Like the title says, this show is great family viewing, and it doesn't shy away from hard topics such as loss, extinction, loneliness and even death, and it is a great way to broach these topics with children in order to help them understand and process these difficult issues.
When taken for what it is: a family/kids show in the sci-fi genre, done on a moderate budget, it deserves WAY more than the current 3.7 overall rating it has on IMDB.
The premise: An alien 'collector', later affectionately named "Ling", roams the universe collecting 'endlings', which are creatures that are the very last of their kind and are about to become forever extinct, in order to preserve them for an as yet unrevealed purpose (we are clearly led to believe it is in the best interests of these creatures though). While on one of it's missions, to collect the last African Elephant on Earth, it encounters trouble with it's spaceship and crash lands on Earth, releasing all the collected Endlings in the crash. It, and the ship, are then found by several foster children, and Ling is rescued by them and through telepathy shows them what it is that he does, and why. The children then take it upon themselves to collect the lost Endlings while Ling heals. Through this process, the kids learn to deal with things like loss, death, trust, in themselves and in others, the merits of working together, and of family bonds, they also learn about empathy and appreciation for life itself in the many forms it can take.
This is a unique series, with a very unique premise, and throughout it contains such a POSITIVE feeling and message, and I truly believe it has the power to educate and bring families together through discussion about the topics it's story touches upon.
This is something that should be seen by all families, and even by any adult sci fi fans that aren't afraid of lower budgets and family friendly storylines. There's a little something to be found for pretty much everyone here.
9 out of 10 stars for me
When taken for what it is: a family/kids show in the sci-fi genre, done on a moderate budget, it deserves WAY more than the current 3.7 overall rating it has on IMDB.
The premise: An alien 'collector', later affectionately named "Ling", roams the universe collecting 'endlings', which are creatures that are the very last of their kind and are about to become forever extinct, in order to preserve them for an as yet unrevealed purpose (we are clearly led to believe it is in the best interests of these creatures though). While on one of it's missions, to collect the last African Elephant on Earth, it encounters trouble with it's spaceship and crash lands on Earth, releasing all the collected Endlings in the crash. It, and the ship, are then found by several foster children, and Ling is rescued by them and through telepathy shows them what it is that he does, and why. The children then take it upon themselves to collect the lost Endlings while Ling heals. Through this process, the kids learn to deal with things like loss, death, trust, in themselves and in others, the merits of working together, and of family bonds, they also learn about empathy and appreciation for life itself in the many forms it can take.
This is a unique series, with a very unique premise, and throughout it contains such a POSITIVE feeling and message, and I truly believe it has the power to educate and bring families together through discussion about the topics it's story touches upon.
This is something that should be seen by all families, and even by any adult sci fi fans that aren't afraid of lower budgets and family friendly storylines. There's a little something to be found for pretty much everyone here.
9 out of 10 stars for me