Meerkat Manor (2005–2008) User Reviews

Adorable Creatures

[tahermann-2 · 9/10 · 8 October 2006]

I have always been an animal lover but these meerkats stole my heart. Especially brave little Shakespeare. The editing and narrating are incredible. It pulls you in and you really start to care about these little creatures....as is they are are somebody you know. Kudos to Aminal Planet for bringing wildlife in Africa into the American home. This series touched me so much that I was compelled to donate to Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center. This center revolves around taking care of Meerkats. After watching this series I hope that you will contribute too.

These little meerkats are really incredible. Their social order is almost human. They have the dominate female who rules all (and what a perfect world that would be :-), babysitters who watch their young, and they don't mate with anyone related to them (please tell me how they know that). I urge you to watch this series and I promise, you will will fall in love with meerkats too.

Nature meets high drama

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 30 July 2023]

Meerkat Manor was a Discovery Channel Animal Planet series shown successfully worldwide. It is a series in the style of a soap opera about a clan of meerkats named "The Whiskers" that is the subject of a ten-year study by Cambridge University. The show is narrated by Bill Nighy in the UK, Mike Goldman in Australia, and Sean Astin in the USA.

Flower is the leader and dominant female of the Whiskers group, and reserves the right to mate for herself. The drama can be intense, as life and death are starkly portrayed in each episode. Meerkats within the clan are incredibly dedicated to each other's safety, to the point of risking their lives for the others' survival. Family dedication even extends to the other females lactating so that Flower's pups will be fed by multiple sources. The show reveals that Meerkats don't do well on their own because their very survival depends on lookouts being constantly vigilant while the others dig deep into the ground for their meals of worms, lizards, and the occasional fat millipede.

Desert storms wreak havoc, and birds of prey are a constant threat to the pups and occasionally to the adult meerkats themselves. However, in case some violent confrontation does occur, the film crew avoids showing close-ups of the gruesome details. This makes it probably OK for family viewing, although in the case of young children you should probably make that call on a child-by-child basis. "Meerkat Manor" does have a lot of value in teaching you much about the daily life and habits of these interesting creatures to the point that you'll probably find yourself caring a little too much about what happens to each of them individually as well as a group. I highly recommend it.

Meerkat Manor... in one word, INTERESTING

[peanutbuttergirl-456-299399 · 8/10 · 15 June 2013]

Like i said in my summary, this show can be described in one simple word; which is, interesting. Those who have seen the show like I have would probably agree with me. The overall plot for all four seasons of this show, is the basically the life of a meerkat family called the Whiskers. Each season had 13 episodes that always have some type of drama going on; for example, Flower (Whisker's leader) evicting her daughter Mozart because she had pups. And since I mentioned Mozart, I might as well admit that she was my favorite character in the series up until she died near the end of the third season. Mozart was my favorite desert cat, because I felt for her when bad things kept happening to her, I happy for her when good things happened, I literally balled my eyes out when she died.. I was just really invested in this little she- kat's life. Of course I was really interested in the other group members too; including, of course one of the main characters, Flower, her mate Zaphod, his brother Youssarian, super sentry Mitch, and starting from the third season Rocket Dog, Maybelline, Sophie etc... there's too many to name! And I must say, when you start watching one episode, you get hooked on the real life drama of these intriguing meerkats. I first started watching it when I was 10 or 11 by the third season and I called it one of the best shows I've ever seen. So if you have a chance to watch this amazing show, watch it! There are episodes on youtube and there are reruns of the four seasons weekdays at 7 in the morning.

8/10 I have all the seasons on DVD :)

Reality TV worth watching!

[MichaelC91 · 22 May 2006]

The thing that struck me most about this program is that meerkats are more interesting than any Big Brother series. It has a distinct Big Brother style situation with cameras situated around a family of meerkats and it follows their everyday movements. The group is dominated by 'Flower'. The voice-over is totally hilarious as well for example; "Flower has been the only female in the family allowed to have babies, a) because she loves being the centre of attention, and b) because she's a psychopath" The program is what show like Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island want to be. The show is just a great piece of television, whether its the members of the family sneaking of to a different clan to have a quick nookie or to the young-ones fighting off elders for bits of scorpion!.

