Kids, do NOT try this at home...
Written: May 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertaining in a slightly sensationalistic sort of way
Cons: Not very educational, there are much better children's shows out there
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| arianej's Full Review: Crocodile Hunter's Croc Files, The |
You might notice that a great many reviews on this show question the sanity of Steve Erwin, the wildly enthusiastic Australian host. Well, there's probably a good reason for that. Erwin, who has been handling dangerous creatures ever since he was "knee high to a dingo" has a habit for getting himself into bad situations.
Did you see the episode where his wife and co-host fell off the boat into crocodile infested waters. I admire the guy for keeping a cool head, but I was expecting to see his wife's head disappear, followed by thrashing and bloodied water, a la _Jaws_. And this isn't the least of it. Erwin has a reputation for handling angry, poisonous, sharp-toothed creatures with a nonchalance only occasionally punctuated by a heartfelt "Crikey! That was close!" _South Park_ has an especially humorous parody of this.
Or perhaps you saw the episode where he was squatting on a nest of angry vipers and one of them went for the crown jewels? My husband flinched and had to stifle a most unmanly shriek. (Kidding, honey!) The sight of Erwin hopping from one leg to the other with a venomous snake dangling from his shorts was...well... Let's say it did the trick of making us tune in after the commercial to see what happened next. Those wiley TV producers know what they're doing.
So we've established that the guy isn't all there. The real question is: IS this a kid's TV show? I was surprised to find this show under that category, because I hadn't really thought of it that way. There are no child co-hosts, no obvious catering to a young audience the way there is with "Kratts' Creatures" on PBS. But perhaps this is just as well, since I don't know of many parents who would sign the release form.
Erwin and his wife do keep the atmosphere on the show light for the most part, but I would say this is probably not the show for very small children or children who do not have a fully-developed set of survival instincts. (Hint: Do not pick up snakes. Period. Even the harmless, non-poisonous ones don't like it.)
This is not to say the show isn't entertaining, because it is, in a strange and twisted way. Steve Erwin is like the kid in your childhood who always did the stuff you were too scared to do, or the stuff your parents wouldn't let you do in a million years. Some episodes are even helpful in alerting the audience to environmental issues, although that is not the main focus.
Unfortunately, it's only a little more educational than "When Animals Attack". If your goal is to teach your children about wild animals or nature, you'd be much better off with a good documentary where the makers try to film creatures in their natural habitat, without necessarily interacting with them or confronting them.
Recommended:
No
Type of Program: Science and Nature
Program Quality: Entertaining, but not intellectually or emotionally engaging
Best Suited For: 9 years or older
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arianej
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Member: Ariane
Location: Ohio
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