Primeval: New World

I've seen a lot of bad to mediocre reviews on this series and I felt it was time it received a review that really actually does the show justice. If you're expecting it to be exactly like Primeval then don't watch the show or ignore the original while you're watching it, view it as its own entity. This is a spin-off of the original and therefore it will have its own story arc.

Some of the most common complaints I've seen is how different it is from the original and how it's 'just a bunch of people getting chased by dinosaurs'. Every show has to start somewhere and most of the reviews I've seen are from people expecting the characters to know exactly what's going on from the very beginning. That's not what happens they, just like in the first season of Primeval, are learning as they go.

This show has much better CGI than the original, granted the original got better graphics the longer it went it still doesn't compare to how well done the graphics are in New World. I was actually impressed when I compared them side to side. It's not easy making dinosaurs look realistic, but I think New World does a fairly decent job.

The characters all have a great amount of depth to them and I really hope to see a season two so their backgrounds can be explored more. There are also some great dynamics between the characters and it is obvious the cast has a great amount of chemistry between them. There are also plenty of witty one liners if that's what you enjoyed in Primeval.

On the downside the first few episodes are rather slow. It's needed to introduce the characters, but it can be a bit much if you're used to Primeval's quick moving plot, which was really only that way because each series was about six episodes long (New World has over twice that many episodes in its first season). After those first few episodes, however, it becomes a roller coaster ride that leaves you breathless and wanting more.

I saw the first two episodes and so far I must say that while I look forward to more episodes I am not overwhelmed. As most everyone else has said, suddenly the whole world doesn't know that there are anomalies all over the place. That bothers me but you have to get past it and move on.

The plot is very familiar.

Missing things: Connor and Abby. OK, they were cute. In two episodes, they had no hint of this with anyone.

Rex. So far, everything brought through is gigantic and eats people. For every gigantic creature in a real world ecosystem there should be thousands of small ones.

Nick Cutter. There is no wise man who has a clue. They're all kids.

Common sense. By the second episode, they should darn well know that they could be going after very, very large creatures. They should equip themselves appropriately or at least make a very visible effort to do so. If you're going after a predator the mass of an elephant, bring an elephant rifle or better yet something in .50 BMG. Did they? Not in the second episode.

I hope that they will wise up and produce something as durable as Sanctuary or Primeval. Let's see if they do it.

Primeval started in 2007 and went for five seasons; The show opened up a great universe full on interesting stories that could be explored. Primeval: New World has picked one of those promising stories. It isn't the best show ever but it has the potential to be a great show, the original series took a few episodes to fully expand its potential and this show has definitely started doing that. It has an interesting array of characters,also has an interesting connection to the original and that story line will be great when it fully comes up. So Primeval: New World has some short comings but it has just started but it has a great potential and will no doubt get better and better through each episode. Recommend a watch.

Please give this show a chance, a lot of the reviews to date are overly judgmental and biased, unfairly in my eyes. Do not dismiss this because it is a one of those shows which will grow on you, and the ending to this series is sensational, and very unexpected. The production team and values are the same as the original, which is brilliant. They have managed to maintain the spirit of the original version, and make the series equally as good as the British show. I speak as a humble Brit too. The characters are rounded and well acted. Clearly a lot of time and effort went into the values of maintaining the integrity of the original show, but also making it more grown up. Nice to see the series running longer too. A lucky 13 episodes in this series which I hope will lead to another series or five.

It's never worked so far. Try bearing Coupling US remake, Being Human US remake or this Primeval Canada spin-off. They've never been better than originals but for an unknown reason they keep coming. Casting is usually worse (therefore the acting is far worse), character development is poor and special effects -if there are any- are generally cheesier. There might be high expectations when it's a remake or spin-off to meet the original's standards and it's clearly a downside of remakes and spin-offs but it's a goal easier to achieve if you're doing a remake or spin-off of a North American original-North American remake / spin-off (as in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis) or UK original - UK remake / spin-off (as in Doctor Who). Primeval New World is a bit like watching Stargate Universe after Stargate SG-1 (skipping Stargate Atlantis). I liked Niall Matter in Eureka but here in Primeval New World -even if he tries his best in this poorly-written spin-off- I don't believe he can save the show. I liked Amanda Tapping as an actress in Stargate franchise, Sanctuary and Supernatural, but as a director in Primeval New World, I can't pay her a compliment. All in all, I wouldn't recommend you to waste your time watching this show or other remakes / spin-offs of UK TV series made by North Americans.