Fatal Attractions
Common Sense says
- Animal Planet
- Educational
- 2010
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this reality series focuses on people who have developed unhealthy fixations on keeping wild animals as pets, and who meet untimely ends when their pets turn on them. It features interviews with victims’ friends and recreated scenarios, some of which include slightly graphic images of the attacks. Though the visuals are not especially gory, the subject matter makes this show better for mid-teens and up.
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Fatal Attractions
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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?
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
For kids who love animals
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