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{{short description|1999 British television documentary series}} {{Other uses}} {{Use British English|date=June 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox television | image = Walkingwithdinosdvdcover.jpg | caption = Cover of a 2004 UK DVD release | first_aired = {{Start date|1999|10|04|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|1999|11|08|df=y}} | first_aired2 = {{Start date|2025|05|25|df=y}} | last_aired2 = present | num_episodes = 6 (+3 special) | channel = [[BBC One]] | company = [[BBC Studios Science Unit|BBC Science Unit]]<ref name=":19"/> | genre = [[Nature documentary]] | creator = [[Tim Haines]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Haines |first1=Tim |title=The Making of…Walking with Dinosaurs |url=http://www.dinosaurlive.com/about-the-show/the-making-of/ |access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref><br />[[Susan Spindler]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-07-04 |title=BBC "Making It Happen" Project Director Joins Speakers at CSR Forum |url=https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/21495-bbc-making-it-happen-project-director-joins-speakers-at-csr-forum |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=CSRWire |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Greg Dyke Making It Happen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/02_february/07/makingithappen.shtml |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=BBC - Press Office}}</ref> | budget = £6.1 million<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Most expensive television documentary series per minute |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-television-documentary-series-per-minute |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-gb}}</ref> | director = Tim Haines<br />[[Jasper James]] | creative_director = Mike Milne | narrator = [[Kenneth Branagh]]<br />[[Avery Brooks]] (US)<br /> [[Ben Stiller]] (''[[Prehistoric Planet (2002 TV series)|Prehistoric Planet]]'') | composer = [[Ben Bartlett]] | country = United Kingdom | language = English | cinematography = John Howarth<br />Michael Pitts | editor = Andrew Wilks | runtime = 30 minutes | executive_producer = John Lynch | producer = Tim Haines<br />Jasper James }} '''''Walking with Dinosaurs''''' is a 1999 six-part [[nature documentary]] television [[miniseries]] created by [[Tim Haines]] and produced by the [[BBC Studios Science Unit|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 [[Dinosaur]]s", ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' depicts [[dinosaur]]s 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]].<ref name="THR">{{cite news |last1=McClintock |first1=Pamela |date=15 January 2014 |title=T-Wreck: Why Fox's 'Walking With Dinosaurs' Went Extinct |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walking-dinosaurs-why-foxs-film-670782 |access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref> The series was subsequently aired in North America on the [[Discovery Channel]] in [[2000]], with [[Avery Brooks]] replacing Branagh. ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' recreated extinct species through the combined use of [[computer-generated imagery]] and [[animatronics]] that were incorporated with [[live action]] footage shot at various locations, the techniques being inspired by the film ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'' (1993). At a cost of £6.1 million ($9.9 million), ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' cost over £37,654 ($61,112) per minute to produce, making it the most expensive documentary series per minute ever made.<ref name=":3" /> The visual effects of the series were initially believed to be far too expensive to produce, but innovative techniques by the award-winning graphics company [[Framestore]] made it possible to bring down costs sufficiently to produce the three-hour series. With 15 million people viewing the first airing of the first episode, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was by far the most watched science programme in British television during the 20th century.<ref name=":17" /> The series received critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including two [[BAFTA Awards]], three [[Emmy Awards]] and a [[Peabody Award]]. Most scientists applauded ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' for its use of scientific research and for its portrayal of dinosaurs as animals and not movie monsters.<ref name=":9" /> Some scientific criticism was leveled at the narration not making clear what was speculation and what was not, and a handful of specific scientific errors. The success of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' spawned an entirely new genre of documentaries that similarly recreated past life with computer graphics and were made in the style of traditional nature documentaries. It also led to the creation of an entire media franchise of similar sequel documentary series, the ''[[Walking with...]]'' franchise produced by the [[BBC Studios Science Unit]],<ref name=":19"/> which included ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'' (2001), ''[[Walking with Cavemen]]'' (2003), ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'' (2003) and ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'' (2005).<!-- The Ballad of Big Al and Chased by Dinosaurs (The Giant Claw + Land of Giants) are not mentioned here since they are not standalone series and are regarded in this article as special episodes of Walking with Dinosaurs (which they were marketed as) --> The series was accompanied by companion books and an innovative companion website. Additionally, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' inspired the creation of exhibitions, the live theatrical show ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular]]'', video games, and a [[Walking with Dinosaurs (film)|2013 film adaptation]]. Along with ''Jurassic Park'', ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is often cited as among the most influential media depictions of dinosaurs. In 2024, the [[BBC]] and [[PBS]] announced that a new reinvention of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was in production. It began airing on BBC from 25 May 2025. It received generally negative reviews from critics and fans.<ref> https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/25/walking-dinosaurs-viewers-devastated-major-change-ruined-beloved-show-23244949/amp/</ref> == Premise == Envisioned as the first "Natural History of Dinosaurs" and a series that would provide viewers with "a window into a lost world",<ref name=":17">{{Cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=Karen D. |last2=White |first2=Anne M. |date=2003 |title=Unnatural History? Deconstructing the Walking with Dinosaurs Phenomenon |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0163443703025003002 |journal=Media, Culture & Society |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=315–332 |doi=10.1177/0163443703025003002 |s2cid=143566889 |issn=0163-4437|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' explores life in the [[Mesozoic]] era, particularly [[dinosaur]]s, in the format of a traditional [[nature documentary]]. == Production == === Background and concept === ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was the brainchild of [[Tim Haines]], who came with the idea in 1996 while he was working as a science [[television producer]] at the [[BBC]].<ref name=":0" /> Then-head of [[BBC Science]] [[Jana Bennett]] had at the time started a policy of encouraging producers to pitch possible future landmark series, with the goal of increasing the science output of the BBC and raising the bar of science programming. Bennett had mainly asked for suggestions for series on [[geology]], [[medicine]] and [[natural history]].<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=Summary |url=http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/index.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021015129/http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/index.php |archive-date=2013-10-21 |access-date=2013-10-21 |website=Walking with Dinosaurs - The Origins}}</ref> The idea for ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was devised in the aftermath of the release of the film ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' in 1993, which had set a new benchmark for dinosaur entertainment.<ref name=":0" /> Initially, Haines idea revolved around a history of [[Paleontology|palaeontology]] with some reconstructions but this was deemed to not be ambitious enough, shortly thereafter he devised the idea of a dinosaur series made with the look and feel of a natural history programme.<ref name=":13" /> Haines suggested that the same techniques employed in the production of ''Jurassic Park'' could be used to create a series of nature documentary programmes. According to Haines, the aim of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was to "create an immersive experience that was both spectacular and informative".<ref name=":0" /> Haines investigated the costs that would be involved in the project.<ref name=":0" /> He first initially approached [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM), the company responsible for creating the visual effects in ''Jurassic Park'', which projected a cost of $10,000 per second of dinosaur footage, far too expensive for a television series.<ref name=":4">{{cite news |last1=Huelsman |first1=Eric |date=1 March 2000 |title=Walking With Dinosaurs |work=Animation World Network |url=http://www.awn.com/animationworld/walking-dinosaurs |access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> Though ''Jurassic Park'' had only nine minutes of dinosaur footage, the series envisioned by Haines would require three hours. As a result, Haines initially changed his idea to the programme mainly consisting of footage of plants, insects and landscapes with dinosaurs appearing only occasionally.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":13" /> The concept for the series changed back to frequent CGI creatures after Haines spoke with the UK-based graphics company [[Framestore]].<ref name=":0" /> Framestore had previously won [[Emmy Awards]] for their work on films such as ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1999 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' (1999) and miniseries such as ''[[Gulliver's Travels (miniseries)|Gulliver's Travels]]'' (1996).<ref name=":4" /> The head of Framestore, [[Mike Milne]], at first turned down the project owing to its projected cost but later accepted since he realised that he would later regret it if another company took it up.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |author-link=Darren Naish |title=Reminiscing About Walking With Dinosaurs, Part 1 |url=https://tetzoo.com/blog/2021/6/23/reminiscing-about-walking-with-dinosaurs-part-1 |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Tetrapod Zoology |date=24 June 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Milne understood the concept of the programme and was able to bring down the cost of the animation considerably through flexibility and imagination.<ref name=":0" /> With Milne's assurance that making the programme would be possible, Haines pitched the idea to Bennett as a 6-episode series of 30-minute episodes and he called it ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', at this time only intended to be a [[working title]] and deriving from Haines misremembering the title of the 1990 film ''[[Dances with Wolves]]''.