Parents' Guide to

The A-List

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Poking fun at quirky animals can get a bit racy.

TV Animal Planet Reality TV 2007
The A-List Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Part documentary, part comedy, THE A-LIST outlines animals' most outrageous habits and gives comedians like Danny Bonaduce, Jackee Harry, and Ty Barnett the chance to comment on the critters' quirky personality traits -- from ear-piercing noises to destructive behavior.

In each episode, narrator Zac Fine introduces 10 animals with similarly oddball characteristics -- unusual fathering techniques and strange mating habits, for example. After some background facts are given, the comedians chime in with their own impressions of the behavior, trading quips based on the animals' unusual inclinations and often drawing humorous comparisons between their actions and those of humans in similar situations.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3 ):

Each 30-minute episode is a fast-paced tour of the animal world that offers viewers some intriguing morsels of knowledge flanked with humor that will certainly tickle the funny bone. But despite the show's family-friendly positioning, The A-List is pretty racy for a nature series. Sexuality is often at the heart of the show's comedy, and the cast makes multiple references to animals "getting action" and showing off their "sex appeal." Combined with strong innuendoes, those comments may prompt tricky questions from kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's intent. Does it aim to entertain, educate, or both? How well does it succeed? Did you learn anything from watching? Does the show's comedic tone affect how seriously you take the facts it presents? Do you find the comedians' comments funny? Why or why not? Can you think of other nature series that seem more believable because of their format?

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.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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