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Dinosaurs (TV series)

Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 26, 1991 to July 20, 1994. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television in association with Walt Disney Television and distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc.[3][4] The characters were designed by Henson team member Kirk Thatcher.

Dinosaurs
Genre
Created by
Developed byJim Henson
Voices of
Theme music composerBruce Broughton
Opening themeBruce Broughton
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC[1][2]
ReleaseApril 26, 1991 (1991-04-26) –
July 20, 1994 (1994-07-20)

Origins and development edit

News stories written at the time of the show's premiere highlighted Dinosaurs' connection to Jim Henson, who had died the year before. Henson conceived the show in 1988, according to an article in The New York Times, adding he wanted it to be a sitcom, but about a family of dinosaurs. Until the success of The Simpsons, according to Alex Rockwell, a vice president of the Henson organization, "people thought it was a crazy idea."[5]

In the late 1980s, Henson worked with William Stout, a fantasy artist, illustrator and designer, on a feature film starring animatronic dinosaurs with the working title of The Natural History Project; a 1993 article in The New Yorker said that Henson continued to work on a dinosaur project (presumably the Dinosaurs concept) until the "last months of his life."[6]

The television division of The Walt Disney Company began working on the series in 1990 for CBS before the series landed on ABC, which Disney eventually acquired.[7]

Rafael Montemayor Aguiton of Vulture wrote that upon premiere the show "was a hit", and Michael Jacobs stated that this was why the network did not interfere much in the production.[8]

Aguiton wrote that ratings suffered from the show being moved to different time slots on the network.[8] The animatronics made the show relatively expensive, with Stuart Pankin recalling that "I heard it was the most expensive half-hour TV show, at least at that point" and that this contributed to the cancellation.[8]

Plot edit

Dinosaurs is initially set in 60,000,000 BC in Pangaea. The show centers on the Sinclair family: Earl Sneed Sinclair (the father), Fran Sinclair (née Phillips – the mother), their three children (son, Robbie; daughter, Charlene; and infant, Baby Sinclair) and Fran's mother, Ethyl.

Earl's job is to push over trees for the Wesayso Corporation with his friend and coworker Roy Hess, where they work under the supervision of their boss, Bradley P. Richfield.

Characters edit

The focus of the show's plot is the Sinclair family: Earl, Fran, Robbie, Charlene, Baby, and Ethyl. The family name is a reference to the Sinclair Oil Corporation, which had prominently featured a dinosaur as its logo and mascot for decades, under the belief that petroleum deposits were formed during the age of the dinosaurs.[9] Other character and family names throughout the series often referred to rival petroleum companies or petroleum products. For example: Phillips, Hess, B.P., Richfield, and Ethyl, among others.

Main characters edit

Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Summary
Earl Sneed Sinclair Stuart Pankin Bill Barretta
Tom Fisher (occasionally)
Dave Goelz (Seasons 1–2)
Mak Wilson (Seasons 2–4)
Megalosaurus The patriarch of the Sinclair family, Earl is the protagonist. He is a 43-year-old Megalosaurus and is depicted as being thick-headed and suggestible. Earl works as a Tree Pusher at the WESAYSO Development Corporation.

"Sneed" is the maiden name of Earl's mother.

