Common Sense Media Review
Reality series shows dangers of having wild animals as pets.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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 :
- Last updated : October 2, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate