Prehistoric Park (Animal Planet)

PREHISTORIC PARK uses documentary-style filmmaking to follow real-life wildlife expert Nigel Marven, a "wildlife adventurer" who travels through time to "rescue" ancient creatures from extinction, taking them to a present-day wildlife park he's prepared. Time portals allow him to lure the creatures (including dinosaurs, giant insects, and ancient birds) to Prehistoric Park, where an army of personnel is busily replicating the animals' natural habitats. Head park keeper Bob (Rod Arthur) and veterinarian Susanne (Suzanne McNabb) work with Nigel to monitor the arrivals' well-being. If the animals don't seem to be thriving, the team experiments with changes of scenery or lifestyle until they find the right balance to placate the creature. A voice-over narrator (David Jason), meeanwhile, explains the characters' every move.

The fact that Prehistoric Park plays out like a documentary gives it the feel of a credible wildlife show -- but the plot is basically science-fiction. The time-travel angle results in a slew of unanswered questions for those with a logical bent, which might be forgivable if the show's graphics didn't leave so much to be desired. Scenes in which Nigel observes the computer-generated animals are momentarily intriguing, as he offers facts about their physique, eating habits, and natural predators, as well as the probable causes of their extinction. But these fleeting moments are often followed by Nigel moving in for closer contact, which leads to some pretty cheesy chase scenes. Viewers who do manage to suspend their disbelief will probably pick up some interesting facts and enjoy the images of ancient creatures in replications of their natural habitats, Prehistoric Park's format makes it so unbelievable that it's sometimes tough to figure out where it intends the line between science and fiction to fall.

Some of the show's face-to-face encounters with vicious, fairly realistic-looking creatures could very well frighten young viewers. Parents will want to watch with their grade-schoolers so they can help sift out the facts from the fiction.