Dinosaurs (TV series)

Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 26, 1991 through October 19, 1994, and reruns were shown on Disney Channel. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs (portrayed by puppets), was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television in association with Walt Disney Television and distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc.[3][4] The characters were designed by Henson team member Kirk Thatcher.

Dinosaurs
Genre
Created by
Voices of
Narrated byGary Owens (Nuts to War: Part 1 & 2)
Theme music composerBruce Broughton
Opening themeBruce Broughton
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes65 (79 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
DistributorBuena Vista Television
Release
Original networkABC[1][2]
Picture formatNTSC (480i)
Original releaseApril 26, 1991 (1991-04-26) –
October 19, 1994 (1994-10-19)
External links
Website

Origins and development

News stories written at the time of the show's premiere highlighted Dinosaurs' connection to Jim Henson, who died the year before. Henson conceived the show in 1988, according to an article in The New York Times, adding he wanted it to be a sitcom, but about a family of dinosaurs. Until the success of The Simpsons, according to Alex Rockwell, a vice president of the Henson organization, "people thought it was a crazy idea."[5]

In the late 1980s, Henson worked with William Stout, a fantasy artist, illustrator and designer, on a feature film starring animatronic dinosaurs with the working title of The Natural History Project; a 1993 article in The New Yorker said that Henson continued to work on a dinosaur project (presumably the Dinosaurs concept) until the "last months of his life."[6]

The television division of The Walt Disney Company began working on the series in 1990 for CBS before the series landed on ABC, which Disney eventually acquired.[7]

Rafael Montemayor Aguiton of Vulture wrote that upon premiere the show "was a hit", and Michael Jacobs stated that this was why the network did not interfere much in the production.[8]

Aguiton wrote that ratings suffered from the show being moved to different time slots on the network.[8] The animatronics made the show relatively expensive, with Stuart Pankin recalling that "I heard it was the most expensive half-hour TV show, at least at that point" and that this contributed to the cancellation.[8]

Plot

Dinosaurs is initially set in 60,000,003 BC in Pangaea. The show centers on the Sinclair family: Earl Sneed Sinclair (the father), Fran Sinclair (Phillips – the mother), their three children (son Robbie, daughter Charlene, and infant, Baby Sinclair) and Fran's mother, Ethyl.

Earl's job is to push over trees for the Wesayso Corporation with his friend and coworker Roy Hess, where they work under the supervision of their boss Bradley P. Richfield.

Characters

The focus of the show's plot is the Sinclair family: Earl, Fran, Robbie, Charlene, Baby, and Ethyl. Character and family names throughout the series often referred to petroleum companies and/or petroleum products. For example: Sinclair, Phillips, Hess, B.P., Richfield, and Ethyl, among others.

Main characters
Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Summary
Earl Sneed Sinclair Stuart Pankin Bill Barretta
Tom Fisher (occasionally)		 Dave Goelz (Seasons 1–2)
Mak Wilson (Seasons 2–4)		 Megalosaurus The patriarch of the Sinclair family, Earl is the protagonist. He is a Megalosaurus and is depicted as being thick-headed and suggestible. Earl works as a Tree Pusher at the WESAYSO Development Corporation.
Frances Johanna "Fran" Phillips Sinclair Jessica Walter Mitchel Young Evans (Seasons 1–2)
Tony Sabin Prince (Seasons 2–4)
Pons Maar (occasionally)		 Allan Trautman Allosaurus The mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family. Fran is mentioned on the show as being an Allosaurus. On rare occasions, Fran wears fuzzy house slippers. Earl affectionately calls his wife "Frannie".
Robert Mark "Robbie" Sinclair Jason Willinger Leif Tilden Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)
Julianne Buescher (eyes)		 Hypsilophodon Earl and Fran's son and oldest child, he is a Hypsilophodon. Robbie stands out with his red varsity jacket and bright red sneakers.
Charlene Fiona Sinclair Sally Struthers Michelan Sisti
Star Townshend (occasionally)
Arlene Lorre (Season 1, episode 1 only)		 Bruce Lanoil Protoceratops Earl and Fran's only daughter and middle child, she is a Protoceratops. Charlene stands out by wearing sweaters, necklaces, and earrings.
Baby Sinclair Kevin Clash Terri Hardin (arms, Season 1–3)
Julianne Buescher (arms, Season 4)		 Kevin Clash (head & mouth)
John Kennedy (eyes)		 Megalosaurus Earl and Fran's son and youngest child, he is a Megalosaurus as stated by Earl. In the episode "Out of the Frying Pan," Baby is shown as a Ceratosaurus. His legal name is Baby Sinclair, which was given to him by the Chief Elder. Baby is sarcastic and wisecracking. His favorite thing to do is to hit Earl on the head with a frying pan. His catch phrases are "I'm the baby. Gotta love me.", "Again!" and "Not the mama!". Earl will often call his youngest son "Junior".

