Parents' Guide to

When the Street Lights Go On

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

High school murder mystery has sex, nudity, violence.

TV Quibi Drama 2020
When the Street Lights Go On Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In WHEN THE STREET LIGHTS GO ON, when a student and her teacher are murdered, a high school journalist (Ben Ahlers) decides to cover the story for the school newspaper. As he investigates the crime, he uncovers unsettling parts of his hometown that few people knew existed.

Is It Any Good?

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

A murder mystery is an ambitious use of Quibi's short-form platform: 10-minute episodes seem like a tough way to establish a complex web of suspects and motives. But When the Street Lights Go On's brief installments feel confident and content-rich, each revealing as much information as, say, a chapter of a novel. The screenplay has been floating around for years, reaching some notoriety, and this is an interesting way to finally see it presented. With continued solid writing and complex but clear storytelling, it's probably worth sticking around to see the murderer unveiled.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about murder mysteries. Why are they so popular? What do you think goes into creating a truly surprising outcome?

  • What do we know about the setting and time period of When the Street Lights Go On? How does this affect the relationships and the mystery?

TV Details

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