Fran Phillips-Sinclair Jessica Walter Mitchel Young Evans (Seasons 1–2)
Tony Sabin Prince (Seasons 2–4)
Pons Maar (occasionally)
Allan Trautman Allosaurus The mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family. Fran is mentioned on the show as being an Allosaurus. On rare occasions, Fran wears fuzzy house slippers. Earl affectionately calls his wife "Frannie".
Robert Mark "Robbie" Sinclair Jason Willinger Leif Tilden Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)
Julianne Buescher (eyes)
Hypsilophodon Earl and Fran's son and oldest child, he is a Hypsilophodon. Robbie stands out with his red varsity jacket and bright red sneakers.
Charlene Sinclair Sally Struthers Michelan Sisti
Star Townsend (occasionally)
Arlene Lorre (Season 1, episode 1 only)
Bruce Lanoil Protoceratops Earl and Fran's only daughter and middle child, she is a Protoceratops. Charlene stands out by wearing sweaters, necklaces, and earrings.
Baby Sinclair Kevin Clash Terri Hardin (arms, Season 1–3)
Julianne Buescher (arms, Season 4)
Kevin Clash (head & mouth)
John Kennedy (eyes)
Megalosaurus Earl and Fran's son and youngest child, he is a Megalosaurus as stated by Earl. In the episode "Out of the Frying Pan," Baby is shown as a Ceratosaurus. His legal name is Baby Sinclair, which was given to him by the Chief Elder. Baby is sarcastic and wisecracking. His favorite thing to do is to hit Earl on the head with a frying pan. His catch phrases are "I'm the baby, Gotta love me", "Again," and "Not the mama" (his preferred name for his father Earl, much to his father's chagrin). Earl will often call his youngest son "Junior". For a while, the character was actually christened as "Aaah Aagh I'm Dying You Idiot Sinclair" (the unfortunate last words of a dying Chief Elder who was suffering from a heart attack), but it wasn't until the end of the episode in which he received that hilariously crude name that new Chief Elder Edward R. Hero renamed him "Baby Sinclair" after one of his popular catchphrases.

Jacobs stated that the popularity of Baby contributed to the network allowing the creators to run the show as they saw fit stating: "As long as the Baby hit his father over the head with a pot, we could use that to hide anything."[8]

Supporting characters edit

Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Comments
Ethyl Hinkleman Phillips Florence Stanley Brian Henson (seasons 1–2)
Rickey Boyd (seasons 3–4)
Kevin Clash (occasionally)
David Greenaway (occasionally)
Julianne Buescher (face, occasionally)
Edmontonia Ethyl is an Edmontonia who is Fran's mother, Earl's mother-in-law, and the maternal grandmother of Robbie, Charlene, and Baby. Ethyl comes to live with the Sinclairs and is revealed to have a son named Stan (Fran's brother). Ethyl always wears house slippers and is wheelchair bound. Ethyl enjoys making fun of Earl and hitting him with her cane.
Roy Danger Hess Sam McMurray Pons Maar (body)
Julianne Buescher (arms)
David Greenaway Tyrannosaurus rex Roy is Earl's co-worker at the WESAYSO Development Corporation and best friend. He is a dimwitted Tyrannosaurus who also has a brother named Roy.
Bradley P. "B.P." Richfield Sherman Hemsley Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)
Allan Trautman (occasionally)
Steve Whitmire
Rob Mills (occasionally)
Triceratops B.P. Richfield is Earl, Roy, Ralph, Gus, and Sid's aggressive, heartless and temperamental boss at the WESAYSO Development Corporation where he oversees the Tree Pushers. He is a Triceratops, but has the frill spikes of a Styracosaurus. In episode "Hungry for Love," it is revealed that Mr. Richfield has a daughter named Wendy (in which she there is a slight affair with Robbie) and was known for eating any boyfriend of hers that disappoints him.
Monica DeVertebrae Suzie Plakson n/a Julianne Buescher Brontosaurus A Brontosaurus and Fran's best friend who is the only four-legged dinosaur on the show and the Roy's love interest. She is usually seen from the neck up. It took three or four people to operate her neck and head.