We should pay attention to this

[navychuk · 10/10 · 22 December 2006]

These are our fellow mammals....and they are highly social creatures.....it is easy to see their rules of engagement....maybe we should reflect and adapt?? For my part, this is a wonderful reflection on how nature exists as well as an interestingly creative documentary with a "soap opera" type of story progression. I wish they would show an episode with how the series is filmed as well as a summary on the demise/ascension of the various meerkats. I really miss Shakepseare and want to know more about what happened to him. He was a hero meerkat, indeed. A wonderfully touching story with all of the stark realities of life. Worth the while.

Really cute...watch this

[cabq-member · 10/10 · 3 August 2006]

OK, so the hardest part of watching this is to not assign human emotions to this little wild critters and to get over our human desire to save every creature. After all, they live in the wild and they have their own ways and we need to just let them be and enjoy them.

The meerkats are adorable...the funniest little faces and bodies and they way they stand on their hind feet and look around is just a scream, but of course it has purpose. The closeups give me the shivers because I can see the fleas flitting around their little bodies and there for a while one of them had ticks, which are normally group groomed off.

Listen, take the time to watch this. Anyone would enjoy it, or they don't have a heart. The meerkats are adorable and lovable, except for the fleas.

Survival of the fittest

[starfox_04 · 10/10 · 5 October 2007]

I had to comment to Melvira's post. I know that was over a year ago, and this comment board is old, but I think people need to understand one thing.

The researchers aren't going to interfere with the animals. Why? Well that would bias the research. If a meerkat that should have died lives on to reproduce, then chances are the offspring won't have the best genes for survival either, which means the meerkats will all need human help to live... which I hope you can see isn't a good idea.

Life is tough. Sometimes fuzzy, cute little baby meerkats die. But it is nature's way of weeding out the ones that aren't strong enough to survive in the harsh world. If you start saving the weak ones, they go on to produce more weak ones, and you have tainted the gene pool in an endless cycle of animals needing human help. That isn't natural.

Melvira sounds like a typical PETA person (whether or not they are, they sound like one). They say they care about animals, but they know very little about them, have never even taken biology classes, do not understand the circle of life and the laws of nature. I am studying to be a zoologist, and yes I do want want to work in a zoo and take care of animals, but I at least understand how the real world natural kingdom works. If prey doesn't die the predators will. Animals kill, animals die.

And I'm sure it was hard on the researchers, who studied this group for 10 year... TEN YEARS they watched this tribe of meerkats. I'm sure they love animals just as much as anyone else who gives up a nice salary to work with animals (there isn't much money in this sort of thing) and I'm sure it tore them up inside to watch whatever meerkat you are talking about suffer and die. But it wouldn't have been right or ethical to step in and mess up nature.

People are so crazed recently about having everything natural. No pesticides, organic food, etc. But when they see the dark side of what that really means they can't handle it. It isn't the fault of the researchers that the meerkats die, its the natural way of life, dog eat dog, survival of the fittest. Deal with it.

Definitely worth watching

[jenwoo · 10/10 · 11 October 2006]

It's hard not to develop an appreciation and affection for meerkats after watching this show. Every episode is either watching a new drama unfold or one that continues to unfold in the never dull life of a mob of meerkats known as the "Whiskers" family. It's easy to get engrossed in the comings and goings, challenges, and drama in the meerkat family. Pluses include getting acquainted with other wildlife in the Kalahari Desert through the Whiskers family, whether it's their encounters with plovers, hunts for scorpions, or on the lookout for dangerous neighbors and predators. Also, the amazing close-ups both above and below ground, beautiful cinematography of the Kalahari landscape, and astute narration is a big thumbs up.

GOOD GOD this is Hilarious!

[sheepsaymoo0409 · 10/10 · 12 June 2006]

Oh my god. This show is just hysterical...Those meerkats are just so animated! I love how they run, rub themselves against stuff to mark their territory...If you are looking for quality entertainment, screw E!'s Top 100 Juciest Breakups, watch Meerkat Manor. The narration is GREAT (Sean Astin! Yeah!) and the filming is fantastic. It, of course, incorporates even the meerkats with social problems (I was half expecting the next meerkat to be a drunk.) The greatest thing is how they all move together and how the "rivals" test each other. Ialmost want to insert trumpets when they stampede the offending group, back ends kicking up. And when they run...it is just HILARIOUS. Their tails straight up in the air, bobbing above everything else. And how they climb on everything is beyond amusing. The overall cuteness and intense hilarity of this show will definitely draw you I'm.

