Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Overcomplicated game has mild innuendo, swearing, brands.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
What's in the Box?
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and taped entirely in London, England, WHAT'S IN THE BOX is a game show that offers contestants the chance to win boxes of fabulous prizes. Eight teams of two answer trivia questions in hopes of getting a chance to open one of 13 giant gold boxes and claim the mystery prize inside. In order for a team to do so, it must select numbers from a grid in hopes of revealing keywords that will unlock the box they are playing for. However, the grid also has wild cards and decoys, which offer curve balls like giving players more chances to win a box or allowing one team to steal the prize of another. The team with the most boxes gets to play for a "Superbox" valued at over $250,000 in the season finale.
Is It Any Good?
This overly complicated game show offers viewers a chance to see people celebrating over prizes they've won and attempting to reclaim the ones that got away. It offers extravagant prizes that are certainly worth winning, and there are some suspenseful moments. But this is mixed in with lots of lights and glitzy gimmicks that push it over the top.
The series also combines competition with reality show concepts, including team confessionals, strategizing and making alliances, and endless reaction shots, all of which make some installments drag on unnecessarily. Some folks may like it because it's family friendly, but if you're looking for dynamic matches that are consistently high energy, you probably won't put What's in the Box at the top of your viewing list.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a good TV game show. What do they have to have to be both entertaining and suspenseful?
There are TV series that successfully combine reality shows and competitions. Is What's in the Box? an example of this?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 17, 2025
- Cast : Neil Patrick Harris
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Game Shows
- Topics : Competition
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 17, 2026
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