DVD
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that some of the widely varying content may not be suitable for small children, including images of animals being killed and catastrophic natural disasters. Programs can, however, be easily pre-screened by logging on to the show's Web site. Regular viewers will come away with a sense of the great diversity of the natural world and why it's important to protect it.
Families can discuss a wide variety of issues. Countless dinnertime conversations are all but guaranteed. For example, one episode featured the life of a rare albino gorilla and the need for conservation and protection of his species. Sample questions there could include: Why are gorillas endangered? How close is our connection to primates, and why does that matter? What does "conservation" mean? Broader questions include: Why should you care about global issues like loss of wildlife habitat, global warming, and pollution? What can you do in your own community to protect wildlife?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Robin Galguera
NATURE is one of PBS' longest-running series for good reason. Unlike other PBS science series, Nature focuses not on inventions or innovations but on the natural world itself, inviting viewers to travel all over the world with scientists and filmmakers. Subject areas including biology, geology, and meteorology are explored via beautifully filmed documentaries shot in locations most of us will never see.
It may sound dry, but it's not! In one episode, for example, viewers learned about Snowball, the famous albino gorilla who was housed at the Barcelona Zoo. Snowball became an icon for the city and a symbol for the necessity of serious study and conservation of Africa's wild lowland gorillas -- a real need, considering that Snowball's keepers didn't even know what to feed him.
Snowball's story, like many animals' tales in other episodes, was woven into a narrative of how scientists began to observe gorillas in the wild. In presenting a comprehensive look at its subjects, Nature highlights the positive (animals' family and community life) but doesn't shy away from the ugly. Graphic images of animals being slaughtered can crop up (as was the case in Snowball's story). Parents may want to pre-screen episodes to make sure they're appropriate for their kids.
Nature covers an amazing variety of topics that are fascinating, beautiful, scary, and sometimes just downright cute. While most episodes have some sort of message, it's never heavy-handed and it's always interesting, usually reinforcing the need for conservation. If you're looking for a series to enjoy along with your children, Nature is waiting for you ... and you don't need cable (or an airline ticket) to see it.
Viewers who enjoy Nature may also like Jeff Corwin Unleashed and Corwin's Quest, as well as several BBC series narrated by David Attenborough (all available on DVD), including The Life of Mammals, The Blue Planet, and The Life of Birds.
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Sexual ContentVaries; one episode showed gorillas mating. |
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ViolenceVaries widely, from none to graphic violence of animals being slaughtered. |
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Social BehaviorThe series never fails to ask important questions about our natural world and the challenges our planet and its inhabitants face. |
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