Best Show of the Summer!

[soelesli · 10/10 · 24 July 2006]

The only show that we definitely make it a point not to miss right now is Meerkat Manor. It is super! I am also glad that they have begun to rerun it occasionally on Sunday nights, so that when we do miss a show, we can catch up. (It is also fun to watch them all over again.)

I am normally reluctant to watch animal shows as bad things always seem to happen to the animals. The Whiskers family does experience some tragic moments, to be sure, but these are infrequent and watching the family dynamics is fascinating. You get lots of drama and comedy, and all of the actors are incredibly cute. You really do get caught up in it - I am sure that Yosarian's moving the pups episode had a lot of viewers yelling at the screen.

It is so nice to have a show to watch that isn't so drearily predictable - you never know what Flower, Mozart, Tosca and company will be up to or up against next. (I am really concerned about Tosca right now!) Too bad the reality shows involving people aren't half as entertaining as this.

A Meerkat Soap Opera

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 25 September 2018]

As you'll quickly discover while watching this presentation - The African meerkat is certainly a curious-looking creature that has both its serious side, as well as its playful side, too.

This 2-disc, 13-part wildlife documentary is the result of a 10-year study of a 29-member meerkat family, living, playing, mating, and surviving in South Africa's Kalahari Desert region.

The close scrutiny of all of the personal dramas that exist in meerkat society is definitely an enjoyable and educational view for all, children, teens, and adults, alike.

Itty Bitty Critters vs. The World

[AZINDN · 10/10 · 9 October 2006]

Animal documentary cameras follow the daily activities of a mob of 12" high Meerkats living in the African Kalihari desert. Alpha female Flower, her mate, Zaphod, socially inept Uncle Yousarian, slutty daughter Mozart, and the teenagers and pups make up a family unit known as the Whiskers. Their 3 square miles of forage territory must be defended from other mobs such as the Lazuli and Commandos. Leadership is dependent on strong and often ruthless decisions that mean only the alpha female may bear pups, and the fate of the group's breeding age adults becomes a series of illicit one night stands with rival non-related meerkats, and hard learned lessons in meerkat morality that leaves younger wanton daughters ousted for pregnancy. Each meerkat has become a star in the series but some more than other such as loyal Shakespeare who may have died battling the Lazuli raiders while babysitting the infant pups.

Keeping up with the numerous yearly litters of four or five pups means the size of the Whiskers group fluctuates as its members stray, die, or disappear after encounters and fierce battles often to the death. It is a dire existence in which family loyalty is reinforced by mutual grooming, scent marking, and hunting juicy huge scorpions and centipedes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yummy! And, the meerkats are hunted as well by prey birds and other beasties of the desert environment.

Filmed by Cambridge University for over ten years, and narrated by actor Sean Austin, the family life of small weasel-like creatures takes on all the drama and humor of reality TV shows without having to design dresses or cook gourmet dinners. This is real survivor TV at its best and the often harsh reality of life and death of the charming and adorable wild creatures brings to the screen a complex and enormously endearing story of animal behavior.

Stop bashing peta

[oceanviewbeach · 6/10 · 6 July 2021]

To the reviewer who said PETA doesn't have scientists: you are incorrect. I volunteered with peta. I know well that PETA does have abundant experts on animal behavior and health. Weird that you would use this review to bash people, who work so hard to protect animals with compassionate action. It's her sterile, unfeeling attitude that is condemning cats and dogs to be tortured in "research" studies today. Dogs and cats that are s wonderful as your pets, who need protection. To the point, until you are taking dog houses to dogs in sub freezing temperatures in the the middle of the night, like the PETA VOLUNTEERS I KNOW, PLEASE DONT CRITICIZE THOSE WHO ARE TRULEY CARING.

meerkat manor

[melvira · 1/10 · 23 June 2006]

Whomever filmed this to leave a meerkat dead when they obviously were there filming it and could have saved it is not an animal lover in my opinion. This disturbed me and I think you should rethink your filming process! Obviously you were there you filmed it. I thought this was in bad taste and then you want people to sponsor all of this. Why so you can film another helpless animal dying in the sun. They may have a tough time of it but obviously greedy filmmakers are no help. Why don't you make slasher movies it suits your personality better. I can't even believe animal planet would be "down with this" and show it. Poor Poor Taste!