Spike (full name unknown) Christopher Meloni David Greenaway N/A Polacanthus He is a semi-regular character who resembles a Polacanthus with a bandana, a black leather jacket, and biker boots. Spike is Robbie's best friend who often refers to him as "Scooter." Spike is normally a bad influence on Robbie, whom he enjoys belittling and goading into dangerous and/or humiliating situations. To Spike's credit however, he talked sense into his friend when Robbie used thornoids (sentient anabolic substances) to impress a pretty female classmate.
Ralph Needlenose Various Various Various Troodon A Troodon who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. The Full-Bodied costume used for Ralph is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Gus Spikeback Various Various Various Ceratosaurus A Ceratosaurus who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. The Full-Bodied costume used for Gus is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Sid Turtlepuss Michelan Sisti John Kennedy Michelan Sisti Psittacosaurus A Psittacosaurus who is a co-worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation. Sid is seen more than the other characters. He enjoys bagels and donuts. The Full-Bodied costume used for Sid is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Mr. Pulman Allan Trautman Bruce Lanoil (first time)
Tom Fisher (later appearances)
Allan Trautman Troodon A bespectacled Troodon who is Robbie, Charlene, Mindy, and Spike's teacher at Bob LaBrea High School. The Full-Bodied costume used for Mr. Pulman is often used for one-appearance minor characters.
Mindy Jessica Lundy Star Townsend Julianne Buescher Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus who is Charlene's best friend. There are two different characters with the same name that are both friends of Charlene. There are also two unrelated characters called Mindy:
  • One green-skinned character named Mindy only appeared in "Slave to Fashion."
  • A brown-skinned character also named Mindy appeared in "Charlene & Her Amazing Humans" and "Scent of a Reptile."
Howard Handupme Kevin Clash N/A N/A Pachycephalosaurus A Walter Cronkite-esque Pachycephalosaurus who is the newscaster for DNN (short for Dinosaur News Network) which is a spoof of CNN. He is one of a few characters that isn't a Full-Bodied character.
Chief Elder Various Voices Various Performers N/A Various species Also known as the Elder-in-Chief, the Chief Elder presides over all of the government in Pangaea. It is assumed that he is the head of the Council of Elders. There had been different Chief Elders in different appearances:
  • The first Chief Elder appeared in the two-part episode "Nuts to War" where he was a Protoceratops. He was performed by Steve Whitmire and voiced by George Gaynes.
  • The Dryptosaurus Chief Elder who died in the episode "And the Winner Is..." is voiced by Sam McMurray and was succeeded by political analyst Edward R. Hero. He was about to name Baby Sinclair, but he was dying of a heart attack with the Stegosaurus name announcer thinking the Chief Elder named Baby "Aagh Aagh I'm Dying You Idiot Sinclair". This was the only Chief Elder that was a Full-Bodied character.
  • A suited Chief Elder that appeared in "Green Card" is performed by Mak Wilson and voiced by Joe Flaherty.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "The Greatest Story Never Sold" is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Tim Curry.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "The Golden Child" is voiced by Michael Dorn.
  • The Chief Elder that appeared in "Working Girl" is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Joe Flaherty.
Mr. Lizard Allan Trautman N/A N/A Iguanodon Mr. Lizard is a gray Iguanodon who is the star of Baby's favorite TV show "Ask Mr. Lizard" (a parody of the television show Watch Mr. Wizard). His show helpfully taught generations of children about science that was vaguely related to scientific principles, but mostly existed as a way of ridding the world of young dinosaurs named Timmy. After the often violent death of his assistant, Mr. Lizard would cheerfully call off-camera "We're going to need another Timmy!"

