but that does not make it a healthy choice for our children.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
March 16, 2017
age 15+

Not what H.G. Wells would've written.

Jack the Ripper wasn't in The Time Machine. I also read, I think, 1 or 2 of his other books. Jack the Ripper wasn't in the ones I read. If H.G. Wells saw this show he'd be turning around in his grave.
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What's the Story?

Based on the 1979 cult movie of the same name, TIME AFTER TIME picks up in London in 1893, when newspaperman H.G. Wells (Freddie Stroma) brings a group of his friends over to show them the time machine he's invented to research a new book. Most of the gentlemen scoff at Wells' invention -- but John Stevenson (Josh Bowman), a man with secrets of his own, gives the machine a try to escape being arrested. Now Stevenson, better known as Jack the Ripper, is loose in modern-day New York, determined to keep on killing. And it's up to H.G. to track him down and bring him back to justice in his own time.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Fresh writing and plotting bring a new energy to what could have been a miserably clichéd (and misogynistic) period thriller about a famous murderer. The central conceit of the 1979 movie -- that Jack the Ripper is comfortably at home in our violent times -- has aged well. "In our time, I was a freak," says John to H.G. gloatingly. "Today, I'm an amateur. You can walk into a shop and purchase a rifle! They encourage it!" The show has clearly put some tantalizingly deep thought into what someone from another time would find astonishing: earbuds, selfie sticks, break dancing, and a first-aid kit all draw rapturous responses from H.G. and John.

In addition, Time After Time is knowingly ironic about its slasher origins. "Why prostitutes?" asks Jane (Genesis Rodriguez), the curator of a museum with a Wells exhibit who quickly gets caught up in the goings-on and is held captive by John. "Do you have something against women? Or just sex?" Yes, it's a drama about a murderer of young women, but a smart and unpredictable drama about a murderer and worth a look if the violent premise doesn't turn you off.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Time After Time and many other shows are about crime. What do people find interesting about crime and murder?

  • Families can talk about the concept of time travel. Do you think it could ever be possible? Do you think it would make the world better or worse?

TV Details

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