The Whiskers & Life

[Ccats · 30 September 2006]

I cannot remember any of my TV life since I met the Whiskers family.... No other program can compare. Their reality, their life, and, sadly the tragic event of the pups' deaths mirrors life without the need for extreme makeovers or trading places. Watching these little critters interact with each other and their environment allows you to watch how you wished we could all live and love. Want a lesson in parenting? Take a look at the Whiskers and their babysitters. I only hope for the best for courageous little Shakespeare. Unfortunately the "Clue" to Shakespeare's fate was not in the first two episodes of the new season. But Flower, Zaphod, Mitch and the rest of the Naughty kits, the Lazuli and a new group called the Commandoes will keep me tuning in to the Animal Planet every Friday eve.

Meerkat Manor

[wtrZ34 · 10/10 · 28 October 2006]

I think this show is Fantastic! From waiting patiently for the very first show to appear, I watched that episode and I have watched and enjoyed each and ever episode since the first one! In fact my husband tapes them for me to watch again later on in the week. I find myself waiting and looking forward to the new show coming up the following week! In this day and age it is wonderful to have this type of show to look forward to watching! So exciting, so wonderful, so real.....family type situations at their best....as well as at their saddest too! It's good for all ages.....little children to older adults! Babies to Grandparents (one of which I am, a Grandmother..not baby! HA! HA!! It's truly refreshing TV at it's best. My Thanks to Animal Planet for another good one! Thank You again Animal Planet and my Thanks also goes to everyone in the cast and crew of The Meerkat Manor show!

an amazing blend of research and entertainment

[Bou · 10/10 · 29 August 2006]

I'm kicking myself for having missed this show until the final week of the first season (at least I managed to catch several repeats inside of a single night!). Whatever I've been gallivanting about doing on Friday nights can't have been as good as this.

While some might object that the show anthropomorphizes, despite its naming of the little creatures and its soap-ish format it doesn't go overboard in this respect. Meerkats are very social animals to begin with, and it's part of what makes them ideal for this kind of program. Also, while some would argue that it was unconscionable to let some of the animals die, I am inclined to disagree. I had a hard time with watching the loss of pups, and if the show were filmed as entertainment alone, I'd not have condoned such noninterference. But it isn't. It's science first, and scientists filming in the wild generally interfere with nature's own course to the least extent possible. There's room for argument about this practice, granted, but the sadnesses that happen on this show are NOT simply human hard-heartedness.

That said, sadness doesn't last long at Meerkat Manor. These are some very funny, frequently affectionate, and bold little creatures. They are fascinating, they are captivating, and they are downright addictive, so do plan to curtail your social life accordingly--or tell all your friends and get a bigger couch.

Meerkat Manor is Marvelous

[cristeen · 9/10 · 24 September 2006]

The perfect soap opera, Meerkat Manor has it all. With dangerous liaisons, mob family fighting, and internal family rivalries this show could easily pass for any prime time soap; the only difference is the players are 12" tall. Each half hour episode ends with a cliffhanger to get you back next week to see what happens. The first season ended with a huge mystery that they say will be explained when the second season opens. The shows main family is the Whiskers headed by Flower (the dominant female) and her current mate Zaphod. Zaphod's neurotic brother Youssarian causes mischief and is always on the lookout to mate. Three of Flower's daughters, Daisy, Tosca, and Mozart have mated without permission. The perfect son, Shakespeare, looks after his little siblings though it could cost him his life. This is just within the Whisker's family. The Lazuli family is always on the lookout to take control of the Whisker's territory, and meerkats fight to the death. Throw in the natural predators of the Kalahari and you never know who will live or die.

Wildlife documentary making at its best.

[rogersad59 · 10/10 · 3 November 2020]

Meerkat Manor got a recent rerun of the first 2 series the BBC2 at around 18.30 each day over a few weeks. I was left wanting more and, after a quick trip to IMDB, was surprised to see there were a further 2 series. Couldn't understand for the life of me why the BBC hadn't shown 3 and 4 until I managed to catch them via another source.

It became obvious after watching 3 and 4 why. This most recent showing would be at a time children would be watching and, if your kids are of the sensitive type, would be devastated at brutal life on the manor.

