Fallout Parents Guide: This Wasteland is definitely not for children

Imagine if your favorite video game and a blockbuster movie had a baby, and that baby grew up in a world where everything's gone kaboom. Welcome to the Fallout series.

For those of us who played and love the Fallout video game series, we are still standing up and clapping for this incredible adaptation that was plopped onto our laps by Prime Video -- all eight episodes of the first season premiered yesterday (April 10).

Starring Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins, Fallout takes place in a different part of the world than the video games and tells several intersecting stories: Purnell's earnest vault dweller; Goggins' cowboy-esque The Ghoul; and many more.

It's like someone took all the drama of surviving after everything's turned to radioactive dust and mixed it with a dash of "Who the heck thought dropping bombs would solve problems?" intrigue. Just when you thought your family dinners were intense, Fallout serves up a world where every meal might be your last, and every friend might be a frenemy.

Now, with all the buzz because it might just snag an award or two, and everyone's streaming it, you're probably wondering, "Can I watch this with my kids, or is it going to turn our living room into a no-kids-allowed wasteland?"

Fallout Parents Guide: Explaining the TV-MA Age Rating

Fallout is rated TV-MA, and according to Amazon Prime Video that's for: "nudity, violence, substance use, alcohol use, smoking, foul language, sexual content."

Divebomb into the world of Fallout, where the survival game gets real, and so do the life lessons – kind of. With its mature rating badge of honor, it's like the series is saying, "Buckle up; it's going to be a bumpy ride through the apocalypse."

Sex & Nudity: Fallout might have its steamy moments, but it's more "hot because the world's on fire" than "hot and heavy." The show's got bigger fish to fry, like not getting eaten by a giant mutant fish. That being said, there is the occasional scene where things do get a little hot: in the first episode alone there's a naked male butt, and a sex scene with some moaning and writhing. And in the season's sixth episode, a group all takes their tops off, revealing multiple topless women and men. In that same episode, there are also some descriptions of ejaculation and sex, with more in the next episode. So for the most part? Fine. Until it's not.

Violence: Fallout is a video game where you're always on edge, expecting something to jump out, so expect the same out of its live-action adaptation. There's plenty of action, tons of blood and gore, complete with heads being detached from bodies, heads exploding because of a shotgun shot, dismemberment - you get the idea - with enough punch-ups and showdowns to keep you on your toes. It's not for the faint-hearted or the bedtime-story crowd.

Language: Let's just say, the characters in Fallout don't hold back. They've got words that would make your grandma blush and then wash their mouths out with soap. It's raw, it's real, and it's definitely R-rated.

Drinking & Drugs: In a world where happy hour's been replaced by "try not to die hour," some characters turn to booze and the odd chemical relief to get by. It's part of the scenery, but not exactly the life of the party.

Overall Verdict: What Age Is Fallout Appropriate For?

Fallout is like that one ride your kids always want to go on but have to be "this tall" to ride. With its mix of grown-up themes, it's best saved for the older teens and adults in the family. Think of it as a 16+ kind of deal, where the "plus" stands for "prepared to have some serious talks after watching."

While the official stamps and stickers say "mature audiences," you know your brood best. If your older teens are all about exploring dystopian futures and can handle a bit of rough-and-tumble storytelling, then Fallout might just be their next favorite show. But for the younger crowd, maybe stick to the less explosive family entertainment options - watch Bluey instead. After all, navigating the apocalypse is tricky enough without having to cover little eyes and ears every five minutes.

Okey-dokey?