Isla Alpaca
The mark of a good TV show is when it can grab and reel in its secondary audience, and turn them into its primary audience as well. My Parents Are Aliens does just that.Although this show was on TV when I was part of its target audience, and I most definitely watched it then, I remembered surprisingly little of it when I spontaneously decided to see if any episodes had materialised on the Internet. Fortunately for me, they had, and I have since whittled away many hours watching it and chuckling away. From my standpoint in 2015, nearly a decade after the show itself finished, some aspects of the show seem a little dated (in a bad way, most notably references to pop culture of the time), but this somewhat adds to the bizarre charm it holds. The jokes, though crude at times, still garner a laugh, and the interweaving plot lines are sometimes predictable, but nevertheless entertaining. It's strange to think how much they got away with showing on children's TV, as some lines would definitely be classified as mild adult humour, and other times it encroaches upon a more serious, emotional territory whilst remaining positive and lighthearted (three of the protagonists are orphans who have been moved to various different homes over the years - that is definitely NOT your typical nuclear family). It is almost refreshing to see how this show pushed boundaries that not even shows today dare to touch (for example, even daring to mention the word 'gay' in episode 5 of series 7 - "Worst Aid" - when such a thing is still for whatever reason considered 'taboo' by today's standards - come on, TV producers! Step it up!) Moreover, the laugh track added in later series' somewhat detracts from the more serious elements, but when adjusted to it, it's rather easy to ignore.Since it is a children's show, the characters are sometimes rather archetypal, occasionally acting and speaking as a method of advancing the plot, especially in the earlier series', but over the years these characters managed to be fleshed out and yet still consistent and relatable. With masterful comedy acting from Tony Gardner as Brian Johnson, and both Barbara Durkin and Carla Mendonça as Sophie Johnson, they make for surprisingly believable characters, despite the strange premise of the show itself. The transition between Durkin and Mendonça was handled well, and although over time the differences in characterisation begin to show, the heart of her character is still there.The choice to change up characters is always a risky one with a long running show, however, since I have never seen series 8, I cannot address the more drastic changes therein, and can only speak of series' 1-7. To me, the character of CJ (Olisa Odele), introduced in series 6, seemed only to serve as some form of slapstick comic relief, and perhaps a new face for younger kids to relate to as the original trio of Barker kids (Danielle McCormack as Mel, Alex Kew as Josh and Charlotte Francis as Lucy) began to grow up and move out of CiTV's primary audience age. In my opinion, they played it a little too safe with Harry (Stephanie Fearon), as introducing an entirely new persona would have made for a different, interesting family dynamic, and might possibly have spiced up the show a little bit. Since she was only there for one series (7), there was not as much of an opportunity to become as deep as Mel turned out to be, nor was there a chance for her and Trent (Keith Warwick)'s relationship to progress. This is another of my minor criticisms: since Mel and Trent begin dating in series 6 after a few years of intentional build-up from series 2 (I'm not a particular fan of romantic sub-plots, but I have to say this definitely aided the show and kept me gripped!), it would have been nice to see a differentiation in relationships, instead of being the same-old repeated again but with a blander dynamic and no romance (though I would have been VERY angry if there were to be implied romance between Trent and Harry-- Moving on...).Overall, this show is definitely worth a watch, no matter your age,. With witty jokes, excellent acting from the whole cast, and a strong heart at the core of the show, My Parents Are Aliens remained wholly consistent with both characters and humour, and it's a shame that it has never been released properly on DVD.
elmtree1712
My Parents Are Aliens. Is it the best children's TV program of children's television today? This show has been running for seven series' so far and has been commissioned for at least another one. Most shows don't even make it by three, which highlights the strength that this show has. The characters are complex, each with varying backgrounds and good/bad qualities which make them easy to empathise with and over the past few years, we've grown to love each and every one of them. So it was a massive shock when the last episode of Aliens as we know it was broadcast on Wednesday and many a comment on this 'ending' have been voiced over the last 48 hours. Everything, from what I can gather, will be all change apart from the formation for this show: Brian and Sophie who will be continued onto the next era of Aliens. Over the years, Tony Gardner and Carla Mendonca/Barbara Durkin have brought the characters of Brian and Sophie Johnson to life and for those two to have the difficult task of maintaining the high standards set by the current actors is a challenge, but I'm sure they'll pull it off magnificently. For anyone out there reading this who has never watched the program, I would urge you all to give it a shot. The canned laughter track introduced in Series 4 is the only downfall of this piece of comedy genius and for old and young people alike, it's certainly not a waste of half an hour once or twice a week. To argue the point against this though is the introduction of the new children. I have nothing against the actors or the characters of Harry and CJ but to introduce new children so late in the game was always going to have its risks. CJ was too much of a Josh copycat and Harry was almost identical to Mel, personality wise. And to attempt to replace a much loved element of the show such as the lovely Mel was a bad mistake. However, the high standards of the show didn't slip and Harry and CJ gradually became part of the whole routine. My Parents Are Aliens Series 8 should be broadcast around about this time next year and previous series' are being continually repeated on Nickelodeon and CiTV, so if I've convinced anyone with this review then please do watch it, you wont regret it. And now all there's left to say is good luck to those staying, good bye to those leaving and welcome to those arriving. We've been with you every step of the way and intend to keep following, because you're all stars!
