Dinosauri

Possibly one of the greatest concepts in television history. It is a beautifully done show; with amazing characters, set, and stories. The most important thing about this show is the social satire that it puts forth... It is on the same par as the Simpsons and South Park for making one think about social norms in the US society and world culture... the final thing I will say about the show is that there isn't a laugh track in the background, it can be a little weird if you haven't seen the show in a while, but then you realize how brilliant the show is...it's just an honest and wholesome show for everyone. Get it for the kids, get it if you remember the early 90's and want to remember how awesome it was, or get it for the first time and learn how good t.v. can be.

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!!!!!"

Our dinosaur family are as follows Earl, a megalosaurus. Earls name I'd always heard as Earl Sneath Sinclair (not Sneed as the trivia says). Fran (who we didn't know if she had a middle name), Robbie (Robert Mark Sinclair), Charlene (no, no middle name there either) and Baby Sinclair (who was originally named Argh, argh, I'm Dying you idiot Sinclair). Family friends Roy Hess a t-Rex, Monica Devertaborough (some sort of diplodocus or bronotsaurus). Other people included Ethel Phillips (Fran's mum) and B.P. Richfield (earl's boss, a triceratops who seems to be a carnivore). Howard Handupme (a TV presenter of news), Spike (school bully & friend to Robbie), Mister Lizard ( a science presenter) and Timmy (who Mister Lizard kills in every episode, WE LOVE IT!)

The family are like a Dinosaur version of The Simpsons only funnier and more entertaining with actual messages in their shows.

Jim Henson only created 65 episodes which was enough to put the show into syndication in the US.

The show was and is still well loved if you go by the amount of interest all Henson Dinosaurs ebay sales create. I own all the videos that were released in the Uk. I was annoyed to see there were holiday specials that never made it to VHS and will have to wait until there is ever an official DVD release.

This was an excellent show and provided me with many afternoons of entertainment and still does. I can still watch the video's and enjoy them on many levels especially "Ask Mister Lizard" which I love and think should have got it's own show.

RELEASE THE WHOLE THING ON DVD, PLEASE?

This show ran the gamut from really bad to really amazing. I for one never was a fan of the obnoxious baby (no, I don't gotta love you), but the rest of the characters were very well-done. Several episodes were hilariously spot-on.

Fran & Earl getting their marriage license renewed ("Earl, let's go upstairs and pretend it's Thursday" is a line I *still* quote to this day).

Robbie "coming out"...as a vegetarian. ("I can't be an herbivore! My dad's a carnivore, my mom's a carnivore..." "Well, it's not necessarily hereditary.").

Robbie's howling (featuring Robbie buying the "So You Want to Learn to Howl" 8-track).

The two-episode "Nuts to War" ("What happened to your eye?" "A pointed stick with my name on it." "Gee, what are the odds?").

And although the finale was extremely heavy-handed and depressing, I give them credit for doing a completely unexpected and serious one instead of the traditional "and they all lived happily ever after".

Best self-referential joke: Real watching sock puppets on TV. "Hey, Fran, you gotta see this. Sure, they're puppets, but they're really funny." To which Fran says, "Forget it - I'm not watching puppets." Probably the reason the show didn't make it.

This show was fantastic, really funny with the baby being the funniest character, he was always hitting Earl Sinclair on the the head with a frying pan and saying "Not the Mamma". Its just a shame the cancelled it and you can't get the videos anymore.