One Child: Season 1

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

tbd	Your Score
tbd	User Score No score yet

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Season Details & Credits

Sundance | Sundance Channel | Season Premiere Date: December 5, 2014

Summary: The drama written by written by Guy Hibbert takes a look at the issues of identity and family when Mei Arthurton (Katie Leung), who was adopted by a British couple as a child, is asked by her Chinese birth mother to return to Guangzhou to help save her brother.

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E3. One Child
Air Date: December 7, 2014
tbd
S1:E3. Episode 4
Air Date: December 7, 2014

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Dec 8, 2014

There’s a considerable amount of restraint in the story’s telling.... Precisely because of its unflinching grimness, One Child is one of the most successful critiques of a broken system. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Matt Roush

Dec 5, 2014

This isn't an easy movie to watch, but even at its most bleak, the scenes between the long-estranged mother and daughter are beyond poignant as they find common purpose. Read full review

Nancy DeWolf Smith

Dec 4, 2014

Mei’s dogged and often clumsy efforts to bring the truth to light ought to seem laughably naive. Yet the more we grasp the enormity of what she is up against--a relentless apparatus of which every citizen of China is aware--the harder we root for Mei and her tiny Chinese family. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Dec 3, 2014

If it’s a flawed exploration of the old nature-vs.-nurture debate, the players and Mei’s predicament consistently make it interesting. Read full review

Tom Long

Dec 5, 2014

One Child spends too much time running in place--which may reflect China’s inert bureaucracy, but falls short of riveting viewing. Read full review

David Wiegand

Dec 1, 2014

While the miniseries is sometimes compelling and belatedly rises closer to its potential in the final third of the second night, it’s a sad case of great talent being wasted on badly handled material. Read full review

Tim Goodman

Dec 5, 2014

Both the writing and the directing fall short in One Child, leaving good actors to work with material that’s mostly not there and viewers reminded of the fact that good intentions are not always enough. Read full review

SEE ALL 9 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

tbd

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

User Reviews

retrdsecretary

Dec 7, 2014

I am always fascinated by shows produced by Sundance. Some I won't watch. This one I did because of the title and I was saddened because of the stark reality of it. Well written, the acting is really great and with the ongoing unrest in China really worth watching but so sad. Thank youI am always fascinated by shows produced by Sundance. Some I won't watch. This one I did because of the title and I was saddened because of the stark reality of it. Well written, the acting is really great and with the ongoing unrest in China really worth watching but so sad. Thank you Sundance for keeping us on our toes. I just had to immediately watch a lovely Hallmark Christmas movie afterwards to make me feel balanced.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Pinktourmalin

Feb 27, 2016

Good story, well acted but detracted from by ridiculous portrayal of hotels peopled by western couples with their new Chinese baby. The prison is immaculate, not even a smear on the glass booths or prison walls, in stark contrast to the dirt and rubbish filmed everywhere else. It is a pityGood story, well acted but detracted from by ridiculous portrayal of hotels peopled by western couples with their new Chinese baby. The prison is immaculate, not even a smear on the glass booths or prison walls, in stark contrast to the dirt and rubbish filmed everywhere else. It is a pity the prejudices of ignorance detract from the entertainment… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

baoboa

Feb 15, 2015

Well, first of all, the whole premise for the program is dead wrong. The idea that in China you're only allowed to have one child is not based on any reality. The fact is, you can have more than one child, in fact, you can have as many as you choose. I have a friend in China that has 2 youngWell, first of all, the whole premise for the program is dead wrong. The idea that in China you're only allowed to have one child is not based on any reality. The fact is, you can have more than one child, in fact, you can have as many as you choose. I have a friend in China that has 2 young kids. He also has 3 sisters. His wife has a brother. His parents both have brothers and sisters. They aren't rich and they aren't living on some remote island farm. In fact, they live in Guangdong - the same region as this movie takes place. His parents are from Guangzhou, the very same city in this fabricated story.

Its nothing but more cliche typical China bashing.

There is far more complexity to the reality of the situation in China today than this program would have viewers believing (as is evident in the reviews). The freedom available to Chinese citizens today, the peaceful prosperity and quality of life (etc.) is something we in the west should take note of and learn from. Take a look at what is happening in our own backyards before pointing fingers I say. Perhaps start with the government sanctioned-legal, pre-teen American slave-farming industry? Yeah, no tv studio wants to touch that one huh.

I gave it a "0" because its fake and in being fake a bad story with absolutely no true life redeeming quality whatsoever.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Seasons & Episodes

60

Series Overview
Season 1

60
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: December 5, 2014
- tbd
  S1:E3. One Child
  Air Date: December 7, 2014
- tbd
  S1:E3. Episode 4
  Air Date: December 7, 2014