Jacobs stated that the popularity of Baby contributed to the network allowing the creators to run the show as they saw fit, stating: "As long as the Baby hit his father over the head with a pot, we could use that to hide anything."[8]

Supporting characters
Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Comments
Ethyl Hinkleman Phillips Florence Stanley Brian Henson (seasons 1–2)
Rickey Boyd (seasons 3–4)
Kevin Clash (occasionally)
David Greenaway (occasionally)
Julianne Buescher (face, occasionally)		 Edmontonia Ethyl is an Edmontonia who is Fran's mother, Earl's mother-in-law, and the maternal grandmother of Robbie, Charlene, and Baby. Ethyl comes to live with the Sinclairs, and is revealed to have a son named Stan (Fran's brother). Ethyl always wears house slippers and is wheel chair bound. Ethyl enjoys making fun of Earl and hitting him with her cane.
Roy Danger Hess Sam McMurray Pons Maar (body)
Julianne Buescher (arms)		 David Greenaway Tyrannosaurus rex Roy is Earl's co-worker at the WESAYSO Development Corporation and best friend. He is a dimwitted Tyrannosaurus who also has a brother named Roy.
Bradley P. "B.P." Richfield Sherman Hemsley Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)
Allan Trautman (occasionally)		 Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)		 Styracosaurus B.P. Richfield is Earl, Roy, Ralph, Gus, and Sid's heartless boss at the WESAYSO Development Corporation where he oversees the Tree Pushers. He is a Styracosaurus. In "Hungry for Love," it is revealed that Mr. Richfield has a daughter named Wendy.
Monica Devertebrae Suzie Plakson n/a Julianne Buescher Brontosaurus A Brontosaurus and Fran's best friend who is the only four-legged dinosaur on the show. She is usually seen from the neck up where it took up to three to four people to operate the neck and head.
Spike Christopher Meloni David Greenaway N/A Polacanthus He is a semi regular character who resembles a Polacanthus with a bandana, a black leather jacket, and biker boots. Spike is Robbie's best friend who often refers to him as "Scooter."
Ralph Quincy Needlenose Various Various Various Troodon A Troodon who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. The Full-Bodied costume used for Ralph is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Gustav Joseph "Gus" Spikeback Various Various Various Ceratosaurus A Ceratosaurus who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. The Full-Bodied costume used for Gus is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Sidney Tiberius "Sid" Turtlepuss Michelan Sisti John Kennedy Michelan Sisti Psittacosaurus A Psittacosaurus who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. Sid is seen more than the other characters. He enjoys bagels and donuts. The Full-Bodied costume used for Sid is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Mr. Pulman Allan Trautman Bruce Lanoil (first time)
Tom Fisher (later appearances)		 Allan Trautman Troodon A bespectacled Troodon who is Robbie, Charlene, Mindy, and Spike's teacher at Bob LaBrea High School. The Full-Bodied costume used for Mr. Pulman is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Mindy Jessica Lundy Star Townsend Julianne Buescher Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus who is Charlene's best friend. There are two different characters with the same name that are both friends of Charlene. There are also two unrelated characters called Mindy:
  • One green-skinned character named Mindy only appeared in "Slave to Fashion."
  • A brown-skinned character also named Mindy appeared in "Charlene & Her Amazing Humans" and "Scent of a Reptile."
Howard Handupme Kevin Clash N/A N/A Pachycephalosaurus A Walter Cronkite-esque Pachycephalosaurus who is the newscaster for DNN (short for Dinosaur News Network) which is a spoof of CNN. He is one of a few characters that isn't a Full-Bodied character.
Chief Elder Various Voices Various Performers N/A Various species Also known as the Elder-in-Chief, the Chief Elder presides over all of the government in Pangaea. It is assumed that he is the head of the Council of Elders. There had been different Chief Elders in different appearances:
  • The first Chief Elder appeared in the two-part episode "Nuts to War" where he was a Protoceratops. He was performed by Steve Whitmire and voiced by George Gaynes.
  • The Dryptosaurus Chief Elder who died in the episode "And the Winner Is..." is voiced by Sam McMurray and was succeeded by political analyst Edward R. Hero (performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Jason Bernard). He was about to name Baby Sinclair, but he was dying with the Stegosaurus name announcer thinking the Chief Elder named Baby "Aagh Aagh I'm Dying You Idiot Sinclair". This was the only Chief Elder that was a Full-Bodied character.
  • A suited Chief Elder that appeared in "Green Card" is performed by Mak Wilson and voiced by Joe Flaherty.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "The Greatest Story Never Sold" is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Tim Curry.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "The Golden Child" is voiced by Michael Dorn.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "Working Girl" is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Joe Flaherty.
Mr. Lizard Allan Trautman N/A N/A Iguanodon Mr. Lizard is a gray Iguanodon who is the star of Baby's favorite TV show "Ask Mr. Lizard" (a parody of the television show Watch Mr. Wizard). His show helpfully taught generations of children about science that was vaguely related to scientific principles, but mostly existed as a way of ridding the world of young dinosaurs named Timmy. After the often violent death of his assistant, Mr. Lizard would cheerfully call off-camera "We're going to need another Timmy!"

