Parents' Guide to

Unforgettable

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Grisly crime drama is predictable and unmemorable.

TV CBS Drama 2011
Unforgettable Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Briefly
Briefly Parent of 8-year-old
December 12, 2015
age 15+

This show is Unforgettable!

1 person found this helpful.
lightpj
lightpj Adult
June 1, 2021
age 18+

Did Anyone Watch the Pilot?

In the pilot the main character is pictured totally nude in bed with a man lying against her, kissing her neck. You get the entire naked side of her. How can CSM say no nudity? Can I depend on your reviews?
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Former cop Carrie Wells (Poppy Montgomery) is blessed and cursed with a rare medical condition that grants letter-perfect memory, making every mundane detail in her life UNFORGETTABLE -- every detail, that is, except critical information that could have solved her sister's murder years ago. So when her ex-flame and former homicide partner (Dylan Walsh) shows up asking questions about a crime in her apartment building, Carrie reluctantly signs on to help him and the NYPD look well beyond ordinary clues.

Is It Any Good?

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

The concept of a television crime-solver with extraordinary abilities is certainly nothing novel, whether it plays out as a legitimate psychic who uses her gifts to crack stubborn cases (Medium) or a phony medium who uses mind games to catch criminals (The Mentalist). So the only new thing Unforgettable is really adding to the mix is a really long but rather fun-to-pronounce word: hyperthymesia.

Of course, illustrating the concept of hyperthymesia presents a bit of a challenge, because it requires a lot of replay -- sometimes painfully slow replay -- of a scene in excruciating detail to prove that Carrie, like an elephant, never forgets. But, unfortunately, it gets a bit tiresome, and the show itself is ultimately unmemorable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how accurately the show reflects the level of violence in the world around us. Do crime dramas like this one promote a culture of violence or merely portray our culture in a realistic light?

  • Would you consider Carrie to be a positive role model in spite of her flaws? Does her decision to use her gift to help others make up for negative choices she's made in the past? How believable is her character?

  • How does this series compare to other TV crime dramas? Why are crime dramas so popular, considering their overwhelmingly negative subject matter?

TV Details

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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.

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