I however loved it, it's not just a wildlife documentary, it's a drama. You become involved with their personalities, stories, tragedies and power struggles. Bill Nighy's commentary is superbly written and delivered (no idea whether the US version with Whoopi Goldberg is a copy/paste).

if you're only familiar with the first 2 series I urge you to seek out 3 and 4, quite brilliant.

Research

[Stardust434 · 10/10 · 10 September 2007]

As sad as it is, whether the RESEARCHERS not filmmakers, had been there or not he would have died. These men and women are researching the lives of the meerkats and are taking great care to not interfere with their way of life. It is the harsh reality that is nature. Like when Len and Squiggy died and I cried my boyfriend had to tell me that even if the researcher's hadn't been there and this hadn't been broadcast it still would have happened. That is what makes this show so great. It is heart wrenchingly sad when something bad happens but so amazing when something good happens. The way these little creatures survive surrounded by such a harsh environment; it is truly amazing. And like in nature as in life people die and we already mess with nature enough, through urban expansion and deforestation for the researchers to keep a meerkat alive that would have died in there absence would be bad. It would mess with the meerkats and the Kalahari's delicate way of life. So while yes this show has sad scenes that a researcher could prevent, it is the hard facts of life in the Kalahari and it is an amazing show.

That show is brilliant

[agata-jel · 10/10 · 22 September 2006]

Well i watched it from 1st episode...every Friday i was waiting for new part of great life of those little creatures.. Recording quality is GREAT.. The narration is GREAT ...characters are 12 inches high You will get to know each individual character as intimately as any human soap star but here the relationships, births, deaths and conflicts are for real. It is the best documentary movie i saw.. So Click on animals planet and watch it I'm waiting for DVD to get it ASAP. Thw whole show is just HILARIOUS !!! Hight quality entertainment.. lots of action..Meerkats running around fighting for their territory, food.. Main Characters : And EVERYONE GET READY THEY ARE COMING BACK TO ANIMAL PLANET September 29th SO GET READY FOR ACTION !!!!

What an awesome documentary

[InvisableMirages · 8/10 · 28 September 2007]

I never tuned into Meerkat Manor until a few episodes before the Season 1 finale. I was addicted to it right away. I figured a documentary on MEERKATS couldn't be worth watching. But it most definitely is. I love this show.

This all follows a large group of Meerkats called the Whiskers who fight for survival in the rough Kalahari desert. Several rivals clans surround them and they're always on the lookout for predators. Being so little, Meerkats have many.

Flower is the dominant female of the Whiskers. And she has one of the largest group of Meerkats in the manor who she leads proudly with her loyal mate, Zaphod.

I guarantee you'll be addicted to this wonderful, fascinating show that teaches you so much about some of the smallest animals on this planet.

Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

How could you watch this meerkat grow up try to grow up and let it get eaten by goshawk let nature take his courts sometime is bad that little one had a chance to be a leader

[ronaldjames-83472 · 2/10 · 18 June 2022]

How could you let this little meerkat get eaten by a goshawk that little one could have been a leader could have went on to some other group and started his dynasty I couldn't have done that that is bad to me.

Like a soap for meerkats

[studioAT · 26 August 2011]

This show is like a little soap but with meerkats as the lead characters. As an audience we are brought into the world of the whiskers and get to know them as we would characters in any other soap.

We follow their ups and downs, births and deaths and Flower tries to keep her family afloat.

Combined with some great narration by Bill Nighy this is a nice show to watch. It's not perfect and seeing some of the meerkats die at times is a bit upsetting but at the end of the day that is nature and the film would not be accurate if it did not show it.

Overall a show well worth seeing if you are an animal lover or if you are fed up of the plots of other soaps.

Meerkat Manor

[susanjanehewett · 10/10 · 19 August 2009]

I started watching Meerkat Manor about 18 months ago when I turned the T.V. on the Animal Planet and I just fell in love with it, it is in my opinion the best documentary series ever made. Those little Meerkats are some of the cutest animals I have ever seen. My favourite was and still is Flower, she was a great leader and she lead the family with an iron paw (as the narrated said in one episode). It was very sad when Flower died but that is a part of nature and it is no-one's fault not even the Researchers, that was the saddest episode of the whole series. I also loved Sharkespeare and still wonder what happened to him. I also felt sad for Mozart and Tosca when Flower evicted them from the family. Meerkat Manor isn't on here in Australia at the moment but I have the first 3 seasons on DVD so I can watch it whenever I like.