This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Planet Dinosaur | |
---|---|
Genre | Documentary |
Created by | Nigel Paterson Phil Dobree |
Written by | Nigel Paterson Tom Brass |
Directed by | Nigel Paterson |
Creative director | Phil Dobree |
Narrated by | John Hurt |
Composer | Ilan Eshkeri |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 6 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Andrew Cohen |
Editor | Andy Walter |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production companies | Jellyfish Pictures BBC Discovery Channel ZDF |
Original release | |
Network | BBC One, BBC One HD, BBC HD |
Release | 14 September – 19 October 2011 |
Planet Dinosaur, is a six-part documentary television series created by Nigel Paterson and Phil Dobree, produced by the BBC, and narrated by John Hurt. It first aired in the United Kingdom in 2011, with VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures as its producer. It was the first major dinosaur-related series for BBC One since Walking with Dinosaurs . There are more than 50 different prehistoric species featured, and they and their environments were created entirely as computer-generated images, for around a third of the production cost that was needed a decade earlier for Walking with Dinosaurs. [1] [2] [3] Much of the series' plot is based on scientific discoveries made since Walking with Dinosaurs, with episodes frequently stopping the action to show fossil evidence and the assumptions based on them. The companion book to Planet Dinosaur was released on 8 September 2011, and the DVD and Blu-ray were released on 24 October 2011. [4] Planet Dinosaur is highly praised for its stunning graphics and 3D animation. The series was also accompanied by an online video game which has since become inaccessible. [5]
No. | Title | Era | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [6] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Lost World" [7] | 95 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson & Tom Brass | 14 September 2011 | 4.74 | |
In a swamp in North Africa, during the early part of the late Cretaceous, a herd of Ouranosaurus nigeriensis are spooked by a Spinosaurus aegyptiacus , which ignores them. Instead, it hunts Onchopristis , which are migrating into rivers to breed. A Rugops primus scavenges its leftovers. The episode cuts to a pair of young male Carcharodontosaurus saharicus , which are fighting to gain rights to hunt a herd of Ouranosaurus. The victor then hunts and kills one of the herbivores. The episode then cuts to the habitat of the Spinosaurus during the dry season, where a drought is taking place. The Spinosaurus competes for the remaining water and fish with a Sarcosuchus imperator , which unlike dinosaurs can hibernate during droughts. When the Sarcosuchus refuses to be intimidated, the Spinosaurus is forced to hunt on land. After killing and eating a pterosaur, it comes across a group of Ouranosaurus. Catching the scent of a kill, it discovers a Carcharodontosaurus, which has brought down one of the Ouranosaurus. After a fight over the carcass, the Spinosaurus drives off the Carcharodontosaurus, although it is left with bite marks in its sail. It then journeys into the desert, taking a rest as the injuries weaken it. The narrator then explains that a million years later, rising sea levels destroyed the Spinosaurus's habitat, ultimately dooming the species; the last scene shows the Spinosaurus lying lifeless in the desert having succumbed to its injuries, representing its extinction. Species:
Referenced species: | |||||||
2 | "Feathered Dragons" | 154 / 85 / 120 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson | 21 September 2011 | 6.368 | |
In a middle Jurassic forest in what is now China, an Epidexipteryx hui escapes from a juvenile Sinraptor by climbing a tree. It finds a beetle larva in the tree bark. This shows the species as being one that uses its elongated fingers in a similar way that a modern day aye-aye uses its fingers. However, another, larger Epidexipteryx steals its prey, and after a brief bout of posturing, the smaller individual goes to find more food. It drops a second grub to the forest floor, where the larger Epidexipteryx retrieves it, only for the juvenile Sinraptor to kill it. The episode then cuts to a desert in late Cretaceous Mongolia, where a Saurornithoides is shown brooding a nest of eggs. When it leaves the nest, a Citipati raids it, eating one egg before fleeing with another when the troodontid returns. A Gigantoraptor suddenly attacks and eats the Saurornithoides. The Gigantoraptor then heads to compete in a breeding ritual for mates. The males use their feathers for display, a brief fight between two erupting at one point, allowing the females to choose the best suitor. The episode finally cuts to a middle Cretaceous forest in China, where a Xianglong is being hunted by a Microraptor , which uses its feathers to pursue the gliding lizard in the air. A Sinornithosaurus attacks it, and after a brief chase, the Microraptor manages a lucky escape. The Sinornithosaurus, alongside two other members of its species, is then shown hunting a species of dryosaurid called a Jeholosaurus , and its three offspring. The group brings down the parent of the brood, with the narrator explaining that their bite allowed them to tackle animals much larger than themselves. Species:
