Creator: Caroline Hawkins
Cast: Sean Astin, Flower, Mozart, Zaphod, Youssarian, Mitch, Shakespeare, Houdini
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Genius
Release Date: April 8, 2008
When I first got this set to review, I didn’t even know what a Meerkat was. Considering the bulk of the content that I review, I don’t have a lot of time for just watching television, so I had never heard of this show before this review. Likewise, I have never really watched Animal Planet, though I don’t particularly have a good reason as to why. It likely stems from the very little time I have with the television. I wasn’t sure if I was going to fall in love with this show or if it would bore me to tears. I am glad to say that I found it incredibly engaging. From start to finish, I could not get enough of the Whiskers clan or their triumphs and tribulations.
My son had a chance to sit in on the viewing and watch it with me. He is homeschooled so he was overjoyed to learn that the first couple of episodes would be tied into his Science lesson for the day. Of course, when it came time to shut the show off he complained. He needed to know what would happen to Flower and the other Whiskers.
Were the babies going to be okay? Would Mozart get back into the family? Who would be the dominant male in the enemy, Lazuli clan? Being that these were all things I wanted to know and didn’t have the answers to, I graciously allowed him to continue watching, so that I could keep watching, as well.
Release Information:
Released by Genius Products and put out by Animal Planet, Meerkat Manor: Season Two was released on DVD on April 8, 2008. The set contains two discs and all of the episodes for the second season. The set is stored in a recyclable cardboard case with one oversized jewel case protected safely inside. The set can be purchased online at stores such as Amazon, where it retails for a little less than $22.00.
The Meerkat Manor: Season Two Plot
The Kalahari Desert is filled with rough, unforgiving land that could break any human. It’s also home to many groups of Meerkats that have no choice but to work the land in hopes of survival. Meerkat Manor is about these various Meerkat clans. For those of you that did not see the first season let me say that you won’t have any problem understanding what is going on. The show does a beautiful job at allowing new viewers to feel right at home. Within a few minutes you know who is who and what is going on.
Each clan is led by a dominant male and female. While the show is primarily about the Whiskers Clan, led by Flower and Zaphod, we also meet the other clans, who are considered to be the enemies of the Whiskers. The main clan established as the Whiskers enemy is the Lazuli who are led by a dominant female, but no male due to death.
This is an interesting situation because whoever mates with her will become the dominant male. Unfortunately it won’t be anyone from her clan because they are all relatives of hers. Finally, there are the Commandoes. These vicious meerkats are not always seen, but when they are they come out looking for a fight!
The second season begins in the dead of winter. What this means for the Whiskers is that it’s going to be incredibly hard to find food. Even though there is no snow in African Deserts there are sand storms, which cover all the bugs and things that they eat. However, food is necessary for survival so these episodes involve the Whiskers scrounging for food, not only for themselves, but also for Flower’s new babies.
Of course, this winter is just the first one of many that they will face over Season Two. Things will get moving when Flower’s daughter ends up pregnant (more than once this season) and gets kicked out of the clan. She eventually makes her way back, but will be on volatile ground with her mother, Flower, during the entire season.
Also in store for the Whiskers are attacks on their nest, fights with cobra snakes and the Commandoes clan, the birth of some babies, the loss of some other meerkats, and subordinate meerkats trying to take over.
With their personalities and hearts on their sleeve you cannot help but like the Whiskers and want them to succeed. The camera pans in on their faces quite often making it easy to see how emotional and expressive they are. You become sympathetic to their problems and are ready to celebrate with them at the first sign that those problems are gone.
The Whiskers have to fight to stay in Flower’s good graces, because inter-clan violence is not uncommon in the meerkat species. If she feels that someone is doing something wrong, she tells them in a way that would make it hard for them to forget. If they do, she might kick them out and leave them on their own. As meerkats cannot travel from pack to pack this means that the deserted meerkat either has to try to get back into the family or they will have to hope for the best in terms of living an isolated life.
This second season was exciting in all the right ways. Mozart often made things interesting, as did the adorable babies who didn’t understand that they needed protection. So did Youssarian who was set on becoming the new Lazuli dominant male, which would be interesting as his brother Zephod is the dominant male of the Whiskers. Even though meerkats live this patterned existence of everyday life, the show does not show overly repetitive behavior. Meerkat Manor offers something new every day, making the show not only exciting, but largely educational and well worth watching.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Audio/Visual:
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, Meerkat Manor: Season Two, looks about as good as a television show ever could. This show does not appear to have any visual errors or if it does, the flaws are so small that they are hard to spot or remember. The earthy colors come through beautifully and everything turns out looking incredibly crisp. I love how the harshness of the land transfers over so easily. When it rains or there is a windstorm the results on screen look as devastating for the Meerkats as it probably is in the Kalahari where they are located.
The audio is offered in Dolby Digital Stereo and it sounds absolutely fabulous. You can hear the wind whirling with a crisp clarity that would not have been heard with a lesser audio. You can also enjoy the sounds of the clans and the simple sounds of nature. Sean Astin’s voice transfers well and comes through loud and clear. The same can be said for the background music, which adds a little excitement when the Meerkat’s are being mischievous or about to enter some serious trouble! All in all, the audio is as good as the video in this DVD box set.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are no special features included in this disc. Normally I would automatically score this area with a zero. However, due to the nature of the show I am going to remove the rating system. Based on the natural content of the show it was not like they could have gotten interviews with Flower and the kids to tell us how they feel about the show. Likewise, commentary wouldn’t really work unless they were just talking about the outcome of the show, not creating it. Being as it was pretty limited what they could do in the special features area without seeming utterly ridiculous, I will just not mark the DVD off for this. Personally, I found the show so enjoyable that I didn’t care one way or another if special features were there. The box set has no problems surviving on content alone.
Bottom Line:
Meerkat Manor: Season Two was so entertaining that after watching Season Two, I immediately looked up Season One to see about purchasing it. Both my teenager and I fell in love with the show and now watch it when it’s on Animal Planet, as it’s now in its Third Season and is as exciting as ever.
This comes highly recommended for kids that are old enough to enjoy a nature show. I wouldn’t put extremely small children in front of the television to watch this, just because kids that young won’t be interested in the earth and flesh tones, unless they take a liking to the scurrying animals, which is a possibility. However, older children will enjoy the show and it’s something that their parents can enjoy with them, which makes it a perfect family DVD set that comes highly recommended.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, DVD Box Set, Nature, Animal Planet, Flower, Sean Astin, Whiskers, Family Programming
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
