Dinosaurs

The Dinosaurs is one of the rare gems which even today is definitely worth a watch. I even compare them to the Simpsons. Even though The Simpsons made fun of this show because superficially it looks like it. The themes this show handles might have been not the most current themes during the early 90s but if you watch it now you know that this show was way ahead of its time. With themes like vegetarism, homo sexuality, anti capitalism and more. And the last episode gives the anti capitalism theme a very dark tone. Only the picture quality, 4:3 ratio makes the show old but it really aged very very well thanks to the animatronics.

This show is hilarious! Whether it's Baby hitting Earl with a frying pan while saying, "Not the mama!" or Robbie accidentally becoming leader of a gang, or Charlene and Fran having another discussion about money... ...this is a show that was guaranteed to make me laugh out loud. People say it's a ripoff of the Simpsons. Well, in my view it's BETTER than the Simpsons.

And then the stupid TV execs decide to give it the axe. Grrrr! But it had one of the best and most heart-tugging final episodes of any TV series.

In fact, the time is right for a new series, in my view...

Have none of these people ever seen the Flintstones, or its antecedent, the Honeymooners? It was exactly that in formula, but I think the plots and even some of the jokes were deeper and more subtle than these other shows.

I really enjoyed it, though I can understand that why it wouldn't appeal to a lot of the TV audience. First of all, the average channel flipper probably wouldn't watch a Muppet-style show long enough to follow the storyline, characters, and jokes. Secondly, the dry wit wouldn't have been to the taste of some of the audience that did give it a few minutes. Still, if King of the Hill has managed to maintain enough of a demographic to stay on the air as long as it has, Dinosaurs should have been able to get a longer run as well... it was a much better show (IMO).

This is one of the few series I would buy on DVD. Hope to see it eventually available.

Just like my favorite romance movie, the Princess Bride, or even Rocky and Bullwinkle for that matter, here's a show that's clearly written for two completely different audiences- the kids that love them, and the parents that watch with them. If you want the most cutting example of this, watch the Dinosaurs episode in which a Barney-like animal (a Hippo, if I remember right?)hosts a daytime TV kiddie show, but he's really a manipulative bad guy when the TV cameras are off. Throw in the French Resistance, complete with horrible Clouseau-like frrrrench accents, and, well, you get the idea. Absurdist humor at it's best. I guarantee you'll laugh at this one.

One other noteworthy episode is the last one- it appears that they knew that the show was cancelled, so they put together a parting shot; very different in tone from the rest of the series. Thank goodness this series FINALLY came out on DVD. Now I can throw all those videotapes away.

Watch this with your kids, if you have any. In the words of Baby dinosaur, "AGAIN!!!!!"

Dinosaurs is one of my all time favorite comedy shows. Especially the baby (I'm the baby, gotta love me!) is great! The best episode is the one in which the baby turns 2 years old and he becomes out of control. Earl and Fran call the babysitter and what follows is one of the best parodies I've ever seen along with Eekpocalypse Now from the Eek the Cat show (but you gotta have seen 'the Exorcist' for this one). 'The power of rice compels you!'

See it and see it again... and again... and again. (Even the re-runs are funny as hell!)