If a little long, the show is nonetheless a fascinating, charming and heartwarming look at a South African colony of the titular birds.

Known for their nature documentaries featured on Disney+ and National Geographic, Red Rock Films produced the program, which streams now on Netflix in eight half-hour episodes.

The treatment of animal reproduction, predatory behavior and death, together with some mildly off-color moments, may raise a red flag for the parents of younger kids. But this is suitable fare for most others. It's rated TV-PG – parental guidance suggested.

Each November, penguins threatened with extinction return to the seaside community of Simon's Town on South Africa's Western Cape for a six-month mating season. Locals welcome them as VIPs, as Oswalt notes, but "their survival depends upon strong relationships." The penguins, he observes, are trying "to mate their way off the endangered species list."

For the most part, the filmmakers concentrate on penguin couples, who display a desire to remain monogamous – a fact that may surprise some viewers. Each duo has its own personality, history and array of challenges.

To a lesser degree, "Penguin Town" also tracks a "misfit" penguin named Junior. Unable to molt properly, he's unusual in being a loner, and will need rehabilitation before he can acclimate to the colony again.

Aggressively antisocial and mean-spirited, the "car park gang," as the documentarians dub one group of the penguins, continually menace others of their kind, disrupting their efforts to perpetuate the species.

Mavericks and miscreants, however, are this world’s outliers. Most of those being observed conform and pair off and build nests to bring new lives into the colony.

Oswalt's wry narration sets the perfect tone for the docuseries, making its content more relatable and accessible. Laughing at the penguins' comically winsome behavior, moreover, helps to mitigate the effect on viewers of the darker aspects of life in the natural world. Though these are never sugarcoated, the filmmakers wisely emphasize the life-affirming elements of their story.

Lead director of photography Alexander Sletten and his team of five cinematographers, meanwhile, deliver vivid, spectacular imagery. Thus, while penguins may be flightless, thanks to the high quality of both its audio and visual ingredients, this study of them soars.

Byrd is a guest reviewer for Catholic News Service.