Other characters

The following characters are not in the Unisaurs category below:

Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Comments
Garrison "Gary" Steve Landesberg N/A N/A Dilophosaurus Gary is a 50 ft. Dilophosaurus dinosaur whose feet can only be seen. He appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "High Noon". He takes a romantic interest in Fran, and challenges Earl for her.
Henri Charles Poupon Tim Curry Allan Trautman (puppeteer) N/A Archaeopteryx Henri Poupon is an Archaeopteryx appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "Getting to Know You." Henri is the father of Francois Poupon and husband of Simone Poupon. The Poupons are a family of birds who come from an unnamed country, clearly based on France. Henri is irritated by exchange student Charlene Sinclair. He is disappointed by the consumption of his own son, but feels that a big screen TV would help the healing process.
Blarney Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Deinonychus Blarney is a red Deinonychus hand-puppet character on Dinosaurs, intended as a spoof of Barney the Dinosaur. He appeared in Dinosaur TV segments in two fourth-season episodes – "Terrible Twos" and "Into the Woods." Blarney is adored by young children but is less popular with older viewers. He appears on videotapes released as part of the Blarney Home Video Library. Parents who order will "get a new video delivered to their child every hour for the next decade." Titles spoof not only the Barney franchise, but other commercials for mail-order videos, from fitness and health tapes to bridge, computers, and semi-religious quests.
Georgie Allan Trautman (normal voice), Edward Asner (evil voice) Jack Tate Allan Trautman European hippopotamus Georgie is a dinosaur dressed as a full bodied European hippopotamus. He is a children's TV icon who appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "Georgie Must Die." He appears as kind hearted. Georgie is actually a megalomaniac planning to take over the world through his financial empire and the devotion of the dinosaur children. After Earl was arrested for impersonating Georgie, Fran invited Georgie down to the police department to clear things up where he showed off his bad side when alone with Earl while stating that he was not pleased with Earl posing as him. Later that night, Earl learned about his motives from Jean-Claude and Brigitte upon them springing Earl from the police department. Earl later fought Georgie on his television show and ended up defeating him. During the credits, Howard Handupme reported that Georgie was arrested for tax evasion and racketeering following an investigation from what happened on his TV show. It was also mentioned that the Chief Elder has pardoned Earl of his crime of posing as Georgie and gave him the Key to the City. Roy ended up taking his place on TV as the eponymous "Uncle Roy." Georgie, like Blarney, is also a parody of Barney.

Unisaurs

Outside of the recurring characters, there are a group of dinosaur characters called Unisaurs. They are customizable dinosaur characters similar to the Whatnots from The Muppet Show and the Anything Muppets from Sesame Street. Some of the Unisaurs are Full-Bodied while the others are hand-puppets. They come in different types.

