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Prehistoric Planet

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For other uses, see Prehistoric Planet (disambiguation).
Prehistoric Planet
File:Prehistoric Planet.jpg
Promotional poster
GenreNature documentary
Narrated byDavid Attenborough
ComposersHans Zimmer
Anže Rozman
Kara Talve
Country of originUnited States
United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producersJon Favreau
Mike Gunton
Running time39–42 minutes
Production companiesBBC Studios Natural History Unit
Moving Picture Company (visual effects, CGI)
Original release
NetworkApple TV+
ReleaseMay 23 (2022-05-23) –
May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)

Prehistoric Planet is a British-American five-part nature documentary streaming television series about dinosaurs that premiered on Apple TV+ beginning May 23, 2022. It is produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit with Jon Favreau as showrunner, visual effects by MPC, and narration by natural historian David Attenborough.[1] The documentary follows dinosaurs recreated with computer-generated imagery living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian). It set out to depict dinosaurs using current palaeontological research such as feathered dinosaurs.[2]

Hans Zimmer, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman composed the soundtrack. It is the first major dinosaur-focused documentary series produced by the BBC since Planet Dinosaur in 2011, and the third overall (the first was Walking with Dinosaurs in 1999).[3][4] Prehistoric Planet received critical acclaim for its visual effects, depiction of dinosaurs, and narration by Attenborough.

Production

According to palaeontologist and consultant Steve Brusatte, the series had been in development "a decade" prior to its trailer release.[5] On May 8, 2019, it was first reported by Deadline that Apple had ordered a new documentary series by BBC Studios titled Prehistoric Planet, to be executively produced by Jon Favreau.[6] An original score was composed by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman and Hans Zimmer.[7]

The series uses up-to-date palaeontological research to depict its animals of the Cretaceous with scientific rigour; for example, some species featured in the previews are covered in feathers, such as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.[7] Palaeozoologist Darren Naish was the lead consultant for the depictions of prehistoric life in the series.[8] The concept art and creature design was created by Jellyfish Pictures,[9] while computer-generated imagery was developed by MPC and intended to be photorealistic, as with their previous productions The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019).[2]

A first sneak peek was posted to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 2, 2022, along with a trailer, with a May 23 airdate set for the first episode.[10] Darren Naish identified the turtle hatchlings from the teaser (and in the series) as "hard-shelled sea turtles."[11] A quick ten second teaser was released on April 19, 2022, followed by an official trailer the following day.[12] A second trailer was released on May 19, 2022, in the lead up to the show's premiere.[13]