Other characters edit

The following characters are not in the Unisaurs category below:

Character Voice Body Face/Head Species Comments
Gary Steve Landesberg N/A N/A Dilophosaurus Gary is a 50 ft. dinosaur whose feet can only be seen. He appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "High Noon". He takes a romantic interest in Fran, and challenges Earl for her. Gary has been classified as a Dilophosaurus. Dilophosaurus was actually smaller than Megalosaurus in reality.
Blarney Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Deinonychus Blarney is a red Deinonychus hand-puppet character on Dinosaurs, intended as a spoof of Barney the Dinosaur. He appeared in Dinosaur TV segments in two fourth-season episodes – "Terrible Twos" and "Into the Woods". Blarney is adored by young children, but is less popular with older viewers. He appears on videotapes released as part of the Blarney Home Video Library. Parents who order will "get a new video delivered to their child every hour for the next decade". Titles spoof not only the Barney franchise, but other commercials for mail-order videos, from fitness and health tapes to bridge, computers, and semi-religious quests.
Henri Poupon Tim Curry Allan Trautman (puppeteer) N/A Archaeopteryx Henri Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". Henri is the father of Francois Poupon and husband of Simone Poupon. The Poupons are a family of birds who come from an unnamed country, clearly based on France, that is outside of Pangea. Henri is irritated by exchange student Charlene Sinclair. He is disappointed by the consumption of his own son, but feels that a big screen TV would help the healing process.
Simone Poupon Julianne Buescher Julianne Buescher Simone Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". She is the wife of Henri and the mother of Francois.
Francois Poupon Bruce Lanoil Bruce Lanoil Francois Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". He is the son of Henri Poupon and Simone Poupon. Francois was eaten by Baby Sinclair.
Decker Thom Sharp Pons Maar Rickey Boyd Glyptodon Decker is a Glyptodon that appeared in the episode "Monster Under the Bed". When thought to be the titular monster that has been lurking under Baby Sinclair's bed, it turns out that he was lurking under their house which they built over his house when he captured him, Charlene, and Robbie. Decker did mention that he had to get a permit to do some tunnel digging. When Earl and Fran find out about the situation that ended up involving the police and a broadcast from Howard Handupme that covered the hostage situation, Baby Sinclair suggested that they move the Sinclair house off of Decker's house. Everyone accepted that idea after Howard Handupme did a consultation with someone as it is moved a short distance away from where Decker's house is.
Georgie Allan Trautman (normal voice), Edward Asner (evil voice) Jack Tate Allan Trautman European hippopotamus Georgie is a dinosaur dressed as a full bodied European hippopotamus. He is a children's TV icon and host of "The Georgie Show" who appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "Georgie Must Die." He appears as kind-hearted. Georgie is actually a megalomaniac planning to take over the world through his financial empire and the devotion of the dinosaur children. After Earl was arrested for impersonating Georgie, Fran invited Georgie down to the police department to clear things up where he showed off his bad side when alone with Earl while stating that he was not pleased with Earl posing as him and reveals his evil plans to take over the minds of children. Later that night, Earl learned about his motives from Jean-Claude and Brigitte upon them springing Earl from the police department. Earl later fought Georgie on his television show and ended up defeating him. During the credits on the DNN Pre-Prime News, Howard Handupme reported about the resulting fallout caused by last week's melee on "The Georgie Show" that sparked a Justice Department investigation on the Georgie empire leading to the arrest of Georgie himself on the charges of tax evasion and racketeering. It was also mentioned by Handupme that Earl was pardoned of all criminal charges by the Chief Elder who is also a parent, presented Earl with the Key to the City, and thanking Earl for in his words "giving that chuckling carpet bag the well-deserved shot in the chops". Roy ended up taking his place on TV as the eponymous "Uncle Roy." Like Blarney, Georgie is also a parody of Barney.

Unisaurs edit

Outside of the recurring characters, there are a group of dinosaur characters called Unisaurs. They are customizable dinosaur characters similar to the Whatnots from The Muppet Show and the Anything Muppets from Sesame Street. Some of the Unisaurs are Full-Bodied while the others are hand-puppets. They come in different types.

The following are the Full-Bodied Unisaurs:

