Parents' Guide to

Tougher in Alaska

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Tough guy does tough jobs in a tough state.

TV History Reality TV 2008
Tougher in Alaska Poster Image

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

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What's the Story?

Alaska is huge, wild, and known as America's last frontier. The jobs here are pretty tough anyway, but add to that the harsh conditions of a place where you don't see the sun for up to a month at a time and average lows in the winter are around 5 below zero, and it's not just tough -- it's downright harsh. In TOUGHER IN ALASKA, Alaskan journalist Geo Beach shows viewers how hard it can be to live and work in our 49th state, looking at industries from gold mining to salmon fishing.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

In his own Hulk Hogan-esque kind of way, Beach is an engaging host, and while the storytelling jumps around an awful lot, the show is interesting. Depending on your values, the featured industries -- many of which have a reputation for negative environmental impact -- might make you cringe, but the show does an excellent job of blending the history of each industry in Alaska with a look at how the jobs are done now.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages the show sends by what issues it chooses to highlight. For example, mining, logging, and salmon fishing all have a reputation for having a negative environmental impact, but the show doesn't explore that topic equally for different industries, glossing over it in the mining episode while going a little deeper in regards to salmon fishing. Why do you think there isn't more discussion about preserving the environment in the mining episode? How can producers shape what audiences take away from their shows? Can you believe what you see on TV?

TV Details

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