We are always looking for good things on television for our kids. I don’t have a problem with television. It’s just a box that displays pictures and makes sound. Content is the key to the good things about television and the bad things about television.
The best television is something that you like, something the kids like and something that teaches all us. National Geographic has always been a source of good television content.
Now they are launching a new television network: Nat Geo Wild.
I’m not sure how they are going to divide the content between this new channel and the existing National Geographic Channel. According to Geoff Daniels, Senior Vice President, Development & Production of Nat Geo WILD:
I guess that means more wild animals and less Dog Whisperer on Wild.
Copies of some new shows ended up in my mailbox. We watched some episodes of Rebel Monkeys, Shark Island, the Brutus episode of Expedition Wild with Casey Anderson and Hunt for the Giant Octopus.
Rebel Monkeys follows a gang of monkeys making their home at the Galta Temple in the Indian city of Jaipur. It’s sort of an urban version of Meerkat Manor. Brutus is a 900 pound grizzly bear rescued by Casey Anderson who is trying to teach Brutus the skills he needs to survive when he is released to the wild. Here is a snippet from Expedition Wild, with Casey Anderson trying to teach Brutus how to fish. Shark Island was a big hit as it followed an exploration of Cocos Island and the hundreds of sharks that flock to its waters.
The clear favorite was Hunt for the Giant Octopus. My six-year old watched it non-stop for a few days. There is a great video footage, a great story and great lessons. Set your TIVO, it Premieres Tuesday, April 20, at 9 PM ET/PT.
The “bad” news is that when Nat Geo Wild launches on March 29th it will replace the Fox Reality channel. I admit that I’m a fan of many reality TV shows. But I find them completely uninteresting in repeats and you’re not going to find anything good for the kids on there. So we get a GeekDad win, losing an uninteresting cable channel and getting one that is great for our geeklets.
If you don’t currently get the Fox Reality channel you’ll need to check with your cable provider. Nat Geo Wild is a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox.
I should disclose that my company has a significant business relationship with News Corp, the parent company of Fox, and that I got big box of swag from National Geographic promoting the new channel.
Images and video courtesy of Nat Geo Wild.