Character Species Comments
Longsnout Dryptosaurus A generic green Dryptosaurus. This Unisaur was used for:
  • Ansel from the episode "Driving Miss Ethyl". His face was performed by Julianne Buescher, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Babysitter from the episode "Terrible Twos". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by John Glover.
  • Buddy Glimmer from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was provided by David Greenaway, his body performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • The Devil from the episode "Life in the Faust Lane". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry.
  • Dr. Ficus from the episode "Germ Warfare". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Charles Kimbrough.
  • Ed from the episode "Scent of a Reptile". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice provided by Thom Sharp.
  • Mel Luster from the episode "The Mating Dance". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Richard Portnow.
  • Stu Boomird from the episode "Network Genius". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Ty Warner from the episode "Swamp Music". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Jon Polito.
  • Walter Sternhagen from the episode "The Discovery". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
Needlenose Troodon A tall dinosaur resembling a Troodon with an elongated snout. In addition to being used for Mr. Pulman and Ralph Needlenose, this Unisaur was used for:
  • The Doctor from the episode "Golden Child". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • Dr. Herder from "Terrible Twos". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • Glenda Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Mimi Kennedy.
  • Heather Worthington from the episode "A Slave to Fashion". Her face was performed by Terri Hardin, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Spikeback Ceratosaurus A bulky Ceratosaurus with a striped back, striped tail, and a nose horn. In addition to being used for Gus Spikeback, this Unisaur was used for:
  • Al "Sexual" Harris from the episode "What "Sexual" Harris Meant". His face performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and voice provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Andre from the episode "Leader of the Pack". His face was performed by Mak Wilson, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • Bob the DMV Worker from the episode "Unmarried...With Children". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by David Wohl.
  • Dolf from the episode "Steroids to Heaven". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray.
  • Frau Woodhouse from the episode "Terrible Twos". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Jack Tate, and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher.
  • Gus Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Hank Hibler from the episode "Charlene and her Amazing Humans". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jeffrey Tambor.
  • The Job Wizard from the episode "Career Opportunities." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Ray Gherkin from the episode "Scent of a Reptile". His face was performed by Rickey Boyd, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Glenn Shadix.
  • Richard from the episode "Refrigerator Day". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
  • Shelly from the episode "Dirty Dancin'". Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, her body was performed by Jack Tate, and her voice was provided by Conchata Ferrell.
Turtlepuss Psittacosaurus A brown turtle-headed Psittacosaurus that was used as Earl's co-worker Sid Turtlepuss. This Unisaur was also used for:
  • Crazy Lou from the episode "Leader of the Pack". His face was performed by Julianne Buescher, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Ken Hudson Campbell.
  • The Clerk from the episode "The Son Also Rises". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jody St. Michael, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo.
  • The Dinosaur Chief from the episode "Hurling Day". His face was performed by Kevin Clash, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice provided by Harold Gould.
  • The Folk Singer from the episode "I Never Ate My Father". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Steven Banks.
  • Frank from the episode "Fran Live". His body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
  • General H. Norman Conquest from the episode "Nuts to War". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Hank from the episode "Life in the Faust Lane". His face is performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Insurance Agent from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Peter Bonerz.
  • Jean-Claude from the episode "Georgie Must Die". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry.
  • Mr. Myman from the episode "Out of the Frying Pan". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Leif Tilden, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Muse from the episode "Charlene's Flat World". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo.
  • Officer Bettelheim from the episode "License to Parent". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • The Odd Job Dinosaur from the episode "How to Pick Up Girls".
  • Police Chief Parish from the episode "Monster Under the Bed". His face was performed by Rickey Boyd, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean.
  • Ted Hardshell from the episode "Network Genius". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo.
  • UFO Host from the episode "We Are Not Alone". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander.
  • Zabar from the episode "Germ Warfare." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Dan Castellaneta.
Unnamed Female Unisaur Class Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like crest, and lighter-hued skin that was often used for Mindy. This Unisaur was also used for:
  • Caroline Foxworth from the episodes "How to Pick Up Girls" and "Steroids to Heaven". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher.
  • Sally from the episode "Out of the Frying Pan". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice was provided by Suzie Plakson.
  • Thighs of Thunder from the episode "The Discovery". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice provided by Suzie Plakson.
  • Wendy Richfield from the episode "Hungry for Love". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and her voice was provided by Wendie Jo Sperber.
Unnamed Female Light Green Unisaur Dryosaurus A female Dryosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like three crest.

Episodes edit

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
15April 26, 1991 (1991-04-26)May 24, 1991 (1991-05-24)ABC
224September 18, 1991 (1991-09-18)May 6, 1992 (1992-05-06)
322September 18, 1992 (1992-09-18)July 2, 1993 (1993-07-02)
4147June 1, 1994 (1994-06-01)July 20, 1994 (1994-07-20)
7September 6, 1995 (1995-09-06)November 10, 1995 (1995-11-10)Syndication

Topical issues edit

Although Dinosaurs is targeted at a family audience, the show touched upon multiple topical issues, which include environmentalism, endangered species, women's rights, sexual harassment, LGBT rights, objectification of women, censorship, civil rights, body image, steroid use, allusions to masturbation (in the form of Robbie doing the solo mating dance), drug abuse, racism (in the form of a dispute between the two-legged dinosaurs and the four-legged dinosaurs), peer pressure, rights of indigenous peoples (in the form of the dinosaurs interacting with cavepeople), corporate crime, government interference in parenting, and pacifism.[10]

In the episode "I Never Ate for My Father," in lieu of carnivorism, Robbie chooses to eat vegetables, and the other characters liken this to homosexuality, communism, drug abuse and counter culture.[11]

The 2-part episode "Nuts to War" was a satire of American involvement in the Gulf War, with two-legged dinosaurs going to war with four-legged dinosaurs over pistachios instead of oil.[12]

In the final season, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" (a take-off of The Greatest Story Ever Told) references religion when the Sinclair family becomes eager to learn the meaning of their existence. The Elders dictate a new system of beliefs, and the entire cast (with the exception of Robbie) abandons science to blindly follow the newly popular "Potato-ism".

