▁points ▁to ▁an ▁attack ▁by ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁meg al odon , ▁a ▁pre histor ic ▁sh ark ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁long ▁ext inct . ▁Its ▁format ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁document ary ▁that ▁includes ▁accounts ▁of ▁" prof ession als " ▁in ▁various ▁fields ▁related ▁to ▁Meg al odon . ▁It ▁follows ▁a ▁similar ▁format ▁to ▁another ▁doc uf iction ▁a ired ▁by ▁Disc overy ▁Channel , ▁Mer ma ids : ▁The ▁Body ▁Found . ▁ ▁The ▁show , ▁like ▁Mer ma ids , ▁came ▁under ▁equal ▁criticism ▁and ▁scr ut iny ▁by ▁both ▁scient ists ▁and ▁ordinary ▁view ers ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁attempt ▁to ▁present ▁fiction ▁as ▁a ▁non - f iction ▁document ary . ▁Despite ▁the ▁disc laim ers , ▁some ▁people ▁actually ▁believed ▁they ▁were ▁watching ▁a ▁real ▁document ary ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁off ended ▁that ▁a ▁doc uf iction ▁show ▁would ▁be ▁a ired ▁on ▁Disc overy ▁Channel , ▁a ▁channel ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁known ▁for ▁actual ▁and ▁cred ible ▁science ▁shows . ▁ ▁Meg al odon : ▁The ▁Mon ster ▁Sh ark ▁L ives ▁now ▁ranks ▁as ▁the ▁biggest ▁Sh ark ▁Week ▁show ▁to ▁date , ▁with ▁ 4 . 8 ▁million ▁view ers . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁inf amy ▁it ▁gained ▁from ▁this ▁was ▁mostly ▁back l ash ▁at ▁the ▁network ▁itself , ▁though ▁the ▁host ▁Brian ▁Sw ite k ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁" g ave ▁science ▁communic ators ▁like ▁me ▁an ▁easy ▁target ." ▁The ▁special ▁received ▁a ▁sequ el ▁titled ▁Meg