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.
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.
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