Parents' Guide to

Human Planet

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Gorgeous tour of world's diversity is great for families.

TV Discovery Channel Educational 2011
Human Planet 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 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Criticus
Criticus Adult
February 23, 2019
age 12+

A picture of our existence

We really need more documentaries like this - snapshots of lives we couldn't imagine existed; lives that live in a tradition far older than you or me and continuing still this day. For their rarity and potency such stories are quite important, and very interesting. I wished to briefly review this quality documentary to repeat Common Sense's warning of some rather unexpected content. I hardly consider female upper nudity and full frontal and rear male nudity any part of a family's pastime! In the Grasslands episode, male Ethiopian warriors from the Surma people (if I have my details correct!) compete essentially nude in order to earn respect from family and peoples. Before switching this one on for the kids, consider passing on Grasslands. Aside from such subjects, this John Hurt-narrated short series deserves the attention of young and old alike!

This title has:

Too much sex
Mychemicalstinkpants
Mychemicalstinkpants Adult
April 24, 2011
age 10+

E-P-I-C

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What's the Story?

From the makers of Planet Earth and Life comes another sweeping documentary about nature and its inhabitants: HUMAN PLANET. Narrated by John Hurt, this series turns the cameras on Earth's diverse human population, chronicling mankind's impressive ability to adapt to any surroundings and to overcome the daunting obstacles of the natural world. The show visits some of the most remote locations in the world to witness how the indigenous people use ingenuity and minimal resources to survive harsh elements, deadly native species, and limited options for food.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This series is a fascinating journey that will change the way you look at the world, inspire a new awe for the human spirit, and redefine how you interpret "civilization." Human Planet takes viewers around the world in six hours, bypassing the traditional tourism hotspots in favor of remote locales like the Altai Mountains of Mongolia, Inuit territory in Northeast Canada, and West Papua.

With six hour-long episodes packed with geography and anthropology lessons and plenty of lead-ins to discussions about global warming and conservationism, it's a sure bet that this series caters to families looking for something worthwhile to tune into. But if your kids are sensitive to issues like animal violence, be sure to preview the show before you watch it with them, as many scenes show in graphic detail animals being killed (by predators and by humans) and dismembered. The same holds true for viewers' sensitivity to nudity, since some subjects' customs mean that at times whole segments center on groups of people who go about their business wearing next to nothing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the environment. Did watching Human Planet change the way you feel about the environment and conservationism? How would deforestation or global warming affect these people differently from you? What responsibilities do we have as inhabitants of the planet to protect it? How does the media serve as a learning tool?

  • Kids: How does this show make you look differently at cultural diversity? What challenges do these people face that you'll never have to? What challenges do you have that they know nothing about? What common ground might you have?

  • If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? What would you like to see there? What local delicacies would you eat and drink? How would you relate to the people? What might you learn from experiencing another culture?

  • How does Human Planet promote curiosity? Why is that an important character strength?

TV Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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