Referenced species: | |||||||
3 | "Last Killers" | 75 / 70 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson | 28 September 2011 | 3.97 | |
In middle Cretaceous Canada, in what will be known as Dinosaur Provincial Park, a species of tyrannosaurid called Daspletosaurus stalks a Chasmosaurus in the forest but loses the element of surprise and is forced to retreat. The ceratopsian comes across a younger Daspletosaur, before a whole pack of Daspletosaurus ambush it. The episode then cuts to the high Arctic, where a large, invalid species of Troodon hunts Edmontosaurus regalis . The theropods attack at night, separating a juvenile Edmontosaur from the herd and severely wounding it, only for an adult Edmontosaurus regalis to drive them away. In the morning, they return to eat the carcass of the juvenile, which died during the night. The episode returns to the Daspletosaurus, who chase and bring down the Chasmosaurus. The larger adults bully the young ones off the carcass, forcing them to wait until they have finished. The episode then cuts to Madagascar, where a Majungasaurus and her two infants chase a group of bird-like creatures off the carcass of a dead Rapetosaurus . However, a male Majungasaur temporarily drives them off. But, after he steals some food from one of the babies, the female turns feral and attacks him. And then, she kills him, before she and her children become cannibalistic. The episode returns once again to North America, where the Daspletosaurus are waiting for an annual migration of Centrosaurus apertus . They attack during a rainstorm, killing some of the ceratopsians. The Centrosaurus make it to a flooded river and begin to swim across, and although many make it to the other side, some drown due to being caught by giant crocodilians or severely wounded by floating debris. The rest of the Centrosaurus drown for unseen reasons. In the morning, the carcasses of rotting flesh attract scavengers, including the Daspletosaurus. A montage is then shown of both a Daspletosaurus and a Majungasaurus.
Referenced species: | |||||||
4 | "Fight for Life" | 150 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson & Tom Brass | 5 October 2011 | 25 | |
In the seas of Europe, during the late Jurassic, Kimmerosaurus hunt Squatina . A Pliosaurus ambushes them, but they manage to escape to water too shallow for the enormous plesiosaur. The episode then cuts to North America, where a Stegosaurus armatus and a Camptosaurus coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship: the Camptosaurus serve as lookouts, while the Stegosaurus armatus provide protection. An Allosaurus fragilis attacks the group, and after the Camptosaurus flee, attacks the Stegosaurus, but in the end the Stegosaurus' thagomizer spiked tail severely wounds it. However, the Allosaurus survives the horror of that realization and recovers from the injury. The episode returns to the late Jurassic seas, where the tide has risen, allowing the Pliosaurus to attack the Kimmerosaurus, but it is unable to use its full power in the shallow water, allowing the agile, long-necked plesiosaurs to escape. However, they must eventually return to deeper water in order to feed. The episode returns to North America during the end of the Jurassic, where an Allosaurus robustus is hunting two Camptosaurus, who are away from the protection of Stegosaurus. The monstrous beast manages to murder one of the Camptosaurus, only for a Saurophaganax tanneri to chase it off its kill. The episode finally returns back to the seas around Europe, where a Kimmerosaurus is feeding near the surface in deeper water. It is attacked from below by the Pliosaurus, which finally manages to kill the long-necked plesiosaur, leaving half of it to sink to the seafloor. The episode ends with the narrator stating that the odds are always stacked in favour of the predators and that creatures like Pliosaurus ruled the oceans for more than 100 million years towards the end of the Jurassic period. Species:
Referenced species:
| |||||||
5 | "New Giants" | 95 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson | 12 October 2011 | 53 | |
In late Cretaceous South America, at a nest site, a fully grown Argentinosaurus hatches first as a baby. A Lacusovagus almost immediately attacks it. A Skorpiovenator scares it away and then proceeds to murder the helpless Argentinosaurus child. However, the Skorpiovenator flees with its catch when a herd of adult Argentinosaurus arrive, although they offer no protection for the hatchlings, which begin to feed on the surrounding vegetation. The episode then cuts to late Cretaceous North Africa, where a herd of Paralititan take a drink from a river to cool down. They are spooked by a group of crocodiles that emerge from the water, and a juvenile becomes stuck in mud. A Sarcosuchus imperator scares away the crocodiles and closes in on the trapped Paralititan. The episode returns to South America, where the herd of Argentinosaurus move across a volcanic ash field to find food. Because of their sheer size, they churn up the ground with each step, creating quicksand that becomes a death trap for the small South American leallynasaurids, travelling with them. The titanosaurs find a clump of trees and begin feeding, but then are attacked by a group of Mapusaurus rosae . The giant theropods manage to rip a chunk of meat off one of the sauropods, but the latters are not fatally wounded because of their big size. During the attack, an agitated Argentinosaurus rears up and crushes one of the less cautious Mapusaurs. Back in North Africa, the Sarcosuchus gets a hold of one of the Paralititans' legs, but a Carcharodontosaurus carolinii grips its neck and eventually wrestles it from the giant crocodilian's jaws. However, the adult Paralititan scares it away, and the juvenile survives. The episode finally cuts back to South America, where an injured Argentinosaurus lies dying from a Mapusaurus attack. A time lapse is then shown of Mapusaurus, Skorpiovenator, and Lacusovagus feeding on the carcass until the bones are all that's left. The narrator then explains that when Argentinosaurus became extinct, so did Mapusaurus. The same event happened with Paralititan and Carcharodontosaurus in Africa. The episode concludes with the Argentinosaurus body being shown decaying until only its bones are left to be fossilised, as the narrator explains that "when the sauropods died out, their predators lost their main food supply, and they too were doomed." Species:
Referenced species: | |||||||
6 | "The Great Survivors" | 65 / 92 / 85 mya | Nigel Paterson | Nigel Paterson & Tom Brass | 19 October 2011 | TBA | |
Towards the end of the Mesozoic, on Hațeg Island, a herd of Magyarosaurus feed on vegetation, while a Bradycneme hunts lizards amongst them. A group of Hatzegopteryx descend from the sky and hunt and eat young Magyarosaurs. The episode then cuts to North America, 92 million years ago. A Suskityrannus attacks a pair of Nothronychus , but is driven off. The therizinosaurs feed on the surrounding vegetation, but then a group of Suskityrannus attack them. However, the Nothronychus again manage to fight off the Suskityrannus . The tyrannosaurs are forced to scavenge on a nearby carcass of their own species. However, they catch botulism from the rotting flesh and later die. The episode then cuts to Mongolia, 7 million years later during the end of Planet Dinosaur. On that planet, a Gigantoraptor and her mate guard their nest from marauding predators, driving off an Alectrosaurus . The female leaves the male with the nest, presumably to find food. After a rainstorm, the male is attacked by both a female Alectrosaurus and a male Alectrosaurus. An Citipati raids the nest, but the Gigantoraptor manages to drive off the tyrannosaur duo and chases away its smaller relative without losing any eggs. However, he is later buried during a sandstorm, still guarding his nest. The episode then cuts to 65 million years ago, when an enormous asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, causing devastation upon impact and filling the atmosphere with debris. Four months later on Hațeg Island, most vegetation has died because of the lack of sunlight, starving the Magyarosaurus. Scavengers do well for the time being, with a group of Hatzegopteryx driving a Bradycneme off a carcass. The smaller dinosaur is forced to hunt lizards, while the narrator explains that 60 percent of species became extinct, with the dinosaur's size being what ultimately condemned them to extinction. A montage is then shown of various creatures featured throughout the preceding episodes, with the narrator saying that dinosaurs are the most successful group of animals ever to exist on earth, and that it was an unprecedented extraterrestrial event that finally saw the end of Planet Dinosaur. Species:
Referenced species: |
CBBC aired a spin-off, Planet Dinosaur Files, from 29 September 2011, hosted by Jem Stansfield. [8] Each episode compares three Mesozoic creatures and involves practical tests to replicate certain behaviours in an attempt to find out which creature holds a certain title, such as the "most powerful" theropod. [9] A 60-minute 3-D spin-off of Planet Dinosaur was announced in July 2011, [10] and was broadcast on 19 August 2012 under the name Ultimate Killers. [11] A companion book "Planet Dinosaur: The Next Generation of Killer Giants" was written by Cavan Scott and published sometime in 2012. [12]
Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent found Planet Dinosaur to be visually "very polished and jazzed up" but that the "knowledge and science generally take second place to B-movie spectacle". [13] Riley Black, in a post on the Smithsonian Magazine website, commented, "What sets Planet Dinosaur apart, and what I enjoyed most, is the fact that a modicum of science is woven into each episode to back up the different vignettes being presented." She also added "...[while] Planet Dinosaur is not that perfect dinosaur documentary that we have all been hoping for, it is still far better than just about anything that I have seen lately." [14]
Gordon Sullivan, from DVD Verdict concluded in a positive way, "Planet Dinosaur is a fine series that gives viewers a good sense of where our knowledge about dinosaurs is at the moment. Combining nature-documentary stylings with a competent narration from smooth-voiced John Hurt, Planet Dinosaur is sure to please budding paleontologists and older dinosaur fans alike." [15]
Invasion of the Dinosaurs, simply titled Invasion in Part One, is the second serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 12 January to 16 February 1974.
