Friends help each other with life issues, using compassion, empathy and teamwork. Sometimes, courage is necessary to face challenging personal and social issues.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Barney and Norma are seemingly opposites, but quickly realize that they can help each other with their new jobs at the supernatural park. Together with Barney's dog Pugsley and co-workers Badyah and Logan (whom Barney has a crush on), the team works together overcome issues such as anxiety, feelings of not belonging, and, of course, facing a supernatural demonic threat to the world. Norma's friends help her figure out ways to cope with her neurodivergence and make her feel accepted.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Everyone in the show is voiced by someone who matches their on-screen counterpart -- comedian and actor Zach Barack, a trans performer, voices trans character Barney, while Kody Kavitha voices South Asian character Norma. Logan (Kenny Tran) and Badyah (Kathreen Khavari) also feature actors who can add their personal experiences to their characters. Norma is also portrayed as neurodivergent, and her bouts with anxiety and social fears are presented as normal and even powerful in a positive way.
The series explicitly talks about trans identity via Barney. The series also features the voice talents of many LGBTQ+ actors, including Alan Cumming, Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez, Angelica Ross, and Clinton Leupp (also known by their drag persona Coco Peru).
Parents need to know that Dead End: Paranormal Park is an animated series featuring two teens who encounter demons and spookiness at a local haunted park. The series expertly provides visibility and representation for LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, and racially diverse youth. The series does feature potentially scary moments and comic violence.
A spooky show about mental health and accepting yourself and others as they are.
My 8 year old found this show and insisted I watch it. It's loveable, heartwarming, funny, and spooky. There are lots, and lots of puns.
My child liked the jokes, the haunted house, and all the other spooky things on the show. I kept watching for the relationship between the characters, and the humor, and the scary stuff.
This is a great show if you child likes horror but isnt old enough to watch really scary stuff yet. It's also filled with positive representations of all different kinds of people. When my 8 year old watched alone, some things went over his head. He recognized and identified the characters that struggle with anxiety because he also deals with anxiety. He also recognized that the main character Barney likes boys.
When we watched together we had conversations about being nurodiverse, being transgender, and why some families always seem to enjoy each other's company while others may not trust each other. It's scary when you can't trust your parents and know they will support you.
The best thing about the show is that every character is three dimensional. Their interior lives are just as interesting and the action in the story. As the characters deal with the scary things in the park, they also work through teir own personal fears and the scary things in their own lives. I really love this show.
It's a very good show to have discussions about emotional regulation, managing your feelings, mental health, personal well being, and acceptance.
This show is diverse and that’s great. It is also too scary for some children, especially ones who are younger or more sensitive. I was misled by posts here saying younger children loved the show. My son is 7 and was horrified by an episode where a girl dies and possesses different people’s bodies. Unless you want to field a lot of questions/fears about death and ghosts, you may want to steer clear of this one until your child is older.
What's the Story?
DEAD END: PARANORMAL PARK is one of the most diverse animated series, featuring a trans character as its lead. Barney (voiced by Zach Barack) is a trans teen who gets a job at Phoenix Park, created by film star Pauline Phoenix. But Pauline's park is haunted with demons and other horrifying entities, and Barney and fellow co-worker Norma (voiced by Kody Kavitha) must learn how to contain the mysterious happenings, all the while befriending a stranded demon and dealing with everyday social issues.
The show breaks ground in actually casting actors to portray characters from the same or similar backgrounds, including more racial diversity, and highlighting more LGBTQ+ talent. Barney, a trans teen, is one of the few openly trans characters in mainstream animation. As such, Barney is important for many viewers, but also represents just how far the industry has to go when it comes to representing the trans experience.
Dead End: Paranormal Park also makes it a point to showcase neurodivergence as a normal part of life. Indeed, in Norma's case, her neurodivergence is also portrayed as a benefit, since it helps her save her friends from a demon. By showing neurodivergence in this way, while also being true to the discomfort certain aspects of neurodivergence can cause, viewers are allowed to see mental health in a more nuanced, holistic way. Overall, Dead End: Paranormal Park is a fun, well-crafted show that brings so much more to animation than just a cool story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the main characters. How do they portray healthy friendship?
How is Norma's anxiety treated by the other characters? How do they help her?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