The following are the Full-Bodied Unisaurs:

Character Species Comments
Longsnout Dryptosaurus A generic green Dryptosaurus. This Unisaur was used for:
  • Ansel from the episode "Driving Miss Ethyl". His face was performed by Julianne Buescher, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Babysitter from the episode "Terrible Twos". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and voice was provided by John Glover.
  • Buddy Glimmer from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was provided by David Greenaway, his body performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • The Devil from the episode "Life in the Faust Lane". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry.
  • Dr. Ficus from the episode "Germ Warfare". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Charles Kimbrough.
  • Ed from the episode "Scent of a Reptile". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice provided by Thom Sharp.
  • Mel Luster from the episode "The Mating Dance". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Richard Portnow.
  • Walter Sternhagen from the episode "The Discovery". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
Needlenose Troodon A tall dinosaur resembling a Troodon with an elongated snout. In addition to being used for Mr. Pulman and Ralph Needlenose, this Unisaur was used for:
  • The Doctor from the episode "Golden Child". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • Glenda Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Mimi Kennedy.
  • Heather Worthington from the episode "A Slave to Fashion". Her face was performed by Terri Hardin, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Spikeback Ceratosaurus A bulky Ceratosaurus with a striped back, striped tail, and a nose horn. In addition to being used for Gus Spikeback, this Unisaur was used for:
  • Al "Sexual" Harris from the episode "What "Sexual" Harris Meant". His face performed by Bruce Lanoil, body performed by Jack Tate, and voice provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Bob the DMV Worker from the episode "Unmarried...With Children". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by David Wohl.
  • Gus Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • The Job Wizard from "Career Opportunities." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
Turtlepuss Psittacosaurus A brown turtle-headed Psittacosaurus that was used as Earl's co-worker Sid Turtlepuss. This Unisaur was also used for:
  • The Clerk from the episode "The Son Also Rises". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jody St. Michael, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo.
  • The Dinosaur Chief from the episode "Hurling Day". His face was performed by Kevin Clash, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice provided by Harold Gould.
  • The Folk Singer from the episode "I Never Ate My Father". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Steven Banks.
  • Frank from the episode "Fran Live". His body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
  • General H. Norman Conquest from the episode "Nuts to War". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • The Insurance Agent from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Peter Bonerz.
  • Jean-Claude from the episode "Georgie Must Die". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry.
  • Mr. Myman from the episode "Out of the Frying Pan". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Leif Tilden, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Muse from the episode "Charlene's Flat World". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo.
  • Officer Bettelheim from the episode "License to Parent". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Odd Job Dinosaur from the episode "How to Pick Up Girls".
  • UFO Host from the episode "We Are Not Alone". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Zabar from the episode "Germ Warfare." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Dan Castellaneta.
Unnamed Female Unisaur Class Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like crest, and lighter-hued skin that was often used for Mindy. This Unisaur was also used for:
  • Caroline Foxworth from the episodes "How to Pick Up Girls" and "Steroids to Heaven". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher.
  • Thighs of Thunder from the episode "The Discovery". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice provided by Suzie Plakson.
  • Wendy Richfield from the episode "Hungry for Love". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and her voice was provided by Wendie Jo Sperber).
Unnamed Female Light Green Unisaur Dryosaurus A female Dryosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like three crest.

The Hand-Puppet Unisaurs are usually used for television personalities, elders, officials, audience members, and other characters that can be viewed from the waist up. Here are the following Unisaurs in that category:

