The Inbestigators on Netflix is a fun, mockumentary-style detective show for kids that follows the escapades of four 5th-graders as they strive to solve a different mystery every episode

Each month, MCC co-founder Sara Khaled selects a fun or educational TV show that has caught her eye; tried and tested by her four young children. This week, Sarah takes a look at The Inbestigators, an Australian children’s series centering on a group of children who form a detective agency.

Show: The Inbestigators

Platform and streaming: Netflix

Age: 6 to 11

Summary

Made in a mockumentary comedy style, this series had its debut in 2019 in Australia and has now been picked up by Netflix. A second series was released in 2020. The storyline involves 5th-grade schoolchildren (aged 10-11) who get together to form a detective agency to solve such school and neighborhood puzzles as a parcel missing from a porch, a stolen science problem, and money missing from cake-sale proceeds.

The series has been praised for its gentle moral tone – there is always a life lesson to be learned somewhere in each story – but also for its humor and general intelligence. It’s fun for children to try to solve the mystery at home. Episodes are a short 15 mins, and therefore suitable for younger children as well as older ones.

Why we love it

• Education is hidden in the charming tales. The children are shown learning to observe, use critical thinking skills, evaluate situations, analyse them and explain them succinctly.
• There’s a moral tone implicit throughout. Wrongs are righted, and the desirability of teamwork, kindness to others and taking responsibility are recurring themes.
• The cast have diverse backgrounds.
• The pace is not frenetic or bewildering.

Watch the trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5–STSPFUSk

About the author

Sara Khaled is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she lives with her husband and four young children, aged between 6 months and 10 years old. A public health graduate of King Saud University, Sara is a co-founder of Moon Community Club, and passionate advocate of causes that promote social development.

Image credits: Netflix