Surface – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Surface

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2005

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A one-season 2005 sci-fi creature thriller that critics hated but some viewers enjoyed—if you can find it and tolerate early-2000s network TV pacing.

20%

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Surface

show

TV-PG, 2005

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A one-season 2005 sci-fi creature thriller that critics hated but some viewers enjoyed—if you can find it and tolerate early-2000s network TV pacing.

20%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: Surface is a relic from the mid-2000s network TV sci-fi boom that tried to ride the wave of Lost and failed. It got cancelled after one season, which means your kid will invest time in a story that never gets resolved—always frustrating.

The 20% critic score and 39 Metacritic tell you what you need to know: this was not good television. The 82% audience score is generous nostalgia from people who watched it live 20 years ago. The special effects look bargain-basement now, the pacing is network-TV-with-commercial-breaks slow, and the whole thing feels like a SyFy Channel movie stretched into 15 episodes.

If your teen is really into creature features or marine biology mysteries, there are dozens of better options (Blue Planet documentaries, The Abyss, even Jaws). This one's only worth watching if you literally cannot find anything else, or if you're doing some kind of 'history of failed sci-fi shows' project. Hard pass for most families.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media's 13+ rating seems right—younger kids would find the creature suspense too scary, and the show's unfinished story and dated quality make it a tough sell even for teens. This is really for nostalgic adults who remember watching it in 2005 or die-hard creature-feature completists.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A sci-fi mystery thriller about dangerous sea creatures isn't inherently wholesome. The premise involves government cover-ups and life-threatening situations. While it features ordinary people (a marine biologist, insurance salesman, and teenager) dealing with extraordinary circumstances, the tone skews toward suspense and danger rather than emotional warmth or positive modeling. The show's early-2000s network TV constraints likely kept it from going too dark, but this isn't feel-good content.

Imaginative

The premise of mysterious new sea creatures emerging and changing people's lives has solid imaginative potential. It's a creature-feature mystery that invites curiosity about marine biology and government conspiracies. However, this was a mid-2000s network sci-fi show that got cancelled after one season, suggesting the execution didn't fully deliver on the promise. The 82% audience score on RT suggests viewers found it engaging enough, but the 20% critic score and cancellation indicate it was fairly derivative of better shows like Surface's contemporaries.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 13+, which suggests moderate intensity. As a sci-fi thriller about 'dangerous' sea creatures with government cover-ups, there are likely some scary/tense moments and possibly violence (creature attacks). The show aired on NBC in 2005 during family viewing hours, so it was constrained by broadcast standards—no gore, sex, or extreme content. However, 'dangerous species' implies threat and peril that could be frightening for younger viewers. No specific content warnings available, but the genre and premise suggest jump scares and suspenseful sequences.

Enriching

While marine biology and environmental themes could be enriching, this was primarily a suspense-thriller designed for entertainment rather than education. The show got cancelled after one season with a 20% critic score and 39 Metacritic, suggesting it was more forgettable network filler than meaningful storytelling. The 7.2 IMDb rating indicates decent entertainment value for genre fans, but there's little evidence of deeper themes, character growth, or lasting impact. It's popcorn TV from 2005 that didn't leave much of a cultural footprint.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Marine biology mystery angle could spark interest in oceanography and environmental science
Features diverse protagonists (scientist, working-class salesman, teen) teaming up against a threat
Decent audience score (82% RT, 7.2 IMDb) suggests it was entertaining enough for genre fans
Government conspiracy subplot adds intrigue for teens who like that sort of thing

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What to Watch For

Show was cancelled after one season—the story doesn't have a proper ending, which is frustrating
Creature-based suspense and 'dangerous' sea life means scary/tense moments inappropriate for younger kids
Critics absolutely panned it (20% RT)—this is very much a guilty pleasure at best
2005 special effects and pacing will feel incredibly dated to modern viewers

Conversation Starters

"What do you think would really happen if scientists discovered a completely new species that was dangerous?"
"Why do you think the government in the show wants to keep it secret? When is secrecy okay and when isn't it?"
"If you were the marine biologist, would you investigate even if it was risky?"

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