Character Species Comments
Frilled blue dinosaur Protoceratops A blue Protoceratops that was used for the first Chief Elder in "Nuts to War" and was also used for:
  • Harold Heffer from the episode "What "Sexual" Harris Meant". He was performed by Bruce Lanoil and voiced by Jack Harrell.
  • Elder #2 from the episode "Charlene's Flat World".
  • Judge D. X. Machina from the episode "Earl's Big Jackpot". He was performed by Bruce Lanoil.
  • Shopper from the episode "Power Erupts."
Frilled green dinosaur Leptoceratops A green Leptoceratops with a large muzzle that was used for various characters. Sometimes has horns to make it look like a Triceratops.
Crinkly-green humanoid-faced dinosaur Moschops A crinkly-green humanoid-faced dinosaur that was used for the other Chief Elders and was also used for:
Gray Iguanodon-faced dinosaur Iguanodon That was often used for Mr. Lizard and other background appearances.
Cleft-chinned Albertosaurus-esque dinosaur Albertosaurus That was often used for Captain Action Figure, various newscasters, and various reporters.
Timmy-type Mussaurus A child Unisaur that was often used for Timmy in the "Ask Mr. Lizard" TV show. Two variations of this Unisaur existed: a green one and a blue one.
Duckbilled blue dinosaur Edmontosaurus A blue Edmontosaurus that was used for:
Brown needlenose Coelophysis A brown puppet version of a Needlenose that was used for Mr. Otto Lynch from "What "Sexual" Harris Meant" (performed by Allan Trautman).
Stegosaurus Stegosaurus A Stegosaurus puppet that was used for:
  • The Caroler from "Refrigerator Day".
  • Government Clerk from the episode "And the Winner Is..."
  • Newsboy from the episode "Charlene's Flat World".
  • USO Soldier from the episode "Nuts to War" Pt. 2.

The Stegosaurus puppet was also used several times as a student at Bob LaBrea High School.

Crested brown dinosaur Corythosaurus A crested-brown Corythosaurus that was used for:
  • The Guy in a Labcoat from the episode "Charlene's Flat World"
  • The Jury Foreman from the episode "Earl's Big Jackpot"
Parasaurolophus Parasaurolophus The Parasaurolophus puppet was often used for female characters starting in "Slave to Fashion."
Velociraptor Velociraptor The Velociraptor puppet was used in the final season.

Episodes
Main article: List of Dinosaurs episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
15April 26, 1991 (1991-04-26)May 24, 1991 (1991-05-24)
224September 18, 1991 (1991-09-18)May 6, 1992 (1992-05-06)
322September 18, 1992 (1992-09-18)July 2, 1993 (1993-07-02)
4147June 1, 1994 (1994-06-01)July 20, 1994 (1994-07-20)
7September 7, 1994 (1994-09-07)October 19, 1994 (1994-10-19)

Topical issues

Although Dinosaurs is targeted at a family audience, the show touched upon multiple topical issues, which include environmentalism, endangered species, women's rights, sexual harassment, LGBT rights, objectification of women, censorship, civil rights, body image, steroid use, allusions to masturbation (in the form of Robbie doing the solo mating dance), drug abuse, racism (in the form of a dispute between the two-legged dinosaurs and the four-legged dinosaurs), peer pressure, rights of indigenous peoples (in the form of the dinosaurs interacting with cavepeople), corporate crime, government interference in parenting, and pacifism.[9]

In the episode "I Never Ate for My Father," in lieu of carnivorism, Robbie chooses to eat vegetables, and the other characters liken this to homosexuality, communism, drug abuse and counter culture.[10]

In the final season, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" (a take-off of The Greatest Story Ever Told) references religion when the Sinclair family becomes eager to learn the meaning of their existence. The Elders dictate a new system of beliefs, and the entire cast (with the exception of Robbie) abandons science to blindly follow the newly popular "Potato-ism".

Another religious-themed episode was "The Last Temptation of Ethyl," in which Ethyl willingly allows a televangelist to exploit her near-death experience to extort money from followers. She backs out after having a second such experience, where instead of heaven, she experiences a "place not so nice": an existence surrounded by nothing but multiple Earl Sneed Sinclairs.

Several jokes in the series were at the expense of television shows in general. Earl often wants to watch TV rather than do something more practical, and several jokes accuse television of "dumbing down" the population and making it lazy.

Captain Action Figure shows up in children's programming that Fran mistakes for a commercial. Whenever Captain Action Figure mentions a product, the screen flashes "Tell Mommy I WANT THAT!". Before the appearance of Georgie, Dinosaurs used a puppet reminiscent of Barney the Dinosaur named "Blarney" in two episodes. During his appearances, members of the Sinclair family commented on his annoying characteristics and failure to teach anything to children.

The characters will sometimes break the fourth wall as well, especially Baby. An example of such is seen in the episode "Nature Calls" (Season 3, Episode 1) when Fran and Earl spell out words in front of Baby during an argument, who, after looking at the camera and saying "This could get ugly", proceeds to spell out "They think I can't spell" with his alphabet blocks.

