Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Scary scenes, peril in stunning, violent prehistoric docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Surviving Earth
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
SURVIVING EARTH is an educational, documentary-style prehistoric series that travels back in time over the last 450 million years to examine our planet's most cataclysmic extinction events. Through computer-generated imagery, the series explores the unique, bizarre, and awe-inspiring creatures that ruled the earth long before humans, tracing their evolutionary steps, their struggles against a changing climate, and the incredible survival strategies they developed to keep the spark of life alive.
Is It Any Good?
This is a visually stunning docuseries that does a masterful job of captivating with paleontology while introducing prehistoric species that go far beyond the dinosaurs. Surviving Earth peppers apocalyptic survival sequences with genuinely adorable scenes of lighthearted animal behavior. Intermixed with asteroid impacts and mega-floods, there are scenes of baby Gorgonopsians playfully knocking each other off tree branches while their massive, saber-toothed mother watches over them. The CGI is impressive, bringing to life an array of fantasy-looking species that rarely get screen time in textbooks. From the massive, armored Scutosaurus to the tiny, burrowing Elph, watching these creatures roam their ancient habitats is a thrilling, educational ride for the whole family. Parents should be warned, though, that the series comes with a heavier tone and darker sense of peril than the G rating would indicate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the ancient creatures in Surviving Earth have to completely change how they travel, build homes, or find food just to stay alive on a changing planet. Why is being flexible and learning to adapt an important skill to have when things change unexpectedly in our own lives?
The show gives us a little break from the scary extinction stories with a funny scene where a tiny lizard outsmarts a giant predator and plays a gross joke on it. Why do you think the TV makers put funny moments like that into a serious science show?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 4, 2026
- Cast : Josh Goodman
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 23, 2026
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