The Blue Planet is a British nature documentary series created and co-produced by the BBC and Discovery Channel. It premiered on 12 September 2001 in the United Kingdom. It is narrated by David Attenborough.
Walking with Dinosaurs is a 1999 six-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Tim Haines and produced by the BBC Science Unit, the Discovery Channel and BBC Worldwide, in association with TV Asahi, ProSieben and France 3. Envisioned as the first "Natural History of Dinosaurs", Walking with Dinosaurs depicts dinosaurs and other Mesozoic animals as living animals in the style of a traditional nature documentary. The series first aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom in 1999 with narration by Kenneth Branagh. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Avery Brooks replacing Branagh.
Walking with Beasts, marketed as Walking with Prehistoric Beasts in North America, is a 2001 six-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Impossible Pictures and produced by the BBC Science Unit, the Discovery Channel, ProSieben and TV Asahi. The sequel to the 1999 miniseries Walking with Dinosaurs, Walking with Beasts explores the life in the Cenozoic era, after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, particularly focusing on the rise of the mammals to dominance. The UK version of the series is narrated by Kenneth Branagh, who also narrated Walking with Dinosaurs, and the US version is narrated by Stockard Channing.
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The first and second series episodes ran 30 minutes each; third series instalments ran 45 minutes. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons. Confidential received its own version of the Doctor Who theme tune, at least three different versions of the theme appeared in the series.
Sea Monsters, marketed as Chased by Sea Monsters in the United States, is a 2003 three-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Impossible Pictures and produced by the BBC Studios Science Unit, the Discovery Channel and ProSieben. Following in the footsteps of The Giant Claw (2002) and Land of Giants (2003), special episodes of the nature documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs, Sea Monsters stars British wildlife presenter Nigel Marven as a "time-travelling zoologist" who travels to seven different periods of time in prehistory, diving in the "seven deadliest seas of all time" and encountering and interacting with the prehistoric creatures who inhabit them. The series is narrated by Karen Hayley in the BBC version and by Christopher Cook in the American version.
Walking with Monsters – Life Before Dinosaurs, marketed as Before the Dinosaurs – Walking with Monsters in North America, is a 2005 three-part nature documentary television miniseries created by Impossible Pictures and produced by the BBC Studios Science Unit, the Discovery Channel, ProSieben and France 3. Walking with Monsters explores life in the Paleozoic era, showcasing the early development of groups such as arthropods, fish, amphibians, reptiles and synapsids. Like its predecessors Walking with Dinosaurs (1999) and Walking with Beasts (2001), Walking with Monsters is narrated by Kenneth Branagh.
A nature documentary or wildlife documentary is a genre of documentary film or series about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures. Nature documentaries usually concentrate on video taken in the subject's natural habitat, but often including footage of trained and captive animals, too. Sometimes they are about wildlife or ecosystems in relationship to human beings. Such programmes are most frequently made for television, particularly for public broadcasting channels, but some are also made for the cinema. The proliferation of this genre occurred almost simultaneously alongside the production of similar television series which is distributed across the world.
James Goss is an English writer and producer, known both for his work in cult TV spin-off media, including tie-in novels and audio stories for Doctor Who and Torchwood, and for his fictional works beyond established universes.
