"Walking with Dinosaurs" (1999) TV series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Writer:

Georgann Kane (US version)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Animation | History

Plot:

Documentary-style series about the era of the dinosaurs, mixing real locations and CGI.

Plot Keywords:

Dinosaur | Cretaceous | Jurassic | Triassic | Planet Earth

Awards:

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 11 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Kenneth Branagh

...

Narrator (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Directed by
Tim Haines		(6 episodes, 1999)
Jasper James		(6 episodes, 1999)

Series Writing credits
Georgann Kane		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Lottie Cooper	....	post-production producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Nick Green	....	assistant producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Tim Haines	....	producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Jasper James	....	producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Sue Learoyd	....	assistant producer (6 episodes, 1999)
John Lynch	....	executive producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Ailsa Orr	....	assistant producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Sharon Reed	....	post-production producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Tomi Bednar Landis	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Ben Bartlett		(6 episodes, 1999)

Series Cinematography by
John Howarth		(6 episodes, 1999)
Michael Pitts		(6 episodes, 1999)

Series Film Editing by
Britt Sjoerdsma		(6 episodes, 1999)
Andrew Wilks		(6 episodes, 1999)

Series Makeup Department
Mark Shostrom	....	sculptor: dinosaur footprints (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Production Management
Phil Checkland	....	unit manager (6 episodes, 1999)
Alison Woolnough	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Art Department
Martin Asbury	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Sound Department
Simon Gotel	....	sound designer: Adelphoi (6 episodes, 1999)
Bob Jackson	....	dubbing mixer (6 episodes, 1999)
Michael Keinath	....	sound re-recording mixer (6 episodes, 1999)
Sandra Portman	....	dubbing editor (6 episodes, 1999)
Andrew Sherriff	....	sound designer: Adelphoi (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Special Effects by
Nigel Booth	....	sculptor (6 episodes, 1999)
Jamie Campbell	....	physical effects (6 episodes, 1999)
John Coppinger	....	sculptor (6 episodes, 1999)
Richard Gregory	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Jez Harris	....	animatronics supervisor (6 episodes, 1999)
Lindsay Harris	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Andy Hunt	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Jeremy Hunt	....	sculptor (6 episodes, 1999)
Reza Karim	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Jason Reed	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Colin Shulver	....	key animatronics designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Barry Sutton	....	sculptor (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Visual Effects by
Avtar Bains	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
William Bartlett	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Nick Bennett	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Oliver Bersey	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Murray Butler	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Dave Clifton	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Andrew Daffy	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Richard Ducker	....	3D animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Stuart M. Ellis	....	3D animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Stephen Enticott	....	animator: Framestore CFC (6 episodes, 1999)
Danny Geurtsen	....	texture painter (6 episodes, 1999)
Timothy Greenwood	....	visual effects supervisor (6 episodes, 1999)
Scott Griffin	....	digital effects line producer (6 episodes, 1999)
Daren Horley	....	dinosaur skin designer (6 episodes, 1999)
Alec Knox	....	technical director (6 episodes, 1999)
Andy Lomas	....	software developer (6 episodes, 1999)
Dave Ludlam	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Virgil Manning	....	senior animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Marco Marenghi	....	lead animator (6 episodes, 1999)
David Marsh	....	lead cgi artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Mike McGee	....	visual effects supervisor (6 episodes, 1999)
Mike Milne	....	director of computer animation (6 episodes, 1999)
Alex Parkinson	....	software developer (6 episodes, 1999)
Steffan Perry	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Sirio Quintavalle	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
George Roper	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Carlos M. Rosas	....	supervising animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Asa Shoul	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)
Max Tyrie	....	3D animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Angus Wilson	....	digital effects artist (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Broome	....	assistant camera (6 episodes, 1999)
Peter Thorn	....	assistant camera (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Animation Department
Richard Dexter	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Richard Ducker	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Stuart M. Ellis	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Stephen Endicott	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Sophie Lodge	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Marco Marenghi	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)
Max Tyrie	....	animator (6 episodes, 1999)

Series Other crew
Mark Jenkin	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1999)
Anna Walker	....	production coordinator (6 episodes, 1999)
Michael J. Benton	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Thomas Holtz	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Keith Jodoin	....	researcher (unknown episodes)
Dr. Mark Large	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
David Martill	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Dr. David Norman	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Kent Stevens	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Dr. David Unwin	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)
Joanna Wright	....	scientific advisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Discovery Channel
• France 3 (FR 3)
• Pro 7
• TV Asahi

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• SF Film (2000) (Denmark) (DVD)
• SF Film (2000) (Denmark) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Framestore

Also Known As:

"Dinosaurier - Im Reich der Giganten" (Germany)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes) | USA:180 min | Netherlands:30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bahamas

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Kenneth Branagh also provided narration for the follow-up series 'Walking with Prehistoric Beasts' and 'Walking with Monsters'.

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Chased by Dinosaurs" (2003)

Excellent viewing, and extra effort in the "little things"

We bought the DVD of "Walking with Dinosaurs" and have been nearly ecstatic over the things that are done so very well on it.

Many DVDs today offer the bare minimum ... the feature itself, and maybe one other language (which doesn't help the viewer at all, but makes it easier for the company to see the DVD in multiple markets).

Not so in the case of WWD. There are so many wonderful extras and well-thought-out vignettes that watching even the *navigation menu* is interesting. The intros to each chapter in "The Making Of" DVD are laugh-out-loud funny. The quality of the sound and video is terrific. And of course the story and content ... what more could a dinosaur lover ask for?

I did watch most of the version broadcast on TDC (narrated by Avery Brooks) then watched about half of the DVD (narrated by Kenneth Branaugh). As near as I can tell, the broadcast version slipped in a number of mostly American slang terms in the narration (i.e. in a section about T. Rex mating, Branugh says "the female is tiring of the male's attention" and Brooks says, "The honeymoon is over")and cut out some of the closer-in puppet work. I prefer the Branugh version simply because it is more complete.

Overall, a great value and wonderful production. many kudos to the BBC and the crew that made this gem.