Series finale

The series finale of Dinosaurs, titled "Changing Nature", depicts the irresponsible actions of the dinosaurs toward their environment, and the ensuing Ice Age which leads to their demise. In the episode, a swarm of bunch beetles do not show up as expected to devour a form of creeper vine. Charlene discovers that a wax fruit factory called FruitCo has been constructed by Wesayso-controlled swampland that serves as the bunch beetles' breeding grounds, causing the extinction of the species (save for one male named Stan) who were killed off by the developers. Charlene and Stan make this information public on the news. After getting a phone call from his superiors at Wesayso who are fearing a public relations nightmare more than any environmental threat, B.P. Richfield quickly puts Earl in charge of an attempt to destroy the vines, which have grown out of control without the beetles to keep them in check. Earl proposes spraying the planet with defoliant which causes the destruction of the vines, but also kills off all plant life on the planet. B.P. Richfield assumes that the creation of clouds will bring rain, allowing the plants to grow back, and so decides to create clouds by dropping bombs in the planet's volcanoes to cause eruptions and cloud cover. The dark clouds instead cause global cooling, in the form of a gigantic cloud cover that scientists, the viewer learns, estimate would take "tens of thousands of years" to dissipate. When he gets a call from Earl, B.P. Richfield dismisses this as a "4th quarter problem" and states that Wesayso is currently making record-breaking profits from the cold weather selling blankets, heaters, and hot cocoa mix as the result of the "cold snap". Later, Earl apologizes to his family and Stan for his actions that led to the end of the world. Baby is reassured by Robbie and Charlene that whatever happens, nobody is going to leave and that they will all stay together. Earl tries to assure everyone that it will work out okay, saying that dinosaurs have been on this Earth for 150 million years and it is not like they are going to just disappear. There is a brief shot of the wax fruit factory as it starts to get buried in snow. At DNN, Howard Handupme states that the weather forecast is the same. He concludes his broadcast by saying, "This is Howard Handupme. Good night. Goodbye." The ending credits roll with scenes of snow falling around the Sinclair home, signaling the start of a volcanic/nuclear winter.

Stuart Pankin, the voice of Earl, stated that the ending "was a simplistic and heartfelt social comment, yet it was very powerful" with "subtlety" being a defining aspect.[8]

The television series creators decided to make this finale as a way of ending the series as they knew the show could be canceled when they created season 4. Michael Jacobs stated that "We certainly wanted to make the episode to be educational to the audience", and as people knew dinosaurs were no longer alive, "The show would end by completing the metaphor and showing that extinction."[8] Ted Harbert, president of ABC, expressed discomfort at the ending in a telephone call but allowed it to go forward.[8]

Jacobs stated that correspondence from parents revealed that "They understood the creativity in the final episode, and they were sad at the predicament we presented in the story."[8] Pankin stated that "Everybody was at first shocked, but I think it was more of a reaction to the show ending."[8] Pankin stated that he did not remember a significant number of audience members being angry about the ending.[8] In 2018 Jacobs stated that the episode would have trended on social media had it been released that year.[8]

Noel Murray of The A.V. Club stated that the episode "delivered as blunt an environmental message as any major network TV broadcast since The Lorax."[11] Brian Galindo of Buzzfeed described it as being shocking for children.[12]

Timothy Donohoo of CBR stated that "The show's climate change-oriented ending is also more topical than ever, as concerns over the opposite continue to bring into question humanity's carbon footprint."[13] Donohoo also stated that "Dinosaurs became TV's most shocking finale precisely because it opted not for some moderately funny ending joke, but to subvert all expectations by advancing an important message through the protagonists' house, and their world at large, being engulfed in a fatal freeze."[13]

International screening

In the United Kingdom, the show was screened on ITV in 1992 and in reruns from 1995 to 2002 on Disney Channel.[14] In Canada, the show started airing reruns in 1992 on The Family Channel and aired them until the late 1990s; the show also aired on CHRO-TV in the early-to-mid 1990s. In Australia, the show started airing on the Seven Network from February 1992 through to 1995. In Ireland, in the mid-1990s, it was shown on a Sunday evening on RTÉ Two (known as network 2 back then). In 1994, it was shown in Italy on Rai 1. The show has also aired on TV3 in New Zealand, KBC in Kenya and M-Net in South Africa. In Brazil the show started airing on Rede Globo in 1992, on SBT from 2003 to 2005, on Band from 2007 to 2011, and on Canal Viva in 2014.[15]

