Great Migrations

Inspiring and beautiful in its scenery, this fascinating series brings viewers up close and personal with a diverse cast of animals on the move, including elephant seals, army ants, Mali elephants, and Indonesian jellyfish. No two tales of survival are the same, and each one will inspire viewers’ appreciation for the delicate balance of life in the wild, which lends itself to some great follow-up discussions about environmental issues like global warming and conservation.

That’s not to say the show is appropriate for everyone, however. The fact that it doesn’t shy away from showing the bad with the good when it comes to these animals’ struggles makes for plenty of tense moments and some potentially upsetting scenes of predators killing and eating prey. What’s more, segments that center on the animals’ breeding practices feature fairly graphic scenes of the act itself (animals mounting mates and noisily doing the deed), so unless you’re ready to talk birds and bees with your kids, you probably should save this one for your tweens and teens.