<ref name=":13" /> === Pilot episode and funding === [[File:Walking with Dinosaurs pilot episode screenshot.png|thumb|left|Screenshot from the 1997 ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' pilot episode, showing ''[[Cetiosaurus]]'' with erect necks, which did not appear in the finished series.]] The BBC liked the concept of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' but were nervous whether a series of its scale was actually achievable. After also pitching the idea to [[BBC Worldwide]], Haines was granted £100,000 to produce a short [[Pilot Episode|pilot episode]]. In the spring of 1997, Haines, accompanied by a single cameraman, travelled to a national park near [[Paphos]] in Cyprus to shoot footage for the pilot. Milne then gathered a small team to produce models and animations.<ref name=":13" /> The resulting [[High-concept|proof-of-concept]] pilot, finished by the summer of 1997, was six minutes long.<ref name=":0" /> The only consultant so far brought in for the project was the palaeontologist David Martill, who offered his services on the pilot for free if he could then stay on as a consultant should the pilot succeed and a series be made.<ref name=":8" /> The pilot episode was marine-themed,<ref name=":8" /> revolving around a beached giant [[pliosaur]],<ref name=":13" /> and based on the fossils of the [[Jurassic]] [[Oxford Clay]] in England (a setting later used for the episode ''Cruel Sea''), a setting suggested by Martill. After concerns that the marine episode might not have enough "superstar" animals, Martill suggested the inclusion of the [[Theropoda|theropod]] dinosaur ''[[Eustreptospondylus]]''. One of the major differences between the pilot and the later series was that it included partial [[x-ray]]s of the inner workings of the animals so that they could be better explained. In the later series this was abandoned in favour of a more standard "natural history" aesthetic.<ref name=":8" /> In addition to the pilot, Framestore also produced stills and a shorter trailer with a group of [[plesiosaur]]s hunting fish to sell the idea of ''Walking with Dinosaurs''.<ref name=":13" /> There was already considerable interest in the series by the time the pilot was shown owing to the trailer and stills produced by Framestore. Jana Bennett also championed the idea of the series to both [[Michael Jackson (television executive)|Michael Jackson]], controller of [[BBC One]], and [[Mike Quattrone]] of the [[Discovery Channel]].<ref name=":13" /> The pilot was then enough to persuade the BBC, BBC Worldwide, and the Discovery Channel to fund the production of ''Walking with Dinosaurs''.<ref name=":0" /> Approximately third of the ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' budget came from BBC One, a third from the Discovery Channel, and a third from BBC Worldwide. There were also major investments from [[TV Asahi]] in Japan and [[ProSieben]] in Germany.<ref name=":13" /> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was considered a high-risk production due to being highly expensive and using "[[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]] technology" to educate rather than just entertain.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last1=Haines |first1=Tim |title=[[The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life]] |last2=Chambers |first2=Paul |publisher=Firefly Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-55407-181-4 |location=Richmond Hill, Ontario |chapter=Introduction |orig-date=2005}}</ref> In total, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' cost £6.1 million ($9.9 million) to make. It cost over £37,654 ($61,112) per minute to produce, making it the most expensive documentary series per minute ever made.<ref name=":3" /> It was during production billed as one of the most ambitious series ever produced.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} Entertainment {{!}} BBC launches prehistoric saga |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/453310.stm |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Together with Haines, the series was also created by the acclaimed programme maker [[Susan Spindler]], who had previously worked on the BBC series ''[[The Human Body (TV series)|The Human Body]]''.<ref name=":2" /> The team grew to encompass producer [[Jasper James]] (who produced and directed the third and fourth episodes and also directed the sixth; Haines handled the rest), production manager Alison Woolnough and executive producer John Lynch.<ref name=":13" /> === Pre-production and filming === {{multiple image | caption_align = center | header_align = center <!-- Essential parameters -->| align = right | direction = vertical<!-- Images --> | width = 220 <!--image 1-->| image1 = Araucaria araucana - Parque Nacional Conguillío por lautaroj - 001.jpg | width1 = | alt1 = | caption1 = <!--image 2--> | image2 = 0 Araucaria columnaris New Caledonia.jpg | width2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = <!-- Footer --> | footer_background = | footer_align = <!-- left (default), center, right --> | footer = [[Conguillío National Park]] in Chile (top) and the [[Isle of Pines (New Caledonia)|Isle of Pines]] in [[New Caledonia]] (bottom) were among the filming locations for ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' }} Haines spent two years speaking with scientists and reading both primary and secondary palaeontological sources to create the stories for ''Walking with Dinosaurs''.<ref name=":11">Haines, T., 1999, ''"Walking with Dinosaurs": A Natural History'', BBC Books, "Introduction"</ref> Though the goal was to make the programme feel as if it was just relaying natural events without intervention, as actual nature documentaries, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' required Haines to plot out narratives and create storyboards.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=BEN BARTLETT: Music For Walking With Dinosaurs |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/ben-bartlett-music-walking-dinosaurs |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=www.soundonsound.com}}</ref> Production of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' took 18 months.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last=Benton |first=Michael J. |author-link=Michael Benton |date=2001 |title=The Science of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' |url=https://cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.bristol.ac.uk/dist/5/537/files/2019/08/2003scienceWWD.pdf |journal=Teaching Earth Sciences |volume=24 |pages=371–400}}</ref> It was essential to the vision of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' that the age of the dinosaurs be represented as accurately as possible based on current scientific understanding. In addition to Haines's own research, the production team for the first six months devoted all their time to research and carefully chose particular moments during the Mesozoic that were most well-studied and well-understood by scientists<ref name=":0" /> and which would be representative of the era and showcase interesting animals.<ref name=":4" /> In addition to the producers doing their own research, over a hundred experts were consulted for every aspect of the series.<ref name=":7" /> Slowly, the production team focused in on animals about whom sufficient information was known to create larger narratives. As an example, ''Coelophysis'' was selected for ''New Blood'' (the first episode) because it was a typical early dinosaur which scientists knew a lot about. Since the series also aimed to showcase the environment and other animals around the "star" dinosaurs, ''Coelophysis'' also presented an opportunity since it had been found at [[Ghost Ranch]], [[New Mexico]], one of the world's richest fossil beds.<ref name=":11" /> The behaviour of the animals depicted was primarily based on fossil evidence when possible (such as bite marks and fossil gut contents) and on behaviours in modern animals. Sometimes, behaviour was just reasoned guesses. For instance, the small [[pterosaur]] ''[[Anurognathus]]'' is shown in ''Time of the Titans'' (the second episode) to use the massive [[Sauropoda|sauropod]] ''[[Diplodocus]]'' as a feeding platform to hunt insects. This was based on certain modern birds; there is no evidence of such behaviour in pterosaurs and it would be difficult to prove with fossil evidence.<ref name=":11" /> In the summer of 1997 and in the winter of 1998, Haines and fellow producer Jasper James took a small crew<ref name=":0" /> of eight people<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Mike |title=The People Behind Prehistoric Animal Animatronics and Puppetry |url=https://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2010/10/25/4664347.html |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Everything Dinosaur Blog |date=25 October 2010 |language=en-US}}</ref> to travel around the world to places where ancient plant life reminiscent of plants during the Mesozoic still existed; locations that could be used as backdrops for the series. Of particular importance was an absence of [[grass]], which at the time was believed to not have existed during the Mesozoic. Filming took several weeks and locations included the Labyrinth in [[Tasmania]], the [[Beech–maple forest|beech gap]] in the [[South Island]], the [[redwood]] forests of California, the [[araucaria]] forests in [[New Caledonia]] and southern Chile<ref name=":0" /> and the Bahamas.<ref name=":4" /> Shooting at a single location usually lasted for about four weeks.<ref name=":12" /> New Caledonia was particularly difficult to shoot in since the [[French Army]] were doing exercises there simultaneously and the film crew kept bumping into soldiers and tanks.<ref name=":12" /> === Special effects === ==== Computer graphics ==== [[File:Walking with Dinosaurs - Iguanodon screenshot.png|left|thumb|''[[Iguanodon]]''<!--NO original research; this dinosaur is identified as ''Iguanodon'' both in the series and in companion material--> as portrayed in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' using computer graphics]] Mike Milne and [[Framestore]], consisting of fifteen designers,<ref name=":4" /> began working on animating the dinosaurs at the same time as Haines and James were shooting footage for the series. Production of several hours of high quality photoreal animation had never been done before, not even for feature films.<ref name=":0" /> The process of making the computer models began with creating clay [[maquette]]s, highly detailed small-scale physical models. Several palaeontologists were consulted during the process of making the maquettes.<ref name=":4" /> In addition to David Martill, the consultants of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' included, among others, Kent Stevens, [[Thomas R. Holtz Jr.|Thomas R. Holtz]], David Norman, David Unwin, Ken Carpenter, Jo Wright and [[Michael Benton|Michael J. Benton]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |author-link=Darren Naish |title=Reminiscing About Walking With Dinosaurs, Part 2 |url=https://tetzoo.com/blog/2021/7/3/reminiscing-about-walking-with-dinosaurs-part-2 |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Tetrapod Zoology |date=4 July 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref> At times, details changed during production. For instance, the sauropod necks of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' were at first fully erect before being altered on the advice of the sauropod neck expert Kent Stevens.<ref name=":8" /> In September 1998, Milne held a talk at the 46th [[Symposium on Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy]] (SVPCA) at the [[University of Bournemouth]], showcasing early renderings from the pilot and the series and gathering feedback from the palaeontologists in attendance.