Parents' Guide to

Fatal Attractions

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Reality series shows dangers of having wild animals as pets.

TV Animal Planet Educational 2010
Fatal Attractions Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
October 19, 2010
age 12+

Fatal Attractions

Great show. It gives good insight on the dangers of owning exotic animals with killer instincts. So in that way this show could be educational, but graphic at the same time.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

For some people, a dog or a turtle or maybe a fish just isn't enough of a pet -- for some folks, only a true wild animal will do. Yes, these beasts are impressive, but the tigers, chimpanzees, monitor lizards, huge pythons, and other creatures shown in FATAL ATTRACTIONS are also dangerous. The people featured in this reality series often have developed unhealthy fixations on their pets, making it so tragic when the pets eventually turn on their owners, often with deadly results. The show features interviews with experts and friends of the victims, as well as reenacted incidents, to explain how these animal-lovers are able to ignore the potential threat posed by their wild companions.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Fatal Attractions starts with a fascinating idea, but the execution is flawed. Watching people cavort with wild animals is irresistible, but the images also come with a sense of foreboding. So when something does go awry, we aren't exactly surprised. Nor are the viewers going to be especially excited by the reenactments, which are fairly slow and tedious. And since it's hard to get real footage of people being attacked by wild animals, the recreated sequences have little substance. It's just a narrator describing what happened, and often guessing because nobody saw the incident except the victim. The stories are more interesting to hear than they are to see.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about pets. Do you think wild animals can be domesticated and kept as pets? Or, do you think their inherent nature means they will always be a danger to people? What animals might be better suited for pets than others.

  • Why do you think people might want to live with wild animals? Do they realize it could be dangerous, or do you think they are in denial?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: March 14, 2010
  • Network: Animal Planet
  • Genre: Educational
  • TV rating: TV-PG
  • Last updated: November 5, 2022

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