Planet Earth II: parents' guide
Best for ages 6 and up. Rated TV-PG.
A breathtaking nature series most families can share, as long as younger kids are ready to see real predators catch real prey. Across six episodes covering islands, mountains, jungles, deserts, grasslands and cities, David Attenborough narrates hunts, courtship displays and daily struggles to survive. There is no language, sexual or substance content. The concern is the food chain: snakes swarm newborn iguanas, a jaguar kills a caiman, lions hunt giraffe and buffalo, and some carcasses are bloody. Sea turtle hatchlings lost on city streets may upset animal lovers. We suggest 6, with a parent ready to talk through or skip the hunts.
What's in it
Violence
ModeratePredators hunt and kill on screen in most episodes: racer snakes seize hatchling iguanas, skuas take penguin chicks, a jaguar kills a caiman, lions hunt a giraffe and a buffalo, and hawks and falcons catch squirrels and pigeons. Some bloody carcasses are visible.
Language
NoneNo profanity at all. The narration is calm and educational, and there is no human dialogue to speak of.
Sex and nudity
NoneNo sexual content. Courtship displays, such as dancing birds-of-paradise and male Komodo dragons fighting over mates, are shown, and mating is described in plain scientific terms.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
NoneNo drinking, smoking or drugs of any kind. This is a wildlife series with almost no people on screen.
Scary or intense scenes
ModerateSeveral sequences play like thrillers, especially the island chase of newborn iguanas by swarms of snakes. A mother snow leopard is injured defending her cub, and disoriented turtle hatchlings wander onto city streets instead of the sea.
Sensitive topics
- Animal death
Worth talking about
The cities episode shows how lights, roads and buildings affect wild animals. What could people change to make cities safer for the animals that live alongside us?
On our lists
Similar picks around 6+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.