<ref name=":8" /> After the maquettes were completed, Framestore scanned them into their computers using both a high resolution laser and a set of software tools developed together with [[Soho-CyberScan]] specifically for ''Walking with Dinosaurs''. The models were then imported into [[Softimage 3D]], where they could be digitally manipulated and animated.<ref name=":4" /> The animations were made by hand one frame at a time, an extremely time-consuming process, since it quickly became evident that any other method would have resulted in unconvincing animation. Since no one had ever seen a moving non-avian dinosaur, the animators based their animations on both footage of living animals, particularly elephants, and on information provided by palaeontologists. Palaeontologists provided information on the dynamics of dinosaur muscles, tendons and joints. In numerous cases, the animals in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' had never before been animated with this level of scientific rigour. Many movements, such as the movement of pterosaurs on the ground, were educated guesses made based on scientific advice.<ref name=":4" /> The textures for the models were created through a process of science-based guessing, deriving from the inferred life behaviour of the animals, their diet and their size (larger animals in real life tend to have duller colours). The digital artist [[Daren Horley]] was responsible for creating the textures and patterns of the animals and was during production sent actual fossil examples of dinosaur skin impressions. Despite the fossils available, Horley found that there had to in some cases be some informed compromise between strict accuracy and what looked best on screen; the scales of some species were too small to be visible on television screens.<ref name=":4" /> The CGI shots were rendered by Framestore using eight twin-processor NT boxes, at times augmented with the SGI workstations (single R10K processors) of the animators.<ref name=":4" /> The computer effects for the first episode took around a year to make, though the process could be significantly sped up afterwards; the five other episodes together took only six months.<ref name=":0" /> Initially, Framestore produced 24 different computer-generated animals, but as the concept of the series grew they had made 40 different species by the end of production.<ref name=":4" /> [[Compositing]] (adding the CGI together with the live footage) was done using five [[Quantel|Quantel Henrys]] and five [[Discreet Logic|Discreet Logic Infernos]].<ref name=":4" /> ==== Animatronics ==== [[File:Eustreptospondylus head.jpg|thumb|''[[Eustreptospondylus]]'' puppet head used in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'']] [[File:Pterosaur exhibit.jpg|thumb|''[[Ornithocheirus]]'' puppet head used in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'']] Though most of the animal shots in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' are CGI, the series also made extensive use of [[animatronics]] and puppets.<ref name=":4" /> Haines explained in behind-the-scenes material that animatronics, despite advances in CGI, still played an important role, particularly in close-up shots; "The computer can fool the eye making a dinosaur run through a puddle and splashing but if you want a close-up of him dipping his nose into water and moving it back and forth, a computer-generated nose wouldn't look right."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berry |first=Mark F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NouACgAAQBAJ |title=The Dinosaur Filmography |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0674-3 |pages=264 |language=en}}</ref> The animatronics and puppets of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' were made by the special effects company [[Crawley Creatures]].<ref name=":9" /> Over 80 animatronic models were made for the series,<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":12" /> mostly for close-ups of heads or other body parts. In some cases full body versions were made, mostly for corpses but also for some animals, such as ''[[Ophthalmosaurus]]''.<ref name=":4" /> The greatest challenge for the artist at Crawley Creatures was working against time, since they only had six weeks between location shoots to put together animatronics and puppets for the next episode. The most challenging animal to model was the large pterosaur ''[[Ornithocheirus]]'', which had to be able to work in different positions for the purposes of the series and had to be extremely light-weight for purposes of transportation.<ref name=":12" /> After filming, several of the models used in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', including those of ''Ophthalmosaurus'', ''Ornithocheirus'' and ''[[Koolasuchus]]<u>,</u>'' were given to David Martill and then used by him for educational purposes at the [[University of Portsmouth]]. The ''Ophthalmosaurus'' model, having been dragged through water, had to be repaired and repainted and is today displayed for the public; the ''Ornithocheirus'' and ''Koolasuchus'' models were later sold. Numerous models also made their way to the [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]] due to an association between Crawley Creatures and the museum.<ref name=":9" /> === Music === [[Ben Bartlett]] composed the score for ''Walking with Dinosaurs''. Bartlett was then working with the BBC, having produced some [[Station identification|station ident themes]] for [[BBC Radio 3]]. Bartlett was encouraged to accept the duties of composing the series' music at the behest of Haines and James. Bartlett wrote different [[leitmotif]]s in separate styles for each episode, citing the different themes and settings presented in each episode as inspiration, elaborating, "I tried to create a different sound world for each episode of ''Walking With Dinosaurs''. That was easy, as they all had different moods. The first episode is all about heat and bloodlust, parched deserts and so on, while the second one was pastoral, peaceful, and beautiful, about dinosaurs living in [[symbiosis]] with the forests. And so on." The process of creating the score was that Bartlett would first watch the unscored episodes together with the directors, discussing with them possible music, and then write the music and produce a sample for approval. At times, this was difficult since the production of the computer graphics fell behind and some scenes were not finished in time for the recording sessions.<ref name=":14" /> The recording process took place at [[Angel Recording Studios]] in [[Islington]], with four sessions scattered over the early months of 1999. The score was recorded by the [[BBC Concert Orchestra]]. During these sessions, Bartlett admitted to being enriched with experience by the task, stating, "It was the biggest orchestral endeavour I've ever undertaken, and I learnt so much from the first session. Practical things, like handing out the parts to the players ''before'' the session, numbering pages... tiny logistical things that can really screw up a session." The BBC were early on impressed with the soundtrack and requested Bartlett and the orchestra to also produce tracks for a [[CD-ROM|CD]] of the soundtrack.<ref name=":14" /> The soundtrack was rereleased as a digital version for the 25th anniversary of the series, with three additional tracks covering material composed for ''The Ballad of Big Al''.<ref name="25thAnniversarySoundtrack">{{Cite web |date=4 October 2024 |title=BBC 'Walking with Dinosaurs' 25th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack Album Released |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/10/03/walking-with-dinosaurs-25th-anniversary-edition-soundtrack-album-released/ |access-date=7 March 2025 |url-status = live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307110221/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/10/03/walking-with-dinosaurs-25th-anniversary-edition-soundtrack-album-released/ |archive-date=7 March 2025 |website=Film Music Reporter |language=en}}</ref> == Episodes == === ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' (1999) === [[BBC One]] aired the series weekly on Monday nights, with regular repeats the following Sunday. In 2010, the series was repeated on [[BBC Three]] in [[Omnibus (broadcast)|omnibus]] format, as three hour-long episodes.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074fzf Walking With Dinosaurs - Compilations - Episode 1] BBC Retrieved 19 September 2018.</ref>{{Episode table|background=#9790BB|overall=|title=|aux1=|director=|airdate=|viewers=|country=U.K.|aux1T=Time period and location|episodes={{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 1 | Title=New Blood | Aux1= [[Petrified Forest National Park|Arizona]], 220 mya ([[Late Triassic]]) | DirectedBy= Tim Haines | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|10|04|df=y}} | Viewers= 18.91<ref name="barb">{{Cite web | url=https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-30/ | title=Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018) | website=www.barb.co.uk | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref>{{efn|7 day data, including the original Monday broadcast and Sunday repeat for all six episodes.}} | ShortSummary= By a river, a female ''[[Coelophysis]]'' stalks a herd of dicynodonts called ''[[Placerias]]'', looking for weak members to prey upon. Downstream, a male [[Thrinaxodon|cynodont]] resides in a burrow with his family. A female ''[[Postosuchus]]'', a [[rauisuchian]] and one of the largest carnivores alive in the [[Triassic]], attacks the ''Placerias'' herd, and wounds one individual; the herd scatters, leaving the wounded ''Placerias'' to the ''Postosuchus''. Early [[pterosaur]]s called ''[[Peteinosaurus]]'' are depicted feeding on [[Dragonfly|dragonflies]] and cooling themselves in the little water remaining during the drought. Still searching for food, the female ''Coelophysis'', alongside another ''Coelophysis'', discovers the cynodont burrow; the male wards them off. Later that evening, after he goes off hunting, an inquisitive pup follows its father to the entrance and is caught by the female ''Coelophysis''. At night, the cynodont pair [[cannibalism (zoology)|cannibalise]] their remaining pups and then move away. On the next day, the ''Coelophysis'' work to expose the nest. The female ''Postosuchus'' meanwhile is shown to have been wounded by the ''Placerias'', a prior attack on them leaving her with a tusk wound on her thigh. After being unable to successfully hunt another ''Placerias'', she is expelled from her territory by a rival male. Wounded, sick, and without a territory, the female ''Postosuchus'' dies and is eaten by a pack of ''Coelophysis''. As the dry season continues, food becomes scarce. The ''Placerias'' herd embarks on a journey in search of water, while the ''Coelophysis'' begin to cannibalise their young, and the male cynodont also resorts to hunting baby ''Coelophysis'' at night. Finally, the wet season arrives; the majority of the ''Coelophysis'' have survived (including the lead female), and the cynodont pair have a new clutch of eggs. The episode ends with the arrival of a migrating herd of ''[[Plateosaurus]]'', foreshadowing the dominance of the [[sauropod]]s after the [[Triassic–Jurassic extinction event]]. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 2 | Title=Time of the Titans | Aux1= [[Dinosaur National Monument|Colorado]], 152 mya ([[Late Jurassic]]) | DirectedBy= Tim Haines | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|10|11|df=y}} | Viewers= 17.75<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= This episode follows the life of a female ''[[Diplodocus]]'', beginning at the moment when her mother lays a clutch of eggs at the edge of a conifer forest. Three months later, some of the eggs hatch; the young sauropods are preyed upon by ''[[Ornitholestes]]''. After hatching, the hatchlings retreat to the safety of the denser trees. They face many dangers as they grow, including predation by ''Ornitholestes'' and ''[[Allosaurus]]''. Even a ''[[Stegosaurus]]'' accidentally also kills one of the hatchlings by swinging its tail while fending off a pair of ''Allosaurus''. Elsewhere, adult herds of ''Diplodocus'' are shown using their massive weight to topple trees in order to reach [[cycad]] leaves and giant ferns. Each ''Diplodocus'' hosts a small mobile habitat of [[damselfly|damselflies]], ''[[Anurognathus]]'', and [[dung beetle]]s. After some time, the creche of ''Diplodocus'' have grown into subadults. Nearly all are killed by a huge forest fire; only three survivors emerge onto the open plains, including the young female. They encounter several ''[[Brachiosaurus]]'' before only two reach safety of a herd of adult ''Diplodocus''. Several years later, the female mates, and a few days after, is attacked by a bull ''Allosaurus''. She is saved when another ''Diplodocus'' strikes the ''Allosaurus'' with its tail. She rejoins the herd, albeit with deep wounds on her side, but she will recover. The closing narration notes that the sauropods will only get larger, becoming the largest animals ever to walk the Earth. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 3 | Title=Cruel Sea | Aux1= [[Oxford Clay|Oxfordshire]], 149 mya (Late Jurassic) | DirectedBy= Jasper James | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|10|18|df=y}} | Viewers= 17.96<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= The episode begins with a ''[[Eustreptospondylus]]'' being snatched from the shore by a male ''[[Liopleurodon]]''. Meanwhile, hundreds of ''[[Ophthalmosaurus]]'' arrive from the open ocean to give birth. ''[[Hybodus]]'' and a ''Liopleurodon'' are on the hunt; when a mother ''Ophthalmosaurus'' has trouble giving birth, a pair of ''Hybodus'' pursue her. They are frightened off by the male ''Liopleurodon'', which eats the front half of the [[ichthyosaur]]. Meanwhile, a ''Eustreptospondylus'' swims to an island and discovers a turtle carcass; it fights over the carcass with another ''Eustreptospondylus''. Later, during the night, a group of [[horseshoe crab]]s gather at the shore to lay their eggs, which attracts a flock of ''[[Rhamphorhynchus]]'' in the morning to eat the eggs. However, a few of the pterosaurs are caught and eaten by a ''Eustreptospondylus''. While the ''Ophthalmosaurus'' juveniles are growing up, they are hunted by ''Hybodus'', which in turn, are prey for the ''Liopleurodon''. While the male ''Liopleurodon'' is hunting, he encounters a female ''Liopleurodon''; after the male bites one of her flippers, she retreats from his territory, and a group of ''Hybodus'' follows the trail of her blood. A [[cyclone]] strikes the islands, killing many animals, including several ''Rhamphorhynchus'' and the ''Liopleurodon'', who is washed ashore and eventually suffocates under his own weight. A group of ''Eustreptospondylus'' feed on his carcass. At the end of the episode, the juvenile ''Ophthalmosaurus'' that survived the storm are now large enough to swim off and live in the open sea. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 4 | Title=Giant of the Skies | Aux1= Various, 127 mya ([[Early Cretaceous]]) | DirectedBy= Jasper James | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|10|25|df=y}} | Viewers= 16.8<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= The episode begins with a male ''[[Ornithocheirus]]''{{efn|The pterosaur identified as ''Ornithocheirus'' in ''Giant of the Skies'' was actually based on fossils of the pterosaur ''[[Tropeognathus]]'', the two having been considered synonyms by David Unwin, one of the consulting palaeontologists.<ref name=":9" />}} dead on a beach. Six months earlier, the ''Ornithocheirus'', resting among a colony of breeding ''[[Tapejara wellnhoferi|Tapejaras]]'' in [[Brazil]], flies off for [[Cantabria]] where he too must mate. He flies past a [[animal migration|migrating]] group of ''[[Iguanodon]]''<!--NO original research: the summaries should use the identifications from the series alone--> and the nodosaur ''[[Polacanthus]]''. He reaches the southern tip of [[North America]], where he is forced to seek shelter from a storm. He grooms himself, expelling his body of fleas; the crest on his jaw begins to change colour in preparation for the mating season. He then sets off across the [[Atlantic]], which was then only 300 kilometres (186 miles) wide, and after a whole day on the wing, reaches the westernmost of the European islands. He does not rest there however, as a pack of ''[[Utahraptor]]s'' are hunting ''Iguanodon''; a young ''Utahraptor'' is bullied off an ''Iguanodon'' carcass by the adults. The ''Ornithocheirus'' flies to the outskirts of a forest to rest after stealing a fish from another pterosaur, but is driven away by a flock of ''[[Iberomesornis]]''. Flying on, he reaches Cantabria, but due to the delays, exhaustion, and old age he cannot reach the centre of the many grounded male ''Ornithocheirus'' and consequently he does not mate. After several days under the sun trying to attract a mate, the protagonist ''Ornithocheirus'' dies from a combination of heat stress and starvation. The same fate befalls others who had lost out in the attempt to attract a mate. The next generation of ''Ornithocheirus'' feeds on their corpses. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 5 | Title=Spirits of the Ice Forest | Aux1= Antarctica, 106 mya (Early Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Tim Haines | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|11|01|df=y}} | Viewers= 15.95<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= A few hundred kilometres from the [[South Pole]], a clan of ''[[Leaellynasaura]]'' emerge during spring after several months of total darkness. They feed on the fresh plant growth (which has adapted to the changing seasons), and build nests to lay their eggs; a ''[[Koolasuchus]]'' also wakes and heads to a river, where he will stay during the summer. Out on the banks of the river, migrating herds of ''[[Muttaburrasaurus]]'' have also arrived to feed and lay their eggs. When summer arrives, many of the ''Leaellynasaura'' clan's eggs have been eaten; however, those of the matriarch hatch successfully. Meanwhile, a male [[Allosaurus robustus|polar allosauroid]]{{efn|The polar allosaur was incorrectly referred to as ''[[Australovenator]]'' on a BBC website, a genus that wasn't discovered until 2006 and described until 2009,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hocknull |first1=Scott A. |last2=White |first2=Matt A. |last3=Tischler |first3=Travis R. |last4=Cook |first4=Alex G. |last5=Calleja |first5=Naomi D. |last6=Sloan |first6=Trish |last7=Elliott |first7=David A. |year=2009 |editor-last=Sereno |editor-first=Paul |editor-link=Paul Sereno |title=New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=4 |issue=7 |pages=e6190 |bibcode=2009PLoSO...4.6190H |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0006190 |pmc=2703565 |pmid=19584929|doi-access=free }}</ref> just about a decade after ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' premiered. The allosaur featured is actually based on fragmentary remains found at [[Cape Paterson]].}} hunts both the ''Leaellynasaura'' and the ''Muttaburrasaurus'', the latter species also having to deal with blood-sucking insects. When autumn arrives, the ''Muttaburrasaurus'' herd begins to migrate, and the ''Koolasuchus'' leaves the river to find a pool for hibernation. During the migration, some ''Muttaburrasaurus'' become lost in the forest; they vocalize loudly while trying to return to their herd, preventing the ''Leaellynasaura'' clan's sentries from hearing the polar allosaur approaching. It manages to kill the matriarch of the clan. Winter descends and the forest is shrouded in darkness, but the now matriarch-less ''Leaellynasaura'' clan is able to stay active, using their large eyes to help them forage for food. The clan and other creatures are also shown to use various methods of coping with the cold such as being frozen alive or suspended animation. Finally, spring returns, and two ''Leaellynasaura'' males challenge each other for the right to mate, and the clan establishes a new dominant pair. The closing narration acknowledges that soon this landmass will be pulled closer to the South Pole and when that happens, this unique ecosystem and its inhabitants will disappear. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 6 | Title=Death of a Dynasty | Aux1= [[Hell Creek Formation|Montana]], 65.5 mya ([[Late Cretaceous]]) | DirectedBy= Jasper James | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|11|08|df=y}} | Viewers= 15.69<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= Several months before the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]], the last dinosaurs are living under intense environmental stress due to excessive [[volcanism]]. A female ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'' abandons her nest, the eggs rendered infertile due to acidic pollution. Her calls for a mate are answered by a smaller male, who kills a young ''[[Triceratops]]'' to appease her. Three days later, after repeated copulation, she drives him off. The mother fasts as she tends to her nest, contending with raids by [[dromaeosaurs]]<!--NO original research: the summaries should use the identifications from the series alone--> and ''[[Didelphodon]]''. Meanwhile, herds of ''[[Edmontosaurus annectens|Anatotitan]]''<!--NO original research: the summaries should use the identifications from the series alone--> wander between islands of vegetation among the volcanic ash, and ''[[Torosaurus]]'' rut for the right to mate, while losing their young to attacking dromaeosaurs. Only three of the ''Tyrannosaurus'' eggs hatch; the mother hunts an ''Anatotitan'' to feed herself and her brood. Several days later, while defending her two surviving offspring, the mother is fatally injured by the tail of an ''[[Ankylosaurus]]''. The juveniles remain expectantly next to the carcass of their mother the next morning; several hours later, they are killed along with the other dinosaurs in the region by the impact of a [[Chicxulub crater#Astronomical origin of impactor|comet]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The impact, said to be as powerful as ten billion [[Little Boy|Hiroshima bombs]], resulted in 65% of life -the dinosaurs included- dying out in the ensuing cataclysmic changes to the climate. In an epilogue, the present-day African plains are shown; while they are now dominated by [[mammal]]s after millions of years of recovery from the impact, they are still populated by a small group of dinosaurs that did survive the extinction: the [[bird]]s. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=– | Title=The Making of Walking with Dinosaurs | Aux1= N/A | DirectedBy= Jasper James | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1999|10|06|df=y}} | Viewers= 7.19<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= ''Behind-the-scenes documentary'': 50-minute special documenting the series' paleontological influence, animatronic effects, CGI and the real location shooting for the series background. | LineColor = 9790BB }}}} === Specials (2000–2003) === Three special episodes of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' have been produced since the end of the original series. The first special was ''[[The Ballad of Big Al]]'' (2000), which closely followed the format of the original series but mostly focused on a single individual animal, an ''[[Allosaurus]]'' specimen nicknamed [[Allosaurus#"Big Al" and "Big Al II"|"Big Al"]].''