Using the latest digital technology, the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the BBC and Discovery Channel in another winning production from the coalition.Using the latest digital technology, the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the BBC and Discovery Channel in another winning production from the coalition.Using the latest digital technology, the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the BBC and Discovery Channel in another winning production from the coalition.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 5 wins & 4 nominations total
Featured reviews
'Walking With Prehistoric Beasts' tells the story of how Mammals have come to dominate this planet we call home, with each part a different story about an individual, family or group and how they survive and cope in the harsh new Post-Dino world
If you enjoyed 'Walking with Dinosaurs' (it's predecessor) you're love this, the narration, models, FX & CGI have all improved greatly, with some of the `Beasts' in parts even interacting with the camera that is suppose to be filming them.
Great viewing for young and old
On the other hand, the evolution of man is nicely done - and I strong recommend the Discovery Channel documentary Neanderthal as a companion piece.
Speaking of Discovery, once again they make a hash of the documentary, editing out the rougher scenes, and intercutting the Making Of... into it as well. Stockard Channing sounds robotic as the narrator as well.
I strongly suggest getting the DVD, which retains all the BBC UK stuff intact.
done and don't dump the equivalent of Raquel Welch in a fur bikini
into the mix) because attempting to portray these animals in
graphic, moving form according to a present theory can give one
new ideas about that theory. I have to say that I enjoyed this series
more than the original Walking with Dinosaurs. Maybe it's the
novelty value. After Jurassic Park it's a bit hard to make dinos look
fresh with the same cgi tech.
Turning the cgi on animals with some living analogues, but that
don't often get covered, was quite fascinating, though. Yes, they
picked and chose which palaeontological theories they wanted to
show, but I thought they did well, overall. The first episode was
especially good, and I also liked the Ice Age sections. The whale
ep was compelling, too, though I ultimately found it a touch too
depressing. They were able to get across some very telling points
with a few images. One of the most striking for me came from the
Pleistocene ep where some wolves are feeding on an old, frozen
carcass--which turns out to be a Human who had straggled too far
from the group. That really brought home the idea that, until very
recently, Humans were not the top predators in the food chain.
Finally, for some reason, one of my cats found this series
absolutely fascinating. Being a cat, he of course has the attention
span of a fruit fly and ordinarily ignores the tv (unless a Wild
Discovery show is on--"'Cops' for Cats", I like to call that one). But
whenever I put this series on, he sits there, six inches in front of
the tube, for an entire 30 minute segment. I think it must have
something to do with the sounds, since the only ep he ignores is
the whale one. I have no idea what he thinks of it all, but I do
wonder if the makers of the show may have hit on something in
their recreation of the possible sounds these animals made.
Did you know
- TriviaThe great flightless bird Gastornis, which is presented as a fierce top-predator in the show's first episode, was actually omnivorous, eating mostly plants and nuts. Its portrayal as a fearsome carnivore is unsubstantiated. The filmmakers were aware of the debate about the bird's diet, but chose to go with the predatory hypothesis, reasoning that its beak was far too robust and strong for just eating nuts. However, Gastornis' beak was not hooked like the beaks of most predatory birds and it also lacked sharp claws. Chemical analysis of its fossil bones post-2010 also found no trace of meat in its diet.
- Quotes
[Last lines.]
Kenneth Branagh: [narrating] We have since built museums to celebrate the past, and spend decades studying prehistoric lives. And if all this has taught us anything, it is this: no species lasts forever.
- Alternate versionsThe Discovery Channel broadcast edits all six episodes into one program, splicing in the documentaries Triumph of the Beasts (2001) and The Beasts Within (2001), and is narrated by Stockard Channing. In addition, many scenes of gore and sex have been removed.
- ConnectionsEdited into Prehistoric Planet (2002)
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Walking with Prehistoric Beasts
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1