TV Review: The Works
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this informative show goes
in-depth into the history and science behind things like
garbage, skydiving, and tattoos. Aside from occasional forays
into topics involving things like beer and guns, there's no
iffy content to worry about, and lots of intriguing,
educational information. The show fosters curiosity and the joy
of learning.
Families can talk about any everyday items they're curious about. Is there something you do or use every day that you wish you knew more about? What could you do to find out more? Who would you talk to first? Can you get others involved in learning more? Does learning about something through a TV show make it more fun? Why or why not?
Common Sense Media Review
With the guidance of Daniel Wilson, a hip smartypants with a
Ph.D. in robotics, THE WORKS looks behind the everyday
experience to explore the history and science of things like
garbage, tattoos, skydiving, and more. Wilson takes a hands-on
approach to learning as he does things like spend a day with a
garbage collector in New York City to understand what goes into
managing the globe's 251 million annual tons of trash. He walks
viewers through the entire process of each topic he
investigates, tossing out interesting statistical tidbits along
the way. Viewers will see how, for instance, recycled paper is
converted into new pizza boxes within 12 hours of being
collected at the curb.
The Works doesn't break any new ground. We've seen other reality shows go into great (and sometimes disgusting) detail on the behind-the-scenes processes that make up our daily life. But while the show isn't revolutionary, it's educational and goes a little deeper than some other shows that just skim the surface. Graphics and analogies help tell the stories. For example, the show about garbage tells us that the average human produces 4.6 pounds of trash per day -- which equals the weight of eight elephants per year.
Fans might also enjoy Dirty Jobs , How It's Made , and Factory Made.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