<ref name="BBC One" />'' In response to complaints from scientists that many details in the original series seemed speculative, ''The Ballad of Big Al'' explained virtually every decision in detail and how it was based on fossil evidence.<ref name=":10" /> The two succeeding specials, ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|The Giant Claw]]'' (2002) and ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|Land of Giants]]'' (2003),{{efn|''Land of Giants'' and ''The Giant Claw'' were marketed together in the United States as the stand-alone two-part series ''Chased by Dinosaurs''.<ref name=":34">{{Cite web |date=2002 |title=Chased by Dinosaurs: Nigel Marven Interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyS3z1TB2fU |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/dyS3z1TB2fU |archive-date=2021-12-15 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}} starred wildlife presenter [[Nigel Marven]] as a "[[Time travel|time-travelling]] zoologist", travelling back in time and interacting with various dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.<ref name="BBC One">{{Cite web |title=Walking with Dinosaurs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sy534/episodes/guide |access-date=2020-10-12 |website=BBC One}}</ref>{{efn|In addition to the three special episodes accounted for here, the 2003 three-part miniseries ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'', with the full title ''Sea Monsters: A Walking with Dinosaurs Trilogy'', is sometimes considered part of ''Walking with Dinosaurs<ref name="BBC One" />'' and sometimes not.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Science & Nature - Prehistoric Life TV & Radio |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/tv_radio/ |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Science & Nature - Sea Monsters |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/tv_radio/wwseamonsters/ |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>}} {{Episode table |background=#9790BB |overall= |title= |aux1= |director= |airdate= |viewers= |country=U.K. |aux1T=Time period and location |episodes= {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= (7) | Title=[[The Ballad of Big Al]] | Aux1= Wyoming, 145 mya (Late Jurassic) | DirectedBy= Kate Bartlett | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|25|df=y}} | Viewers= <small>Unknown</small><ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= A biography of how the ''[[Allosaurus]]'' [[Allosaurus#"Big Al" and "Big Al II"|"Big Al"]] might have lived, in the same format as the original series. Includes many of the dinosaurs seen in the previous episode ''Time of the Titans'', alongside the new additions ''[[Apatosaurus]]'' and ''[[Nanosaurus|Othnielia]]''. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= – | Title=Big Al Uncovered | RTitle =<ref name="BBC Episode Guide">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p008cm33|title=BBC One - Walking with Dinosaurs, Original series, Time of the Titans|website=BBC}}</ref>{{efn|Renamed 'Big Al: The Science' and 'Allosaurus: Big Al Uncovered' on the UK and USA DVD releases respectively.}} | Aux1= N/A | DirectedBy= Kate Bartlett | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|12|27|df=y}} | Viewers= 6.72<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= ''Behind-the-scenes documentary'': A documentary following the scientific research that informed Big Al's life story, including the similarities dinosaurs shared with birds and Crocodilians, the fossil site that inspired the predator trap scene, and the fossil specimens Big Al and [[Thescelosaurus#Supposed fossilised heart|"Willo"]]. }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= (8) | Title=[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|The Giant Claw]] | Aux1= Mongolia, 75 mya (Late Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Tim Haines | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2002|12|30|df=y}} | Viewers= 6.83<ref name="barb"/> | ShortSummary= [[Nigel Marven]] searches the deserts and forests of Cretaceous Mongolia for ''[[Therizinosaurus]]'', an obscure dinosaur with massive fossil claws, believing it to have been a huge carnivore. Throughout his journey, Marven comes face-to-face with dinosaurs such as ''[[Saurolophus]]'', ''[[Protoceratops]]'', ''[[Mononykus]]'', ''[[Velociraptor]]'' and ''[[Tarbosaurus]]'', a close relative of the famous ''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]''. Once Marven finds live ''Therizinosaurus'' he discovers them to have been a bizarre type of giant plant-eating theropod dinosaur. | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= (9) | Title=[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|Land of Giants]] | Aux1= Argentina, 100 mya ([[Middle Cretaceous]]) | DirectedBy= Jasper James | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|01|01|df=y}} | Viewers= 5.76<ref name="barb" /> | ShortSummary= In Middle Cretaceous Argentina, Marven searches for the largest dinosaurs of all time. He encounters a herd of ''[[Argentinosaurus]]'', one of the largest sauropod dinosaurs, and observes the long and drawn-out hunt of the sauropods by one of the largest predatory dinosaurs, ''[[Giganotosaurus]]''. During his journey, Marven also uses a small plane to fly with pterosaurs such as ''[[Pteranodon]]'' and ''[[Ornithocheirus]]'', and he also encounters the massive crocodyliform ''[[Sarcosuchus]]''. | LineColor = 9790BB }} }} == Reception == ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was broadcast to record audiences<ref name=":6" /> and is sometimes considered the biggest science documentary series ever created.<ref name=":10" /> With 15 million viewers viewing the first episode on 4 October 1999 and another 3.91 million viewing it on its repeat the Sunday afterwards, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is by far the most watched science programme in British television history.<ref name=":17" /> By late 2000, 200 million people worldwide had seen the ''Walking with Dinosaurs''.<ref name=":10" /> By 2005 the number had increased to almost 400 million<ref name=":6" /> and by 2009 it was around 700 million;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Croughton |first=Paul |date=28 June 2009 |title=Walking with Dinosaurs exhibition |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/advice/walking-with-dinosaurs-exhibition-rt8b7kf8rmq |access-date=2022-05-01 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> unprecedented numbers for a palaeontology programme.<ref name=":10" /> In the [[BFI TV 100]], a list compiled by the [[British Film Institute]] in 2000 of the greatest British TV programmes of all time and of any genre, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was placed 72nd.<ref>{{cite web |author=BFI Staff |date=4 March 2009 |title=The BFI TV 100: 1–100 |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/tv/100/list/list.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911083558/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/tv/100/list/list.php |archive-date=11 September 2011 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |location=London, UK}}</ref> === Reviews === ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was released to critical acclaim. Most scientists applauded ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' for its use of scientific research and for its portrayal of dinosaurs as animals and not movie monsters.<ref name=":9" /> Some reviews were dismissive and contemptuous.<ref name=":17" /> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was praised in ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''[[The Observer]]'', ''[[The Independent]]'' and in ''[[The Independent On Sunday|The Independent on Sunday]]''.<ref name=":17" /> Negative reviews were mostly founded on the series in some cases appearing to present speculation as fact. [[Nancy Banks-Smith]] in her review of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' also worried that the success of the series would lead to the BBC exploiting its appeal to younger viewers and launching merchandise, writing that "I begin to think that the whole thing is geared to selling chocolate dinosaur eggs to five-year-olds".<ref name=":17" /> Online reviewers were largely positive. [[Common Sense Media]] praised the program, giving it five stars out of five and saying that, "Somebody had a great idea, which was to make a documentary series about dinosaurs, but with a twist. The ageing ''Ornithocheirus'' on a desperate final flight to his mating grounds, the sauropod hatchlings struggling for survival in the late Jurassic, the migrating herds and the undersea life of 150 million years ago would all seem as real as a nature program about [[polar bear]]s or [[snow monkey]]s."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Walking with Dinosaurs review |url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/walking-dinosaurs |access-date=24 March 2011 |work=Commonsensemedia.com}}</ref> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was also praised by [[IGN]], which referred to it as a fascinating documentary with excellent narratives, video quality and audio quality.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |date=2000-08-09 |title=Walking with Dinosaurs |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/09/walking-with-dinosaurs |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> The score of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was praised in the music technology magazine ''[[Sound on Sound]]'' as "extraordinary", "strikingly cinematic" and "head and shoulders above previous efforts in the same genre".<ref name=":14" /> === Awards === {| class="wikitable" style="width:95%;" |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | List of awards and nominations<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards |url=http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/awards.