Favorite Dinosaur TV Series
1. Dinotopia (2002)
Half-brothers Carl and David Scott couldn't be more different, but when they go off on an island-hopping vacation with their dad they end up spending a lot more time together than they anticipated. When their plane crashes, they're left alone on the beaches of a strange island. Far from deserted, the island is home to a remarkable civilization built on the cooperation and bonds between humans and dinosaurs. And though they are surrounded by amazing sights and kind people, Carl and David struggle to accept the loss of their father and adjust to living in this new world. Not knowing what's right or wrong in this society they blunder right into trouble just beneath the surface of this near-utopian society, and what follows is a great adventure few have ever dreamed of.
Based on the delightful illustrations and stories of James Gurney, this mini-series takes you into a modern take on the secluded island nation of Dinotopia. True to the art design of the original books, the series manages to recreate the fantastic melting pot of human cultures and takes us deeper into Gurney's speculations into what it would be like to live alongside dinosaurs. For a TV series and for its time it does a fair job with visual effects, animating talking dinosaurs and creating great backdrops. Although overall the acting of the main characters is none too good, it did manage to draw reliable thespians Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact, Children of Dune), David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dragonheart), and Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Thief Lord) into interesting edge roles.
2. Terra Nova (2011)
A hundred years in the future, environmental degradation, war, and disease have brought humanity to the brink. And yet hope remains in the form of Terra Nova. A portal to a lush, alternate, dinosaur-filled past gives a lucky few the opportunity to start fresh and gives humanity a second chance to live in harmony with each other and their planet. Among the hopefuls of the Tenth pilgrimage comes the Shannon family, a resourceful and tenacious five who have already overcome enormous odds to be together. But as they grow to love their new home, challenges from within and without threaten to destroy this budding society. Can they save Terra Nova from extinction, or will they succumb to the pressures of greed, violence, and toothy dinosaurs?
There's a lot to like in this series, and it's sad that it would only see one season. The concept is strong, the overarching plot intriguing, and the characters, acting, and execution is pretty good. I'm not sure what ultimately gave it the axe, but it seems likely to be a combination of high production costs and unsure footing among its audience. The intent of some of the producers seemed to be cater to the biggest audience, trying to replicate the success of Lost, but the curious mixture of science fiction, adventure, and family drama might have put some off. For scifi it can be hard to hit the sweet spot of catering to both a geeky/high concept audience and the average Joes. But it was also a Fox show, and Fox isn't exactly known for giving their new scifi series the breathing space of a second season. At least Terra Nova was allowed the grace of closing out the season, though it left behind a lot of questions. I hope one of these days a streaming service will dust off this gem and give it reboot, as both the colonists and the series deserves a second chance.
3. Primeval (2007-2011)
In this story, time is less stable than you might think. Still reeling from the mysterious disappearance of his estranged wife, Dr. Nick Cutter and his research assistant are called into to consult when a Permian-era creature begins a rampage in the Forest of Dean. Collaborating with a motley crew of including a government liaison, a zookeeper, and a tech genius, Cutter investigates anomalous time portals and works on sending the escaped creatures back to the time periods they came from. But as the anomalies grow in frequency and magnitude, unraveling the origins of the issue becomes more and more vital. How long can they conceal the truth from the world, and can time itself be restored?
This is was a neat little monster-of-the-week show, super British but ultimately charming. I think it sort of went off the rails in later seasons with the rapid-fire cast changes, but the first few seasons hold up. Although there's always a bit of creative license with the depictions of prehistoric creatures, here in Primeval it seems closer to what we usually see on TV (probably because many of the same creatures from the docuseries Walking with Dinosaurs were reused here). Anyway, if you haven't seen it this a fun way to spend a few afternoons.
Half-brothers Carl and David Scott couldn't be more different, but when they go off on an island-hopping vacation with their dad they end up spending a lot more time together than they anticipated. When their plane crashes, they're left alone on the beaches of a strange island. Far from deserted, the island is home to a remarkable civilization built on the cooperation and bonds between humans and dinosaurs. And though they are surrounded by amazing sights and kind people, Carl and David struggle to accept the loss of their father and adjust to living in this new world. Not knowing what's right or wrong in this society they blunder right into trouble just beneath the surface of this near-utopian society, and what follows is a great adventure few have ever dreamed of.
Based on the delightful illustrations and stories of James Gurney, this mini-series takes you into a modern take on the secluded island nation of Dinotopia. True to the art design of the original books, the series manages to recreate the fantastic melting pot of human cultures and takes us deeper into Gurney's speculations into what it would be like to live alongside dinosaurs. For a TV series and for its time it does a fair job with visual effects, animating talking dinosaurs and creating great backdrops. Although overall the acting of the main characters is none too good, it did manage to draw reliable thespians Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact, Children of Dune), David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dragonheart), and Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Thief Lord) into interesting edge roles.
2. Terra Nova (2011)
A hundred years in the future, environmental degradation, war, and disease have brought humanity to the brink. And yet hope remains in the form of Terra Nova. A portal to a lush, alternate, dinosaur-filled past gives a lucky few the opportunity to start fresh and gives humanity a second chance to live in harmony with each other and their planet. Among the hopefuls of the Tenth pilgrimage comes the Shannon family, a resourceful and tenacious five who have already overcome enormous odds to be together. But as they grow to love their new home, challenges from within and without threaten to destroy this budding society. Can they save Terra Nova from extinction, or will they succumb to the pressures of greed, violence, and toothy dinosaurs?
There's a lot to like in this series, and it's sad that it would only see one season. The concept is strong, the overarching plot intriguing, and the characters, acting, and execution is pretty good. I'm not sure what ultimately gave it the axe, but it seems likely to be a combination of high production costs and unsure footing among its audience. The intent of some of the producers seemed to be cater to the biggest audience, trying to replicate the success of Lost, but the curious mixture of science fiction, adventure, and family drama might have put some off. For scifi it can be hard to hit the sweet spot of catering to both a geeky/high concept audience and the average Joes. But it was also a Fox show, and Fox isn't exactly known for giving their new scifi series the breathing space of a second season. At least Terra Nova was allowed the grace of closing out the season, though it left behind a lot of questions. I hope one of these days a streaming service will dust off this gem and give it reboot, as both the colonists and the series deserves a second chance.
3. Primeval (2007-2011)
In this story, time is less stable than you might think. Still reeling from the mysterious disappearance of his estranged wife, Dr. Nick Cutter and his research assistant are called into to consult when a Permian-era creature begins a rampage in the Forest of Dean. Collaborating with a motley crew of including a government liaison, a zookeeper, and a tech genius, Cutter investigates anomalous time portals and works on sending the escaped creatures back to the time periods they came from. But as the anomalies grow in frequency and magnitude, unraveling the origins of the issue becomes more and more vital. How long can they conceal the truth from the world, and can time itself be restored?
This is was a neat little monster-of-the-week show, super British but ultimately charming. I think it sort of went off the rails in later seasons with the rapid-fire cast changes, but the first few seasons hold up. Although there's always a bit of creative license with the depictions of prehistoric creatures, here in Primeval it seems closer to what we usually see on TV (probably because many of the same creatures from the docuseries Walking with Dinosaurs were reused here). Anyway, if you haven't seen it this a fun way to spend a few afternoons.
Comments
Post a Comment