TV Review: National Geographic's "Underdogs" Hilariously Explores the Weirder Side of Earth's Ecosystem
Join National Geographic for a comedic look into some of the strangest survival techniques in the animal kingdom in Underdogs.
While the animal kingdom is filled with iconic predators like lions, tigers, and bears, National Geographic is ready to take you into the world of some of the most unique survival mechanisms in the animal kingdom with Underdogs. Hosted by Ryan Reynolds, who adds his humorous flair, the series takes an up close, high definition look at the superpowers and behaviors of the planet’s lesser-known creatures. The five-part series travels across the globe to explore the underdogs’ mating habits, hunting techniques, and more.
The National Geographic series arrives from Reynolds’ Emmy Award-winning Maximum Effort and the EMMY and BAFTA Award-winning Windstar Films.
Getting a chance to check out the first episode of Underdogs, Ryan Reynolds took me on a journey through some of the earth’s most diverse ecosystems. Reynolds’ quickly establishes a less than serious tone, cracking jokes about leaving the entertainment industry as he introduces viewers to its first set of animals. The first episode hones in on a set of animals he dubs the “Superzeros," a group of creatures from around the world with unique and fascinating “superpowers" that help them survive in the wild. Reynolds’ kicks off our global journey with the velvet worm, who launches a special adhesive at predators to trap them in their place. From there, viewers will get to learn about the nearly indestructible honey badger, the illusive glass frog, the echolocating Madagascar lemur, the unstoppable snapping pistol shrimp, the limb regenerating axolotl, and the dopamine inducing jewel wasp.
While the episode was slam-packed with information, Ryan Reynolds’ comedic delivery adds an entertaining and quippy element to the standard nature documentary format. For fans of the Deadpool series, you’ll love his down-to-earth and, sometimes, crude jokes. In that same breath, Underdogs does contain real and graphic footage of the realities of nature. Small kids may be too young to enjoy the series, especially with Reynolds’ more PG-13 rated zingers. For those looking for a fun way to enjoy the weirder side of Earth’s ecosystem, you’ll love Underdogs. You can check out the Underdogs when it premieres on National Geographic and ABC on June 15th at 9/8c. The series will be available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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