Nature's Most Amazing Events (Discovery Channel)

If you can't make it to the Alaskan coast this year to witness the annual salmon migration, don't sweat it. The Discovery Channel offers the next best thing, bringing high-definition footage of that and five other wonders of the wildlife world to the small screen in NATURE'S MOST AMAZING EVENTS. The series reunites the production team behind the acclaimed series Planet Earth. Using cutting-edge technology and innovative filming techniques, videographers capture dramatic scenes like the animal migration on the Serengeti Plains, a battle between killer whales and a sea lion, and the cooperative hunting style of a pod of humpback whales.

With such a talented team behind it and an acclaimed series as its predecessor, Nature's Most Amazing Events certainly has a lot to live up to -- but it's clearly up to the challenge. Shot after shot of incredible footage brings you within a virtual arm's length from some of the most awe-inspiring scenes you'll ever see, giving you a renewed respect for the beauty and diversity of the natural world. The series also does a great job of avoiding preachiness as it ties in strong reminders of our responsibility to preserve the environment -- for our own sake as well as the animals'.

Be cautious about watching this one with very young children, though, as the content's very realism could be upsetting. Many scenes include shots of predators capitalizing on other animals' weaknesses (a fox lies in wait to kill baby birds who fail at their first attempts to fly, for instance), and hunting and eating often gets bloody and fairly gruesome. The show also touches on animal mating, sex, and birth, so be sure you're ready to answer any questions that might arise from that kind of content.