Primeval is a British science fiction television series produced for ITV by Impossible Pictures. Primeval follows a team of scientists tasked with investigating the appearance of temporal anomalies across the United Kingdom through which prehistoric and futuristic creatures enter the present, while simultaneously trying to stop a terrorist plot to bring about the end of the world. Primeval was created by Tim Haines, who previously created the Walking with... documentary series, and Adrian Hodges. It ran for five series, originally broadcast from 2007 to 2011.
Neil Nightingale is a British freelance wildlife filmmaker, executive producer and creative consultant with over 35 years experience at the BBC. From 2009 to 2018 he was the creative director of BBC Earth, BBC Worldwide's global brand for all BBC nature and science content.
Land of Giants and The Giant Claw, marketed together as Chased by Dinosaurs in the United States, are two special episodes of the nature documentary television series Walking with Dinosaurs. Created by Impossible Pictures and produced by the BBC Studios Science Unit, the Discovery Channel and ProSieben, The Giant Claw was first broadcast on 30 December 2002, followed by Land of Giants on 1 January 2003. The two episodes stars British wildlife presenter Nigel Marven as a "time-travelling zoologist", interacting with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, a drastic change in presentation from preceding entries in the Walking with... franchise.
Walking with... is a palaeontology media franchise produced and broadcast by the BBC Studios Science Unit. The franchise began with the series Walking with Dinosaurs (1999), created by Tim Haines. By far the most watched science programme in British television during the 20th century, Walking with Dinosaurs spawned companion material and four sequel series: Walking with Beasts (2001), Walking with Cavemen (2003), Sea Monsters (2003) and Walking with Monsters (2005). Each series uses a combination of computer-generated imagery and animatronics, incorporated with live action footage shot at various locations, to portray prehistoric animals in the style of a traditional nature documentary.
Wild New World is a six-part BBC documentary series about Ice Age America that describes the prehistory, landscape and wildlife of the continent from the arrival of humans to the welcome of the Ice Age. It was first transmitted in the UK & JP on BBC Two from 3 October to 7 November 2002. Like several other BBC programmes, it contains both computer graphics and real-life animals. Occasionally, footage of non-American counterparts of the extinct North American beasts are used in juxtaposition with footage of native American animals, like the pronghorn.
Monsters Resurrected is an American edutainment television series that premiered on September 13, 2009, on the Discovery Channel. The program reconstructs extinct animals of both Mesozoic and Cenozoic. It is also called Mega Beasts.
Deadly... is a strand of British wildlife documentary programming aimed principally at children and young people, which is broadcast on CBBC on BBC One and Two and on the CBBC Channel. It is presented by Steve Backshall, with Naomi Wilkinson as co-host on Live 'n Deadly, and Barney Harwood as co-host on Natural Born Hunters. The strand began with a single series known as Deadly 60, and has subsequently expanded into a number of spin-offs, re-edits and follow-up versions.
Walking with Dinosaurs is a 2013 live-action/animated film about dinosaurs set in the Late Cretaceous period, 70 million years ago. The production features animated dinosaurs in live-action settings with actors John Leguizamo, Justin Long, Tiya Sircar, and Skyler Stone providing voice-overs for the main characters. It was directed by Neil Nightingale and Barry Cook from a screenplay by John Collee. In the film, an underdog dinosaur named Patchi must find his courage to become the leader of his herd as well as become a hero for the ages.
Dinosaur Revolution is a four-part American nature documentary produced by Creative Differences. It utilizes computer-generated imagery to portray dinosaurs and other animals from the Mesozoic era. The program was originally aired on the Discovery Channel and Science.
BBC Earth is a brand used by BBC Studios since 2009 to market and distribute the BBC's natural history content to countries other than the United Kingdom. BBC Studios is the commercial arm of the public service broadcaster.
Prehistoric Planet is a British–American nature documentary television series about dinosaurs, that premiered on Apple TV+ beginning May 23, 2022. It is produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, with Jon Favreau as showrunner, visual effects by The Moving Picture Company, and narration by natural historian Sir David Attenborough. The documentary follows dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals recreated with computer-generated imagery, living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian), just before the non-avian dinosaurs' extinction. It set out to depict prehistoric life using current palaeontological research by including accurately feathered dinosaurs, and speculative animal behaviour.