Parents' Guide to

Mega Beasts

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Impressive CGI offers glimpse into ancient creatures' lives.

TV Discovery Channel Educational 2009
Mega Beasts Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

DiDDleMAN000
DiDDleMAN000 Adult
September 30, 2015
age 9+

it was alright had good content

See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In MEGA BEASTS, teams of scientists use fossil evidence and computer graphics to bring to life some of the most ferocious creatures ever to walk the earth -- including the mosasaur, Spinosauras, and Terror Bird. The series demonstrates how experts piece together clues to create a picture of how these ancient beasts looked and lived, how evolution favored their rise to dominance, and what factors eventually led to their extinction.

Is It Any Good?

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

This intriguing series is as close to a prehistoric field trip as families can get, and overall it's worth the trip. Not only does it offer a visual sense of the creatures themselves, but it does a thorough job of completing the picture for viewers with the surrounding geological landscape. The show also compares its CGI subjects' characteristics to those of modern animals and reptiles. And viewers get another great frame of reference when paleontologists visit sites like the Kansas Badlands to point out evidence of prehistoric life. Don't expect perfection, though -- some critics have called this show out for factual inaccuracies.

Mega Beasts is sure to pique budding young scientists' curiosity, but for all of its educational value, it's not a show to share with your youngest family members. Much of the content relates to the ancient creatures' predatory dominance, so violent exchanges between them and their prey are prevalent. And occasional references to breeding tactics and images of creatures in mating positions might prompt some questions from little kids -- so save this one for your tweens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about science. How do scientists uncover clues about the past? How have their discoveries helped us understand extinct species like dinosaurs? Why is this important to us now?

  • Tweens: What aspects of science interest you? How do scientists make discoveries and invent products that improve our lives? What problems would you like to see solved by science?

  • What did you learn from this show? Could you have learned the same thing from a book or magazine? What rules should the media have to follow regarding content? Does it have a responsibility to provide quality/family-friendly content?

  • Can you find any inaccuracies in the show? Do you expect a show like this to always get its facts straight, or is it allowed some creative freedom to make the show more interesting?

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.

See all recommended tv lists

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