LIVE BLOG -- Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation Debuts

As the fourth season opens, the theme is 'To Have and To Have Not' ((UPDATE: See other blogger reaction below.))
The show opens with Stockard Channing narrating the death of Flower, Maybelline's new Aztec and Rocket Dog now in charge of Flower's old group... plus the Commando foes are still a factor.

• Rocket Dog and Maybelline -- two sisters, both inexperienced leaders of their groups. Success or failure may be as simple as fate.
• The visuals are always breathtaking. They certainly are this season. Amazing.
• Rocket Dog remains in charge of the largest group.
• Something new... Zaphod now sports his own radio collar. He is a loyal supporter of his oldest daught Rocket Dog... He remains without a mate.
• Meantime, Maybelline's group dwindled during the winter. Some of her former members quit... and returned to Rocket Dog's group. Maybelline must now find a better burrow. There is trouble ahead though.
• COMMERCIAL BREAK -- QUICK THOUGHTS -- Channing is much better at narrating than I expected and saw in preview clips. The writing is as crisp as ever... and the visuals in the Kalahari are even more stunning than ever. A show that outlined the production of the recent movie talked about how the crew must gain the trust of the Meerkats to get those great shots.
• A snake awaits Maybelline's group as they venture out. The group no doubt recalls the death of Flower from a snake bit. The group tries to convince it go away. More danger arrives from overhead. The Aztecs retreat. Maybelline is off to a bad start.
• Meantime, Rocket Dog's group faces feasting trouble of their own. There are few scorpions... only ants. No one is picky though. Fights start because of the lack of food. Half of the family splits off once again. But Rocket Dog manages to regain control.
• Mitch spots an intruder... a mystery rover looking for the ladies. Rocket Dog returns the looks... knowing she needs a rover for new pups this year. But, Zaphod steps in and refuses to let his daughter hook up in the Kalahari with a roving male. He just won't allow his daughter to tramp it up in the Kalahari. Masterful rovers find a way still for another chance. Zaphod rallies the males in the group to chaase away poor Rocket Dog's only hope of dating right now.
• But the drive to move the rover away, leaves Zaphod separated from the family Rocket Dog's rover is gone... so is her brothers and her father.
• COMMERCIAL BREAK - QUICK THOUGHTS What's a girl to do? Yes, the Whisker's leader is horny and she needs to mate this season. How many dads step in to ruin the day... or protect the tribe? Time will tell in the series. There are so many aspects of this show that mirror human life. Learn more about the Meerkats from Animal Planet.com
• The third segment returns with Rocket Dog still alone. Her dad and brothers are still separated. Rocket Dog is torn. Her group must search for food. There is a science lesson here in the search for food.
• Rocket Dog has lost seven males already... Now there is a fight for food and she as the dominant female is losing.
• Meantime, Maybelline is burrow hunting for her new Aztec clan. She finds a great home... a home that is usually occupied by an ardvark. So, they must move on. Night is falling but they have no where to sleep.
• Back to the Whiskers, a long hard day ends. They are headed home to the burrow. But trouble looms with a new challenge in the bushes.
• COMMERCIAL BREAK -- QUICK THOUGHTS The plot is woven tightly in this episode with the growth of the two sisters into authority with their new tribes.
• The trouble appears to be no trouble at all. The trouble in the bushes turns out to be the rover who was chased away. He's back... still looking for the lady of the hosue, so Rocket Dog thought. The trouble is that the rover brought his family... the Commandos.
• Instead of love, Rocket Dog now faces an invasion. There's no Zaphod and few males to help her. A battle is almost out of the question. But... the drama begins. The battle in the Kalahari sparked fast heartbeats. Rocket Dog starts the counter attack... but then retreats. She can't afford to lose. Her group is now in flight... driven from their land by the Commandos. So much for the loving rover who wanted a few minutes with Rocket Dog.
• Back to Maybelline, the search for a home continues. Channing does a great delivery in narrating the home search here. A yellow mongoose calls this his home though. Murray challenges the mongoose. It's easy prey... and chased away.
• As great storytelling goes.. the theme becomes clear.
• Maybelline and her Aztec tribe ended the day with success -- a new home, after a very rough start.
• Rocket Dog and her Whiskers are now homeless. She lost a home and seven meerkats in just a matter of hours.

I mentioned in a previous post that this show is so well crafted that there is great love, drama, family, power, struggle, sex and battles. It’s worth your time… even if on TiVo or DVR. Do check out the video of "Behind the Burrow' at AnimalPlanet.com as well. It gives you great insight into the bit of land in the Kalahari that has sparked so much interest around the world. Even without Flower, there is still great drama in 'Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation'. The next new show airs next Friday night. Until then, show some love for Meerkat Manor. Add your comments about the debut of the new show below. And, get your Meerkat ringtones by clickng in the right column.

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Here are some other blogger reactions to the debut.
FROM CHRIS CARLISLE: Have to say, I wasn’t impressed with the start of season 4. This was a pretty typical do-nothing episode with very little action. As for the narration, let’s just say I am so far unimpressed. The voice I can get used to (bring back Samwise!), but the cheesy-overly dramatic intonations I could do without. It seems that Animal Planet has dialed up the anthropomorphism this season.
FROM ZAP2IT: With nightfall coming fast, Maybelline finds yet another seemingly vacant burrow. Aside from the smell and a quick visit from Ty Pennington, it seems perfect for the Aztecs. It appears that once again, she’s managed to find another not-so-vacant home as a mongoose returns to find some unwelcome guests.

As I leave you this week, I;ll post the tribute to Rocket Dog again. As you may have read, there is trouble for Rocket Dog. A real life accident claimed her life on April 28th of this year. It was not mentioned in the show as production for the year had already completed. Her tribute will come next season.