Breaking Bad: parents' guide

Frequent graphic violence: close-range shootings, a throat slashed with a box cutter, an explosion that tears away a face, bodies dissolved in acid, a boy shot dead, and a child poisoned. One scene shows the lead sexually assaulting his wife until she pushes him away.

Harsh language throughout: s-words in most episodes, bitch as a constant refrain, crude anatomical terms and the middle finger. F-words are infrequent and usually muted in the broadcast version, but the overall effect is coarse.

Couples have sex that is implied or briefly shown without graphic detail, a bare-breasted woman leans out of a window, and strip-club scenes imply oral sex and prostitution.

Meth production and dealing drive the plot. Characters smoke meth and inject heroin on screen, addiction and rehab are major storylines, and one character dies of an overdose. Drinking, smoking and prescription drug misuse also appear.

Sustained tension and disturbing images: corpses, a neglected child in a drug house, threats against families, a child's murder, a suicide, and grief that spreads through a community. The final season is especially harrowing.