Home media

The first three volumes were released on VHS on December 6, 1991. On May 2, 2006, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Dinosaurs: The Complete First and Second Seasons as a four-disc DVD box set. The DVD set includes "exclusive bonus features including a never-before-seen look at the making of Dinosaurs". The complete third and fourth seasons, also a four-disc DVD set, were released on May 1, 2007, with special features, including the episodes not aired on U.S. television. Both sets are currently available only in Region 1.

On September 29, 2017, Hulu acquired the streaming rights to Dinosaurs along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties Home Improvement and Boy Meets World, in addition to fellow TGIF programs Family Matters, Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers and Step by Step.[16]

Dinosaurs was added to Disney+ on January 29, 2021.[17]

Reception

As of November, 2020, the series has an approval rating of 96% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[18] Its first season received a 93% approval rating: "Dinosaurs, marries astonishingly expressive puppetry with genuinely funny satire of social norms, making for a forward-thinking prehistoric sitcom."[19] While its fourth season received more critical praise, with a 100% approval rating.[20] Common Sense Media rated the series a three out of five stars and said: "Dino puppet-driven sitcom deals with modern issues."[21]

Awards
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated Title Result
1991 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Series John C. Mula, Brian Savegar, Kevin Pfeiffer Episode: "The Mating Dance" Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production Marco Zappia Episode: "The Mighty Megalosaurus" Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Nominated
1992 Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing – Television Episodic – Effects & Foley Patrick M. Griffith Nominated
Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "Power Erupts" Won
1993 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "If You Were A Tree" Won
1995 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "Changing Nature" Won

References
  1. "Brian Henson's Goal – Bringing 'Dinosaurs' To Tv'". Orlando Sentinel. April 20, 1991. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  2. Du Brow, Rick (February 23, 1991). "Television: The ratings success of CBS' Ed Sullivan, Mary Tyler Moore and 'All in the Family' retrospectives may doom innovative entries in the 'Twin Peaks' mode". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. Bibisi, Suzan (1994-02-03). "'Dinosaurs' Takes Puppetry Into The Electronic Age". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  4. Cerone, Daniel (1991-11-17). "Primal Secrets From the World of 'Dinosaurs'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  5. Kahn, Eve M. (April 14, 1991). "All in the Modern Stone Age Family". The New York Times.
  6. Owen, David. "Looking Out for Kermit", The New Yorker (Aug. 16, 1993.) (PDF)
  7. Grover, Ron. The Disney Touch. Homewood, IL: Business One Irwin, 1991. pp. 167–168.
  8. Aguiton, Rafael Montemayor (2018-08-07). "Dinosaurs: The Making of TV's Saddest, Strangest Sitcom Finale". Retrieved 2020-06-28. [...]said Jacobs. “After the initial success of the show, they pretty much left us alone, [...]"
  9. Rosenberg, Howard (1992-02-19). "Television: ABC series sinks its teeth into witty social commentary a la 'The Simpsons' and finds its metier". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  10. "Did Homosexuality Kill the Dinosaurs? - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  11. Murray, Noel (2011-07-21). "Dinosaurs, "Changing Nature"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  12. Galindo, Brian (2013-05-14). ""Dinosaurs": The Most Traumatizing Series Finale Ever". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  13. Donohoo, Timothy (23 July 2019). "25 Years Later, Dinosaurs Still has TV's Most Shocking Finale". CBR. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  14. "BBC – Comedy Guide – Dinosaurs". 7 January 2005. Archived from the original on 7 January 2005. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. "'Família Dinossauros' estreava há 25 anos. Veja curiosidades da série". revistaquem.globo.com. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  16. Hatchett, Keisha (September 29, 2017). "This Is Not a Drill: Boy Meets World Is Now On Hulu". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  17. Spellberg, Claire (December 15, 2020). "Jim Henson's 'Dinosaurs' Is Finally Coming to Disney+ in January". Decider. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  18. "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  19. "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  20. "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  21. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/dinosaurs
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.