Recommended TV series for a family?

Brian G Turner

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So we've watched the first season of Agents of Shield, and we've started Arrow. We also watch Big Bang Theory when available.

I might try us with The Flash, but we'd have to rent that out.

However, I'm having trouble finding other series suitable for family viewing.

Any recommendations?
 
Blue Bloods is a great option and has a strong emphasis on family, respect, loyalty, etc. It is about an Irish Catholic cop family in New York. Tom Selleck is the Police Commissioner and the rest of the family is all involved in either police work or prosecuting. It is very atypical of most crime shows. There is no glorifying of criminals, nothing gruesome, and it focuses more on the family being supportive of each other than it does the actual crimes.

And since it is such a large, multi-generational family all sticking together there are characters of a wide age range that can connect with a wide variety of viewers.

Though I suppose the age-range of the young people that would be watching it with you would also matter. Someone in early middle school might find it boring.

Edit: As well as content. I know little about children and what they watch, so a show featuring police officers may seem remarkably clean and nonviolent to me but not be the case for kids.
 
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The only one we truly watch as a family is Agents of Shield (and now the Agent Carter miniseries). My son (12) watches Gotham and The Flash with us, but my 10yo daughter isn't interested.

If your family likes Arrow, do give The Flash a try. It's a cute series, not quite as dark as Arrow and perfectly suited to family viewing. Plus Felicy Smoaks cameos, so win-win (I wuvs Felicity, she's my favorite Arrow character).
 
Does it have to be new? I don't know much of the new stuff or the American stuff. I'd suggest the BBC's Merlin or Robin Hood. Oh, also I remember you saying you've never seen Buffy! Watch that.
 
Merlin is popular here, as are some of the oldies like Robin of Sherwood and, surprisingly, Blake's 7, found independently by each.

Also - the Simpsons, Outnumbered (especially the early seasons, my kids love them), Dinosapiens if it can still be got in dvd (bbc kids show but well produced). Also, they're quite keen on Father Ted although you have to be okay with them running around, shouting feck etc...

Not Game of Thrones.... :D
 
Some of the Highest Rated Family TV Series With At Least 1,000 Votes!
1. Horrible histories (2009)
2. Through the Wormhole (2010)
3. Doctor who (2005)
4. Gravity falls (2012)
5. Mr. Bean (1990)
 
Twin Peaks. Perfect for kids.

Seriously though, I find with my step kids that they prefer stuff that doesn't talk down to them. Three years ago my step son was nine and he fell in love with Life on Mars, his Mum didn't have a problem so neither did I. Overall I think it depends on how old your munchkins are, if your youngest is past eight (ish) then you could probably pick near enough anything provided its not too gratuitous.
 
My two (12 and 8 ) quite like Atlantis on BBC. You have to forget the actual legends/history though, and some (most) storylines are laughable.
 
It's not sci-fi or fantasy but my kids love watching things like
The Big Allotment Challenge
Great British Bake Off
Great British Sewing Bee
Masterchef
The Great British Menu
etc

They're the sort of things we sit and watch as a family with a bag of popcorn.
 
If this issue comes up again for anyone then a great one that not many seem to have discovered is Community which is currently on Netflix.
 
I watch THE FLASH and DOCTOR WHO with my little niece and nephew.

My students (13 year olds) are watching THE FLASH too. And my older students love PUSHING DAISIES and SLEEPY HOLLOW (why are teens so fascinated by the macabre?)
 

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