Animal Planet :: Meerkat Manor Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor is the best reality show ever, in that it is actually real. The footage comes from 10 years of research on meerkats in the Kalahari desert, focusing on the "Whiskers" family, led by the power couple of Flower and Zaphod. Each half hour episode so far has ended with one or more of the fascinating little creatures in dire straits. Sean Astin narrates, and after describing the upcoming near-certain death of one of the family members, cheerfully exclaims, "Next time on Meerkat Manor!" I find the cliffhanger endings more than a little heavy-handed, but the show is still one of the most interesting things on television right now. (That and high definition reruns of Battlestar Galactica...)  ¶ 7:16 PM