Parents' Guide to

Prehistoric Park

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Time-traveling animal rescues are hokey at best.

TV Animal Planet Educational 2006
Prehistoric Park 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 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Stuki69
Stuki69 Parent of 4 and 7-year-old
July 27, 2018
age 5+

Great series - educational and positive role models

Our family love this series. My son first watched some episodes when he was 4 (we held back on certain episodes as they were too scary of gory). He still watches it now age 7 and loves it. Yes the scenes catching the dinosaurs are a little "hokey" but so what? That is such a small part of the show. All other aspects of it are great. It is packed full of science and facts about prehistory. The main guy (Nigel Marvin)is a fantastic role model (compassionate, curious, enthusiastic, courageous, ambitious, knowledgeable, positive attitude) as are the other 2 support characters (a woman and a man). I can not think of anything bad about it. For kids who are into dinosaurs and prehistory (and it might convert those who aren't) this is not just a great series to have its an essential one!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
kphilbin
kphilbin Parent of 10, 12 and 13-year-old
September 12, 2014
age 6+

Our family loves this series

This series is very fun. You learn about amazing animals & what the earth was like in the past, and it's a really fun premise. Nigel's enthusiasm engages you -- he loves these creatures, and you can't help but being fascinated, too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

PREHISTORIC PARK uses documentary-style filmmaking to follow real-life wildlife expert Nigel Marven, a \"wildlife adventurer\" who travels through time to \"rescue\" ancient creatures from extinction, taking them to a present-day wildlife park he's prepared. Time portals allow him to lure the creatures (including dinosaurs, giant insects, and ancient birds) to Prehistoric Park, where an army of personnel is busily replicating the animals' natural habitats. Head park keeper Bob (Rod Arthur) and veterinarian Susanne (Suzanne McNabb) work with Nigel to monitor the arrivals' well-being. If the animals don't seem to be thriving, the team experiments with changes of scenery or lifestyle until they find the right balance to placate the creature. A voice-over narrator (David Jason), meeanwhile, explains the characters' every move.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (3):

The fact that Prehistoric Park plays out like a documentary gives it the feel of a credible wildlife show -- but the plot is basically science-fiction. The time-travel angle results in a slew of unanswered questions for those with a logical bent, which might be forgivable if the show's graphics didn't leave so much to be desired. Scenes in which Nigel observes the computer-generated animals are momentarily intriguing, as he offers facts about their physique, eating habits, and natural predators, as well as the probable causes of their extinction. But these fleeting moments are often followed by Nigel moving in for closer contact, which leads to some pretty cheesy chase scenes. Viewers who do manage to suspend their disbelief will probably pick up some interesting facts and enjoy the images of ancient creatures in replications of their natural habitats, Prehistoric Park's format makes it so unbelievable that it's sometimes tough to figure out where it intends the line between science and fiction to fall.

Some of the show's face-to-face encounters with vicious, fairly realistic-looking creatures could very well frighten young viewers. Parents will want to watch with their grade-schoolers so they can help sift out the facts from the fiction.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the extinction of prehistoric animals. What does it mean to be extinct? What would life be like if some of the prehistoric animals (dinosaurs, giant crocodiles) still existed? What are the different theories behind extinction? Which theories seem the most likely to be true?

TV Details

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