The Future Is Wild

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Futuristic adventures mixed with green messages.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this animated, science-based adventure series for kids features futuristic animals like carnivorous spiders, massive tortoises, and vicious, wasp-like insects -- some of which are predators. The human characters are sometimes in mildly perilous situations, but they always come out OK. The show offers lots of messages about climate change and sustainability and includes overt reminders of the importance of energy conservation. Adventure-loving tweens will find a lot to like, but younger kids may not be able to fully understand the concepts of time and evolution in order to place the show in an appropriate context.

  • Characters discuss the importance of conservation and limiting consumption, sometimes citing specific culprits of wasted energy (idle cell phones, laptops, etc.), and the series relies on scientifically valid predictions of future creatures for its special animal cast. Many episodes show the kids learning lessons in teamwork and friendship. And C.G. slowly learns to temper her impatience with her crewmates, whom she refers to as "primitive" and whose intelligence she sometimes insults.
  • Implications of animals killing and eating their prey, but nothing is shown. Mildly perilous situations show predators of all sizes chasing the humans, who are sometimes bitten or stung but rarely suffer lasting effects.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

THE FUTURE IS WILD puts an entertaining spin on reverse natural history, relying on real scientific predictions to present a vision of Earth -- and its new, highly unusual animal inhabitants -- 100 million years from now. The show, which was inspired by a series of CGI documentaries of the same name, follows the adventures of four young adventurers who explore the planet in their space-age Time Flyer. For Ethan (voiced by Marc Donato), Emily (Miranda Jones), and Luis (Taylor Abrahamse), the journeys are an exciting break from their average 21st-century lives. But there's more at stake for C.G. (Ashley Peters), the Time Flyer's captain. With her futuristic home in a distant solar system under threat from an impending ice age, she's been sent even further ahead in time to seek a sustainable habitat for her people on Earth.


Is it any good?

 

Packed with adventure and bolstered by scientifically based speculation from experts in a number of fields, The Future Is Wild is a wild ride for tweens who are curious about the planet's future. There are also plenty of gentle reminders about the dangers of excessive energy consumption and other resource woes that will resonate with ecologically aware viewers. But the series isn't all about science and discovery; there's plenty of humor and character development to maintain tweens' interest as well.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how TV shows and movies usually portray the future. How is this show similar to what you've seen before? How is it different? What are the show's ideas about the future based on? How could you find out more? Families can also discuss conservation and energy consumption. Why is conservation such a hot topic these days? What will happen if we don't find other sources for energy and preserve the ones we currently have? How will it affect us financially? What are some ways we can make a difference at home?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Kid, 12 years old
May 5, 2011
 
C.G. is a time traveler from the future, not an alien!
This is an okay show, nothing to bad, but nothing amazing about it, either. The premise is unique, with C.G. facing an ice age a few thousand years in the future, and her having to go farther into the future to find a new home. This article says that C.G. is an alien, but she's not (though that was the original plan, or so I hear) she's a time traveler from the future.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
March 11, 2010
 
in episodes season 1
they used the word of "@ss"

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 13 years old
February 17, 2010
 
Educational and Entertaining!
The show is brilliant. It tells you some science information, as well as how to limit energy consumption, protect the environment, and (in one episode)how to be a good leader. But it is also entertaining, and might even provide a little bit of inspiration for young kids. But the best part is that this series has the best voice-over work of any show I have ever seen. Just think how much it improved since earlier shows (e.g. Charlie Brown).

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Parent of 3 and 5 year old
June 25, 2010
 
Entertaining and interesting
My 4 yr old loves it, we both enjoy the interesting and bizarre future species in each episode, we know there's always a happy ending, no concerns.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
August 21, 2009
 
I don't get how this could be rated on seven+
This should be rated 3+.It is pretty good but the original on discovery channel is much better.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Emily Ashby
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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