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021015204/http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/awards.php |archive-date=2013-10-21 |access-date=2013-10-21 |website=Walking with Dinosaurs - The Origins}}</ref> |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! Award ! Category ! Recipients and nominees ! Result |- |[[28th Annie Awards]] |Technical Achievement in the Field of Animation | | {{won}} |- | [[British Academy Television Awards 2000]] | Outstanding Innovation | | {{won}} |- | [[2000 British Academy Television Craft Awards]] | Best Original Television Music | Ben Bartlett | {{won}} |- |rowspan="6"| [[52nd Primetime Emmy Awards]] | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (One Hour or More)]] | [[Tim Haines]], [[Jasper James]], Georgann Kane, Tomi Bednar Landis, John Lynch, Mike Milne | {{won}} |- | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects|Outstanding Special Visual Effects]] | Tim Greenwood, Jez Harris, Daren Horley, Alec Knox, Virgil Manning, David Marsh, Mike McGee, Mike Milne, Carlos Rosas | {{won}} |- | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special|Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special]] | Ben Bartlett | {{nom}} |- | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program|Outstanding Picture Editing in Non-Fiction Program]] | Britt Sjoerdsma, Andrew Wilks | {{nom}} |- | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program|Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Programming - Sound Mixing]] | Bob Jackson | {{nom}} |- | [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program|Outstanding Sound Editing in Non-Fiction Program]] | Simon Gotel, [[Andrew Sherriff]] | {{won}} |- |[[6th National Television Awards]] |Most Popular Factual Programme | | {{nom}} |- |[[12th Golden Laurel Awards]] |David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television (Best Original Television Music) | | {{nom}} |- |[[Peabody Awards]] |Peabody Award |BBC, Discovery Channel, TV Asahi Co-production, ProSieben and France 3 | {{won}} |- | [[Royal Television Society Programme Awards|RTS Television Awards]] | Team | | {{won}} |- | rowspan="3"| [[Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards|RTS Craft & Design Awards]] |Design and Craft Innovation |Mike Milne, Jez Harris | {{won}} |- |Best Visual Effects - Digital Effects |[[Framestore]] CFC | {{won}} |- |Best Picture Manipulation |Timothy Greenwood, Mike McGee | {{nom}} |- |[[TV Quick Awards|''TV Quick'' Awards]] |Best Factual Programme | | {{won}} |- |[[16th TCA Awards]] |[[TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information|Outstanding Achievement in News and Information]] | | {{nom}} |- |[[TRIC Awards]] |Documentary Programme of the Year | | {{won}} |- |[[22nd Young Artist Awards]] |Best Educational TV Show or Series | | {{won}} |} == In other media == === Books === A companion book, ''Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History'', was written by Tim Haines to accompany the first screening of the series in 1999. The settings of some of the six episodes were changed between the time the book was written and the screening of the television series, and some of their names were changed: ''New Blood'' is set at [[Ghost Ranch]], and ''Cruel Sea'' is set at or near [[Solnhofen]] in Germany near what then were the Vindelicisch Islands. The book elaborated on the background for each story, went further in explaining the science on which much of the program is based, and included descriptions of several animals not identified or featured in the series.<ref>{{cite book |last=Martill |first=Dave |url=https://archive.org/details/walkingwithdinos00mart |title=Walking with Dinosaurs: The Evidence |author2=Naish, Darren |publisher=BBC Books |year=2000 |isbn=0-563-53743-4 |location=London |url-access=registration}}</ref> ''A Natural History'' received a positive review in the book review magazine ''Publishers Weekly'', where it was called "magnificent" and "marvelously illustrated".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-03-01 |title=Nonfiction Book Review: Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History by Tim Haines |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780789451873 |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Publishers Weekly}}</ref> A companion volume to the first book, ''Walking with Dinosaurs: The Evidence'', by David Martill and [[Darren Naish]] was published in 2000. It went into more detail about the research and suppositions that went into making the series. Michael J. Benton also wrote an accompanying book on the science of the series, titled ''Walking with Dinosaurs: The Facts''.<ref name=":10" /> In addition to these larger volumes, there were also numerous children's books released to accompany ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', including 3D albums, [[sticker album]]s, photo journals as well as shorter science books geared towards children. === Exhibition === The success of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' resulted in the creation of both exhibits and travelling exhibitions. Only a few months after the series had aired, ''Walking with Dinosaurs: The Exhibition'' was put up in the summer of 2000 at the [[Yorkshire Museum]] in [[York]], England. The exhibition featured an assortment of different animal exhibits, each having some connection to the series, including props, maquettes, newly made models and actual fossil material. Among the fossils on display was a skeleton of a ''[[Plateosaurus]]''. Also included in the exhibition were a video and TV monitor playing ''The Making Of Walking with Dinosaurs''. The opening of the exhibition was attended by consultants of the series, such as David Martill. The guest of honour was [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]].<ref name=":9" /> === Live theatrical show === {{Main|Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular}} [[File:Walking With Dinosaurs Live FFM13 001.jpg|thumb|''[[Brachiosaurus]]'' in ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular]]'']] In 2007,<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |title=Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular |url=https://dinosaurlive.com/ |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Walking With Dinosaurs |language=en-GB}}</ref> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was adapted as the live stage show ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular]]'' by the Australian-based company The Creature Technology Company.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news |title=245 million years of history on stage |language=en |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/walking-with-dinosaurs-brings-245-million-years-of-history-to-stage/news-story/6d43a37d1ae60d9cba95e74c0c9e390e?nk=40c2e0e55993d70807ba3c22467f1ab3-1515737865 |access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> The production cost $20 million to stage and used [[puppetry]], [[Dinosaur suit|suits]], and [[animatronics]] to create 16 [[Mesozoic era]] creatures representing 10 species.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-10-15 |title="Stepping into the world of dinosaurs:" Sneak peek of "Walking with Dinosaurs" arena spectacular! |language=en-US |work=FOX6Now.com |url=http://fox6now.com/2014/10/15/stepping-into-the-world-of-dinosaurs-sneak-peek-of-walking-with-dinosaurs-arena-spectacular/ |access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> Each large dinosaur weighed several tons, and was operated by two "voodoo puppeteers" and a driver beneath the dinosaur who also monitors the hydraulics and batteries.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |title=Behind-the-Scenes of 'Walking with Dinosaurs' {{!}} BBC America |language=en-US |work=BBC America |url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/09/unusually-historical-theater-show-walking-dinosaurs |access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref> The smaller dinosaurs were suits operated by the person in it, each weighing from 20–30 kg (44–66 lbs).<ref name=":02" /> After debuting in [[Sydney]] in 2007, ''The Arena Spectacular'' toured the world for twelve years; over 250 cities were visited and almost 10 million people in total watched the show live. The final show was held at the [[Taipei Arena]] in [[Taiwan]] on 22 December 2019.<ref name=":16" /> === Film adaptation === {{Main|Walking with Dinosaurs (film)}} Released in 2013, ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is a feature-length film about dinosaurs in the [[Late Cretaceous]] period {{nowrap|70 million}} years ago. The production features computer-animated dinosaurs in live-action settings with actors [[Justin Long]], [[John Leguizamo]], [[Tiya Sircar]], and [[Skyler Stone]] providing [[Voice-over|voiceovers]] for the main characters. It was directed by [[Neil Nightingale]] and [[Barry Cook]] from a screenplay by [[John Collee]]. The film was produced by [[BBC Earth]] and Evergreen Films and was named after the original BBC miniseries. The film, with a budget of {{nowrap|US$80 million}}, was one of the largest independent productions to date; it was financed by [[Reliance Entertainment]] and IM Global, with [[20th Century Fox]] handling distribution.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pomerantz |first1=Dorothy |date=8 November 2013 |title='Walking With Dinosaurs' Is A T-Rex Sized Independent Film |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2013/11/08/walking-with-dinosaurs-is-a-t-rex-sized-independent-film/ |access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref> The crew filmed footage on location in the U.S. state of Alaska and in New Zealand, which were chosen for their similarities to the dinosaurs' surroundings millions of years ago, and on locations in [[Humboldt County, California]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hesseltine |first1=Cassandra |title=Complete Filmography of Humboldt County |url=http://humboldt.filmhumboldtdelnorte.org/filmography |access-date=12 October 2017 |website=Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission }}</ref> [[Animal Logic]] designed computer-animated dinosaurs and added them to the live-action backdrop. Though the film was originally going to have a narrator like in the miniseries, Fox executives wanted to add voiceovers to connect audiences to the characters. ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' premiered on {{nowrap|14 December}} 2013 at the [[Dubai International Film Festival]]. It was released in cinemas in 2D and 3D on {{nowrap|20 December}} 2013. Critical reception was largely negative, with praise towards film's visual effects but criticism for its story and voice acting. The film grossed {{nowrap|US$34.4 million}} in the United States and Canada and {{nowrap|US$71.6 million}} in other territories for a worldwide total of {{nowrap|US$106 million}}. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' said the film's global box office performance was disappointing in context of the production budget and marketing spend. In 2014, the film was rereleased in theatres and museums under the title ''Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.giantscreencinema.com/Films/Film-Database/FilmDatabaseDetailView/movieid/2541 | title=Giant Screen Cinema Association > Films > Film Database > FilmDatabaseDetailView }}</ref> This version shortens the running time to 45 minutes and replaces the voiceovers with narration provided by [[Benedict Cumberbatch]]. Compared to its predecessor, this version received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/?p=16836 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010214543/http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/?p=16836 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=10 October 2023 | title=Big Movie Zone Blog » Blog Archive » BMZ Review: Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D }}</ref> === Video games === ''Dinosaur World'' is a [[freeware]] [[video game]] developed by Asylum Entertainment and published by the [[BBC|BBC Imagineering]] in June 2001. It is a spin-off of Episode 2 of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' ("Time of the Titans") and the special ''[[The Ballad of Big Al]]''. The main point of the game is to find all the [[animal]]s and [[plant]]s, including several location features, that are distributed in five different zones. The game was available on the BBC website as an [[Alpha (software)|alpha]], as it was never fully developed.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} In 2013, an [[augmented reality]] video game, titled simply ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs (video game)|Walking with Dinosaurs]]'', was developed by [[Supermassive Games]] in collaboration with the [[BBC]], as part of the resurgence of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', accompanying the release of the 2013 film adaptation. It was released in Europe on 13 November 2013, and in North America on 12 November 2013, alongside ''[[Diggs Nightcrawler]]'' and ''[[Book of Potions]]''.