A few years ago we went to the San Francisco Zoo and became entranced with the prairie dog and meerkat exhibit. We could have spent the entire day in that one section watching the prairie dogs prairie-dogging, and the meerkats doing their sit-on-hind-legs-turn head-this-way-and-that-way thing all day. ALL DAY, we tells ya!

When we got home that night we immediately programmed two TiVo wishlists: one for "prairie dogs" and the other for "meerkats." The meerkat wishlist proved more fruitful than the prairie dog one, and although a lot of the programs TiVo found were related to "The Lion King," enough were about actual meerkats to keep us happy. (Although that one special, where the meerkat dies after a scorpion bite? Was a little heartbreaking.)

So imagine our uncontained excitement when we heard that Animal Planet was going to air a "reality series" all about meerkats! A whole series--nay--a veritable soap opera--all about meerkats! It's a dream come true! The half-hour series is called "Meerkat Manor" and it premieres tonight with two episodes airing at 5 p.m. (a repeat airs at 9 p.m.). Finally, something worth watching on Friday nights.

Image of the--omigod, how cute are they?!--"Meerkat Manor" meerkats from Animal Planet.