TL;DR: If your 5th grader just finished reading Hoot and is begging to watch the new RJ Decker series premiering on ABC this March, you might want to hit the brakes. While both come from the brilliant mind of Carl Hiaasen, they are on opposite ends of the "family-friendly" spectrum. Hoot is a middle-school masterpiece about saving owls; RJ Decker is a gritty, "neon-noir" procedural about an ex-con photographer solving bizarre murders in South Florida.
Here are the quick links you need:
- The Classic Book: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Ages 9+)
- The 2006 Movie: Hoot (Movie) (Ages 8+)
- The New Series: RJ Decker (ABC/Hulu) (Ages 14+)
- The Source Material: Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (Ages 16+)
Hey everyone. If you’ve spent any time in a middle school classroom or a Scholastic Book Fair in the last twenty years, you know the name Carl Hiaasen. He’s the king of the "Florida Man" genre, but he has this rare ability to write both for our kids and for us (when we need a beach read that isn't totally mindless).
The problem? The marketing for the new RJ Decker series is starting to ramp up for its March 3rd premiere, and because Hiaasen’s name is so synonymous with middle-grade staples like Hoot and Flush, a lot of parents are assuming this is a "family watch."
It’s not. Let’s break down why these two worlds are so different and how to navigate the Hiaasen-verse with your kids.
First, a quick refresher on why we love the kid-friendly side of this author. Hoot is essentially the gold standard for "eco-fiction." It follows Roy Eberhardt, a new kid in Florida who gets caught up in a plot to save a colony of endangered burrowing owls from being paved over by a pancake house.
It’s funny, it’s fast-paced, and it teaches kids that they actually have agency in the world. According to our Screenwise community data, about 42% of 6th graders have either read this in school or for fun. It’s a safe bet for any kid aged 9 and up. There’s also a Hoot movie from 2006 that’s perfectly fine, though—no-BS here—the book is significantly better. The movie feels a bit like a high-budget PSA, whereas the book feels like a real adventure.
Now, let’s talk about the guy on your TV screen. RJ Decker is the protagonist of Hiaasen’s 1987 novel Double Whammy. In the new ABC series, he’s played by Scott Speedman (who some of us remember from Felicity, let’s be real).
Decker isn't a plucky middle-schooler. He’s a disgraced newspaper photographer and an ex-con working as a private investigator. He lives in a trailer park, he’s cynical, and he’s navigating a world of professional bass-fishing scams, corrupt televangelists, and literal murder.
The show is being run by Rob Doherty, the guy who gave us Elementary, so expect it to be smart and character-driven, but definitely "grown-up." Think Will Trent or High Potential vibes—lots of neon, lots of Florida weirdness, and definitely some sexual tension and violence that you don't want to explain to a 10-year-old while you're trying to eat dinner.
The "bridge" between the kid books and the adult shows is a character named Skink.
Skink (Clinton Tyree) is a recurring character in Hiaasen’s universe. He’s a former Governor of Florida who went "feral" and now lives in the swamps, eating roadkill and sabotaging developers. He appears in Double Whammy (the RJ Decker source material) and he also appears in Hiaasen’s YA/Middle-grade books like Scat.
Because kids recognize Skink, they might see the trailer for RJ Decker and think, "Hey! That’s the guy from the book!"
Check out our guide on the "Skink" character and which books he appears in
If you’re trying to decide where your kid fits in this ecosystem, here’s the Screenwise breakdown:
Ages 8-12: The "Green" Zone
Stick to the middle-grade novels. They all have four-letter titles and environmental themes.
Ages 14-16: The "Yellow" Zone
This is where the new RJ Decker series sits. It’s rated TV-14 for a reason. You’re going to see:
- Body Horror/Violence: The trailer literally shows a dead body in a trunk. Hiaasen's adult work is famous for "inventive" deaths (think: death by weed-whacker or giant toy lizard).
- Language: Typical network TV fare, but plenty of "hells" and "damns" and the occasional bleeped-out stronger word.
- Adult Themes: Decker is an ex-con. There’s dialogue about prison, infidelity, and "seductive" characters that might fly over a younger kid's head but will definitely spark questions you might not be ready for.
Ages 17+: The "Red" Zone
The original adult novels, like Double Whammy and Bad Monkey, are much more graphic than the TV adaptations. If your teen is a strong reader, these are great, but they are definitely R-rated in spirit.
If your kid is insistent on watching the new show because they love the author, use it as a teaching moment about adaptation and audience.
Just because an author writes for kids doesn't mean everything they write is for kids. (Imagine if a kid who loved The BFG stumbled into Roald Dahl’s adult short stories... yikes).
Also, keep an eye on Bad Monkey on Apple TV+. It’s another Hiaasen adaptation starring Vince Vaughn. It’s fantastic, but it’s even more "adult" than RJ Decker is likely to be. If your kid sees "From the author of Hoot" on a streaming thumbnail, they’re going to click it.
Ask our chatbot for a list of TV shows that actually feel like the book Hoot
If you have a kid who is a massive Hiaasen fan, here’s how to frame the conversation:
- Acknowledge the talent: "I know you love how funny Carl Hiaasen is, and I do too! That's why I'm excited for this show."
- Explain the "Adult" Label: "The character RJ Decker was written for adults back in the 80s. The stories are about things like crime, prison, and complicated adult relationships that aren't in the books you read at school."
- Offer an Alternative: "If you want a mystery show we can watch together that feels like Hiaasen but isn't as gritty, let's try The Mysterious Benedict Society or maybe Wilder: A Mystery Podcast."
Carl Hiaasen is a Florida treasure, and the fact that we're getting a high-quality RJ Decker series in 2026 is awesome for us parents. It’s going to be the perfect "Tuesday night with a glass of wine" show.
But for the kids? Let them keep their burrowing owls and their Mother Paula’s All-American Pancakes. They’ll have plenty of time for cynical ex-con photographers when they're older.
- Check the Survey: Take our Screenwise Family Digital Habits Survey to see if your kid's media diet is leaning too far into "brain rot" or if they're ready for more complex storytelling.
- Read Together: If your kid hasn't read Hoot yet, grab a copy. It's one of the few "assigned" books that kids actually enjoy.
- Wait for the Review: We’ll have a full "Parental Guidance" breakdown of the RJ Decker pilot the morning after it airs on March 3rd. Stay tuned!
Learn more about why Florida-based mysteries are trending in 2026