<ref name="joystiq">{{cite web |date=31 October 2013 |title=Wonderbook gets more Harry Potter, dinosaurs, detectives on Nov. 12 |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/31/wonderbook-gets-more-harry-potter-dinosaurs-detectives-on-nov/ |access-date=1 November 2013 |publisher=Joystiq}}</ref> === Website === To accompany ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', the BBC launched a website filled with both palaeontological information, behind-the-scenes information on the series,<ref name=":18" /> games and puzzles, glossaries, and a section where visitors could ask questions and make comments.<ref name=":17" /> The creation of a companion website, which went online in September 1999, was considered innovative for the time. Before the release of the series, the website included a [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]], still a new concept for a website in 1999. The website was updated weekly as new episodes were released, eventually becoming a large resource with educational material.<ref name=":17" /> == Legacy and influence == === Scientific response === Scientists largely applauded ''Walking with Dinosaurs'',<ref name=":9" /> some going so far as heralding it as the "most credibly accurate depiction of dinosaur life ever produced."<ref name=":4" /> Despite some complaints of scientific inaccuracies, the series was seen, and continues to be remembered, as mostly a "force for good", showing both the possibility of producing documentaries of its scale and for portraying dinosaurs and other Mesozoic animals as animals and not movie monsters.<ref name=":9" /> Michael J. Benton, who worked as a consultant on the series, praised ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' as a progression in both reconstructions of prehistoric life and in the promotion of the public understanding of science; Benton in a 2001 article referred to the series as not just a documentary but also a "powerful piece of palaeobiological research", showing to the public what the "best minds in palaeobiology have been able to achieve."<ref name=":10" /> Numerous scientific journal articles have been written on ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' and the phenomenon it created.<ref name=":17" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Darley |first=Andrew |date=2003 |title=Simulating Natural History: Walking with Dinosaurs as Hyper-Real Edutainment |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09505430309019 |journal=Science as Culture |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=227–256 |doi=10.1080/09505430309019 |s2cid=143959908 |issn=0950-5431|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":19">{{Cite journal |last=Støen |first=Michael |date=2022 |title=1999: The BBC simulates prehistoric wildlife |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09636625211068944 |journal=Public Understanding of Science |volume=31 |issue=4 |language=en |pages=524–529 |doi=10.1177/09636625211068944 |pmid=35062833 |s2cid=246165620 |issn=0963-6625|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ==== Scientific errors ==== [[File:Acinonyx jubatus -Southern Namibia-8.jpg|left|thumb|A [[cheetah]] marking its territory through urination. ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' controversially depicted this behaviour in the [[pseudosuchia]]n ''[[Postosuchus]]''.]] Although the academic response to ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was largely positive, the series was criticised by some palaeontologists for its speculative storylines and the boldness of some of its claims, noting that some aspects presented as fact were very much speculative and possible to be challenged in the future.<ref name=":9" /> In the companion book of the series, Haines admitted that speculating about dinosaur behaviour in of itself is unscientific since the theories cannot be tested, but maintained that it "seems well worth trying to find out more about how [the dinosaurs] may have lived", using both science and reasoned speculation.<ref name=":11" /> A handful of decisions and sequences in the series came under particular palaeontological criticism.<ref name=":9" /> Several supposed errors identified in the first weeks after the series aired fizzled out after a while, as critics found points about which they disagreed with one another and were unable to definitively prove their views.<ref name=":10" /> Most of the errors or otherwise questionable decisions of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' were not the fault of the production team since they worked based on the advice of their consultants.<ref name=":9" /> ''New Blood'' shows a male ''[[Postosuchus]]'' urinating to mark a female's territory as his own after she is driven away from it. A number of critics pointed out that birds and crocodiles, the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs, do not urinate; they shed waste chemicals as more solid [[uric acid]]. However, Michael J. Benton, a consultant of the series, noted that nobody could prove that this was a real mistake: copious urination is the primitive state for tetrapods (seen in fish, amphibians, turtles, and mammals), and perhaps basal [[archosaur]]s did the same.<ref name=":10" /> ''New Blood'' also depicts ''[[Plateosaurus]]'' as a [[Quadrupedalism|quadruped]], but more recent studies suggest that it was an obligate [[Bipedalism|biped]] due to its inability to [[pronate]] its [[Manus (anatomy)|manus]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mallison |first=Heinrich |date=July 2010 |title=The Digital Plateosaurus I: Body Mass, Mass Distribution, and Posture Assessed by Using CAD and CAE on a Digitally Mounted Complete Skeleton |url=https://palaeo-electronica.org/2010_2/198/index.html |journal=Palaeontologia Electronica |volume=13 |issue=2}}</ref> ''[[Diplodocus]]'' was reconstructed with mostly horizontal necks in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', an idea consistent with what was thought of their biology at the time, and thus pushed by the palaeontological consultants of the series, but challenged by new research in 2009.<ref name=":9" /> The pterosaur identified as ''Ornithocheirus'' in ''Giant of the Skies'' was actually based on fossils of the pterosaur ''[[Tropeognathus]]'', the two having been considered synonyms by David Unwin, one of the consulting palaeontologists.<ref name=":9" /> Additionally, it is depicted as far larger than it actually was. In the companion book, it was claimed that several large bone fragments from the [[Romualdo Formation]] of Brazil possibly indicate that ''Ornithocheirus'' may have had a wingspan reaching almost 12 metres and a weight of a hundred kilograms, making it one of the largest known pterosaurs.<ref>Haines, T., 1999, ''"Walking with Dinosaurs": A Natural History'', BBC Books, p. 158</ref> However, the largest definite ''Tropeognathus'' specimens described at the time measured {{convert|6|m|ft|sp=us}}, in terms of wingspan.<ref name="wellnhofferencyclo">Wellnhofer, P. (1991). ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs''. New York: Barnes and Noble Books. pp. 124. {{ISBN|0-7607-0154-7}}.</ref> The specimens which the producers of the program used to justify such a large size estimate were described in 2012 (with the designation MN 6594-V) and were under study by Dave Martill and David Unwin at the time of the production of the series. The final description of the remains found a maximum estimated wingspan of {{convert|8.70|m|ft|sp=us}} for this large specimen.<ref name="kellneretal2013">{{Cite journal |last1=Kellner |first1=A. W. A. |last2=Campos |first2=D. A. |last3=Sayão |first3=J. M. |last4=Saraiva |first4=A. N. A. F. |last5=Rodrigues |first5=T. |last6=Oliveira |first6=G. |last7=Cruz |first7=L. A. |last8=Costa |first8=F. R. |last9=Silva |first9=H. P. |last10=Ferreira |first10=J. S. |year=2013 |title=The largest flying reptile from Gondwana: A new specimen of Tropeognathus cf. T. Mesembrinus Wellnhofer, 1987 (Pterodactyloidea, Anhangueridae) and other large pterosaurs from the Romualdo Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Brazil |journal=Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=113–135 |doi=10.1590/S0001-37652013000100009 |pmid=23538956 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Unwin stated that he did not believe the higher estimate used by the BBC was likely, and that the producers likely chose the highest possible estimate because it was more "spectacular."<ref name="dmlbrdeow2">{{Cite web | author=Bredow, H.P. | url=http://dml.cmnh.org/2000Apr/msg00446.html | title=Re: WWD non-dino questions | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404084446/http://dml.cmnh.org/2000Apr/msg00446.html | archive-date=2016-04-04 | date=2000-04-18}}</ref> Another famously "super-sized" animal in ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is the pliosaur ''[[Liopleurodon]]'', described as reaching lengths of 25 metres in the series (but in reality probably only reaching 6.4 metres); the extreme size was based on fragmentary specimens, and the estimate was at the time justifiable extrapolation provided by some of the consultants, who pushed it as scientifically supported.<ref name=":9" /> === Television and popular culture === ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was recognised by several commentators as marking a watershed in television imagery<ref name=":7" /> and a scientifically and technologically significant benchmark in television history.<ref name=":4" /> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is often credited for inspiring modern interest in the distant geological past.<ref name=":8" /> Scientific papers have credited ''Jurassic Park'' and ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' as the two major productions inspiring increasing public interest in dinosaurs and other Mesozoic life in the 1990s and 2000s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kellner |first1=A. W. |last2=Campos |first2=D. A. |date=2000 |title=Brief review of dinosaur studies and perspectives in Brazil |journal=Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=509–538 |doi=10.1590/s0001-37652000000400005 |issn=0001-3765 |pmid=11151018|doi-access=free }}</ref> The success of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' led to the inception of an entirely new genre of documentaries that like ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' also recreated past life with computer graphics and were envisioned in the style of nature documentaries.<ref name=":19" /> === Sequel series === {{Main|Walking with...}}The success of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' led to the creation of an entire nature documentary media franchise on prehistoric life, commonly referred to as the ''[[Walking with...]]'' series. The first sequel series to ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' was ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'' (2001), made by largely the same production team (now organised as the production company [[Impossible Pictures]]) and focusing on life in the [[Cenozoic]], after the [[extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs]].