After its release, the series consultants other than Darren Naish were revealed to be Steve Brusatte, Alexander Farnsworth, Kiersten Formoso, Michael Habib, Scott Hartman, John R. Hutchinson, Luke Muscutt, Peter Skelton, Robert Spicer, Paul Valdes and Mark Witton.[14] David Krentz, the director of Dinosaur Revolution, was also revealed to have been involved in the creature development and design.[15]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Coasts"Adam ValdezPaul D. StewartMay 23, 2022 (2022-05-23)
A father Tyrannosaurus and his offspring swim across a perilous seaway to feed on a dead giant turtle. Alcione hatchlings take their first flight through a gauntlet of predatory pterosaurs, Barbaridactylus and Phosphatodraco. Tuarangisaurus travel to a bay in search of gastroliths. A male Mosasaurus hoffmanni is cleaned by reef denizens and defends his territory from a rival. Scaphitid ammonites perform an elaborate mating display. A distressed pregnant Tuarangisaurus is pursued by Kaikaifilu.
2"Deserts"Andrew R. Jones, Adam ValdezDom WalterMay 24, 2022 (2022-05-24)
Dreadnoughtus males compete for the right to mate. Lizards are hunted by Velociraptor among a group of sleeping Tarbosaurus. A Mononykus forages for termites and investigates new food options after a brief rainstorm. Several types of dinosaurs congregate around a watering hole in Mongolia. Barbaridactylus males compete for females atop a remote plateau. A herd of Secernosaurus brave the harsh gypsum dunes in search of nourishment.
3"Freshwater"Andrew R. JonesPaul ThompsonMay 25, 2022 (2022-05-25)
Velociraptor hunt pterosaurs on a cliffside by a waterfall. A battle-scarred Tyrannosaurus nurses his wounds and encounters a newcomer. A Deinocheirus seeks relief from biting flies. A female Quetzalcoatlus builds and guards her nest. A mother Masiakasaurus and her family hunt crabs. Elasmosaurs enter an estuary in search of fish.
4"Ice Worlds"Adam ValdezSimon BellMay 26, 2022 (2022-05-26)
Dromaeosaurs stalk a hadrosaur herd as they cross a freezing river. Male Ornithomimus raid rival nests to bolster their own. Olorotitan raise their offspring on fertile volcanic fields but contend with biting mosquitoes. Troodontids hunt mammals flushed out by a forest fire. A juvenile Antarctopelta scours the forest for a new winter den. A Pachyrhinosaurus herd stands off against a pack of Nanuqsaurus.
5"Forests"Andrew R. Jones, Adam ValdezMatthew WrightMay 27, 2022 (2022-05-27)
Austroposeidon level trees in search of fresh foliage. A herd of Triceratops journey through a cave to find an underground clay lick. A male Carnotaurus sets the stage for an extravagant display. A female Qianzhousaurus uses an autumn storm to her advantage while hunting Corythoraptor. A family of Edmontosaurus evade a forest fire, while an Atrociraptor and ankylosaur reap its rewards. Juvenile Therizinosaurus attempt to climb up to a bee nest. Hatzegopteryx hunts Zalmoxes, and patrols the dense undergrowth and seaspray-battered coastline.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.6/10, based on 25 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Marrying state of the art visual effects with equally immersive narration by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet wondrously brings viewers back to the age of dinosaurs."[16]

References

  1. ^ "Prehistoric Planet: When is David Attenborough documentary released on Apple TV Plus?". Radio Times. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Apple TV+ reveals first look at epic natural history event series "Prehistoric Planet"". Apple. April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Scott, K. D., & White, A. M. (2003). Unnatural History? Deconstructing the Walking with Dinosaurs Phenomenon. Media, Culture & Society, 25(3), 315–332. doi:10.1177/0163443703025003002.
  4. ^ "Prehistoric Planet Review: A Breathtaking Nature Documentary with Realistic-Looking Dinosaurs". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  5. ^ Brusatte, Steve [@stevebrusatte] (April 20, 2022). "This is going to be epic. Honoured to play a role consulting with @MikeGunton & team from the development phase a decade ago until now. Huge work by @TetZoo & many talented people to make this happen" (Tweet). Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "'The Jungle Book' Director Jon Favreau Teams With BBC Studios' NHU To Produce Doc Series 'Prehistoric Planet' For Apple". Deadline. May 8, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "David Attenborough explores habits and habitats of dinosaurs in new series Prehistoric Planet". inews.co.uk. April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Palaeontologists Rejoice As 'Prehistoric Planet' Presents A Realistic View Of The Cretaceous". IFLScience. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  9. ^ "Prehistoric Planet". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "WATCH: Apple TV+ Reveals First Look At Epic Natural History Event Series 'Prehistoric Planet'". Deadline. April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Naish, Darren [@TetZoo] (April 3, 2022). "There were 3 main sea turtle lineages in the Late Cretaceous: protostegids, leatherbacks, and hard-shelled sea turtles. Certain Cretaceous hard-shelled sea turtles would have looked quite similar to modern ridleys and so on, and that's what we have here. #PrehistoricPlanet" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "'Prehistoric Planet' Trailer Reveals Countless Species of Dinosaurs Like You've Never Seen Before". Collider. April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Prehistoric Planet — Official Trailer 2 | Apple TV+". Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Hutchinson, John R. [@JohnRHutchinson] (May 23, 2022). "Well done to everyone involved in #PrehistoricPlanet! Lots of science" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Krentz, David [@DavidKrentz1] (April 23, 2022). "Re: Prehistoric Planet. Yes, I was involved. I would get amazing models and adjust them for accuracy or character and give modeling notes etc. some color work too. Really talented team to collaborate with, can't state that enough. I'll share stuff at a later date" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Prehistoric Planet". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
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