<ref>{{cite video |title=Tim Haines Production Interview |date=2002 |people=Tim Haines |medium=''Walking with Beasts'' DVD featurette |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=2001 |title=Making Of - TV Production |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/prod/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011223144053/http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/prod/index.shtml |archive-date=2001-12-23 |publisher=bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Next was ''[[Walking with Cavemen]]'' (2003), which was created without Haines and Impossible Pictures and focused on [[human evolution]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 May 2014 |title='Walking with Dinosaurs' - the Television Phenomenon |url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A87827629 |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition}}</ref> The last series to be made was ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'' (2005), once again involving much of the original team and focused on life in the [[Paleozoic]], before the time of the dinosaurs. During the production of ''Walking with Monsters'', the production team considered the series to complete the "''Trilogy of Life''", previously began with ''Dinosaurs'' and continued with ''Beasts''.<ref name=":5">''Walking with Monsters'' DVD - ''Trilogy of Life'' featurette</ref> The success of the two special episodes ''The Giant Claw'' and ''Land of Giants'' led to the creation of the three-part miniseries ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'' (2003), once again starring Marven travelling back to prehistoric times, this time exploring the "seven deadliest seas of all time".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Marven |first1=Nigel |title=Chased by Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep |last2=James |first2=Jasper |publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK Publishing]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0756603755 |pages=7}}</ref><!-- don't mention Prehistoric Park or anything else here - just deal with the Walking with... franchise itself --> === 2025 revival === {{Split section|date=May 2025}} On 4 June 2024, it was announced that a 2025 revival of the series, also called ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', was under production by [[BBC]], along with [[PBS]], [[ZDF]] and [[France Télévisions]].<ref name=":20">{{Cite web |last=Goldbart |first=Max |date=4 June 2024 |title='Walking With Dinosaurs' Returning To BBC & PBS After 25 Years |url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/walking-with-dinosaurs-bbc-pbs-25-years-1235958452/ |website=Deadline}}</ref> The revival is a six-episode series; each 50-minute episode focuses on a current paleontological excavation and a dramatized story involving the dinosaurs recovered from each site. ''[[Spinosaurus]]'', ''[[Triceratops]]'', ''[[Tyrannosaurus]]'', and ''[[Lusotitan]]'' are mentioned by name as particular dinosaurs of emphasis.<ref name=":20" /> Promotional images were revealed for the new series on 22 January 2025, revealing that ''[[Pachyrhinosaurus]]'' and ''[[Albertosaurus]]'' would feature as well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PBS Publicity |date=22 January 2025 |title=PBS AND BBC RELEASE FIRST-LOOK IMAGES FROM THE SERIES WALKING WITH DINOSAURS |url=https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-and-bbc-release-firstlook-images-from-the-series-walking-with-dinosaurs/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=PBS |language=en}}</ref> A trailer was released on 10 April 2025.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |date=10 April 2025 |title=Walking With Dinosaurs – BBC Factual and PBS release trailer and confirms award-winning actor Bertie Carvel as narrator for the new series |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/walking--with-dinosaurs-bbc-factual-and-pbs-release-trailer-and-actor-bertie-carvel-as-narrator |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qqoyIcERU |title=Walking With Dinosaurs {{!}} Official Trailer (2025) - BBC |date=2025-04-10 |last=BBC |access-date=2025-04-10 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The new series is narrated by [[Bertie Carvel]], with Andrew Cohen and Helen Thomas as executive producers, Kirsty Wilson as showrunner, and Stephen Cooter, Tom Hewitson, and Owen Gower as producer/directors.<ref name=":21" /> In the UK, BBC One began airing the series on 25 May 2025, with the remaining episodes streamed on [[BBC iPlayer]] on the same day.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mensah, K.|date=2025-05-14|title=Walking with Dinosaurs BBC release date confirmed – 25 years after groundbreaking first series|website=[[Radio Times]]|access-date=2025-05-14|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/walking-with-dinosaurs-release-date-confirmed-newsupdate/}}</ref> In the United States, PBS will air the series as a three-day event starting 16 June 2025.<ref>{{cite web|title=PBS and BBC Unveil the Global Trailer for Reimagined Series WALKING WITH DINOSAURS|website=PBS|url=https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-and-bbc-unveil-the-global-trailer-for-reimagined-series-walking-with-dinosaurs/|date=2025-04-10|access-date=2025-04-13}}</ref> ==== Episodes ==== {{Episode table |background=#9790BB |overall= |title= |aux1= |director= |airdate= |viewers= |country=U.K. |aux1T=Time period and location |airdateT=U.K. broadcast date |episodes={{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 1 | Title=The Orphan | Aux1= Montana, 66 mya (Late Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Tom Hewitson | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|05|25|df=y}} | Viewers= | ShortSummary=In Montana, paleontologists from the [[North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences]] excavate a baby ''Triceratops'' which they name ''Clover''. Based on nearby [[coprolite]] and fossilised teeth, they deduce that ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' would have predated on young dinosaurs, and 3D imaging of ''Tyrannosaurus''' brain cavity suggests that it was a nocturnal hunter. In prehistoric [[Laramidia]], orphan Clover manages to evade an ''[[Infernodrakon]]'' and ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' thanks to her small size. She later sleeps with an ''[[Edmontosaurus]]'' herd, but they are also attacked by ''Tyrannosaurus'' and a baby ''Edmontosaurus'' is killed. Clover also encounters an adult ''Triceratops'' several times who ultimately fights ''Tyrannosaurus'', resulting in injury to both animals.<!-- This page originally had a detailed synopsis of the episode, which was abridged shortly after it was published. --><ref name=2025episode>{{cite web |title=Walking with Dinosaurs, Episodes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024qbn/episodes/guide |website=BBC One |publisher=BBC |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref><ref name="BBC MC episode guide">{{cite web |title=Walking With Dinosaurs - Everything you need to know about the ground-breaking series |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/walking-with-dinosaurs-everything-you-need-to-know#thesciencebehindtheseries |website=BBC Media Centre |publisher=BBC |access-date=20 May 2025 |date=19 May 2025}}</ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 2 | Title=The River Dragon | Aux1= [[Morocco]], 100 mya (Late Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Stephen Cooter | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|1|df=y}} | Viewers= | ShortSummary= In Morocco a team of palaeotologists lead by [[Nizar Ibrahim]] dig up the bones of a ''[[Spinosaurus]]''. In the segments set when the ''Spinosaurus'' lived, a male ''Spinosaurus'', nicknamed ''Sobek'', travels with his young offspring in search of food.<ref name="BBC MC episode guide"></ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 3 | Title=Band of Brothers | Aux1= [[Utah]], 130 mya (Early Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Stephen Cooter | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|8|df=y}} | Viewers= | ShortSummary= A young ''[[Gastonia (dinosaur)|Gastonia]]'', nicknamed ''George'', faces the ''[[Utahraptor]]'' pack and forest fire.<ref name="BBC MC episode guide"></ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 4 | Title=The Pack | Aux1= [[Western Canada]], 71 mya (Late Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Tom Hewitson | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|15|df=y}} | Viewers= | ShortSummary= A teenaged ''[[Albertosaurus]]'', nicknamed ''Rose'', is forced to find an alternative source of food when her pack's ''[[Edmontosaurus]]'' hunt is interrupted by volcanic eruptions.<ref name="BBC MC episode guide"></ref> She also hunts pterosaurs and fights the pack's dominant matriarch.<ref name="PBS How to Watch">{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Audrey |title=How to Watch 'Walking with Dinosaurs' |url=https://www.pbs.org/articles/how-to-watch-walking-with-dinosaurs |publisher=PBS |access-date=1 May 2025 |language=en |date=30 April 2025}}</ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 5 | Title=The Journey North | RTitle={{Efn|Named ''Enemies Assemble'' by PBS.<ref name="PBS How to Watch"></ref>}} | Aux1= [[Canada]], 73 mya (Late Cretaceous) | DirectedBy= Owen Gower | OriginalAirDate = | Viewers= | ShortSummary= Multiple herds of ''[[Pachyrhinosaurus]]'' migrate North, leading to a confrontation in which the young ''Albie'' is separated from his mother. During their migration, the herd faces freak weather events and a pack of ''[[Gorgosaurus]]''.<ref name="BBC MC episode guide"></ref><ref name="PBS How to Watch"></ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber= 6 | Title=Island of Giants | Aux1= [[Portugal]], 150 mya (Late Jurassic) | DirectedBy= Owen Gower | OriginalAirDate = | Viewers= | ShortSummary= The largest known ''[[Lusotitan]]'', nicknamed ''Old Grande'', searches for a female, fighting against other males and ''[[Torvosaurus]]''.<ref name="BBC MC episode guide"></ref> | LineColor = 9790BB }} }} == Notes == {{Notelist}} == References == {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{wikiquote}} * {{IMDb title|0214382}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080924044147/https://www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/ ''Walking With Dinosaurs''] at [[ABC TV (Australian TV channel)|ABC TV]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130423121729/http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/ ''Walking With Dinosaurs'': The Origins] * [http://www.bbcearth.com/walking-with-dinosaurs ''Walking with Dinosaurs''] at [[BBC Earth]] * {{BBC programme}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20180912071609/https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/prehistoric Prehistoric Life] at [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/ BBC Science and Nature] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20230324005320/https://dinosaurlive.com/ ''Walking with Dinosaurs'': The Arena Spectacular] * [https://overtonemusic.store/ ''Walking with Dinosaurs/Walking with Beasts'' vinyl soundtrack] at Overtone Music {{Walking with}} {{EmmyAward AnimationLessThanHour 2001–2025}} {{Impossible Pictures}} {{Portal bar|1990s|BBC|Dinosaurs|Television|United Kingdom}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Walking With Dinosaurs}} [[Category:1999 British television series debuts]] [[Category:1999 British television series endings]] [[Category:1990s British documentary television series]] [[Category:Television series by BBC Studios]] [[Category:BBC television documentaries]] [[Category:Documentary television series about dinosaurs]] [[Category:Discovery Channel original programming]] [[Category:Peabody Award–winning television programs]] [[Category:Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program winners]] [[Category:BAFTA winners (television series)]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]] [[Category:Walking with...]]
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