Another religious-themed episode was "The Last Temptation of Ethyl," in which Ethyl willingly allows a televangelist to exploit her near-death experience to extort money from followers. She backs out after having a second such experience, where instead of heaven, she experiences a "place not so nice": an existence surrounded by nothing but multiple Earl Sneed Sinclairs.

Several jokes in the series were at the expense of television shows in general. Earl often wants to watch TV rather than do something more practical, and several jokes accuse television of "dumbing down" the population and making it lazy.

Captain Action Figure shows up in children's programming that Fran mistakes for a commercial. Whenever Captain Action Figure mentions a product, the screen flashes "Tell Mommy I WANT THAT!". Before the appearance of Georgie, Dinosaurs used a puppet reminiscent of Barney the Dinosaur named "Blarney" in two episodes. During his appearances, members of the Sinclair family commented on his annoying characteristics and failure to teach anything to children.

The characters will sometimes break the fourth wall as well, especially Baby. An example of such is seen in the episode "Nature Calls" (Season 3, Episode 1) when Fran and Earl spell out words in front of Baby during an argument, who, after looking at the camera and saying "This could get ugly", proceeds to spell out "They think I can't spell" with his alphabet blocks.

Series finale edit

The final episode of Dinosaurs produced and aired on ABC, titled "Changing Nature", was intended as the series finale[a] and depicts the irresponsible actions of the dinosaurs toward their environment, and the ensuing Ice Age which leads to their demise. In the episode, a swarm of bunch beetles do not show up as expected to devour a form of creeper vine. Charlene discovers that a wax fruit factory called FruitCo has been constructed on Wesayso-controlled swampland that serves as the bunch beetles' breeding grounds, causing the extinction of the species (save for one male named Stan) who were killed off by the developers. Charlene and Stan make this information public on the news. After getting a phone call from his superiors at Wesayso who are fearing a public relations nightmare more than any environmental threat, B.P. Richfield quickly puts Earl in charge of an attempt to destroy the vines, which have grown out of control without the beetles to keep them in check. Earl proposes spraying the planet with defoliant which causes the destruction of the vines, but also kills off all plant life on the planet. B.P. Richfield assumes that the creation of clouds will bring rain, allowing the plants to grow back, and so decides to create clouds by dropping bombs in the planet's volcanoes to cause eruptions and cloud cover. The dark clouds instead cause global cooling in the form of a gigantic cloud cover. Howard Handupme states that the scientists estimate that the dark clouds would take "tens of thousands of years" to dissipate. When he gets a call from Earl, B.P. Richfield dismisses this as a "4th quarter problem" and states that Wesayso is currently making record-breaking profits from the cold weather selling blankets, heaters, and hot cocoa mix as the result of the "cold snap". Later, Earl apologizes to his family and Stan for his actions that led to the end of the world. Baby is reassured by Robbie and Charlene that whatever happens, nobody is going to leave and that they will all stay together. Earl tries to assure everyone that it will work out okay, saying that dinosaurs have been on this Earth for 150 million years and it is not like they are going to just disappear. There is a brief shot of FruitCo as it starts to get buried in snow. At DNN, Howard Handupme states that the weather forecast is the same with continued snow, darkness, and extreme cold. He concludes his broadcast by saying "This is Howard Handupme. Good night. Goodbye." The ending credits roll with scenes of snow falling around the Sinclair home, signaling the start of a volcanic/nuclear winter. That officially ended the series on a somber note.

Stuart Pankin, the voice of Earl, stated that the ending "was a simplistic and heartfelt social comment, yet it was very powerful" with "subtlety" being a defining aspect.[8]

The television series creators decided to make this finale as a way of ending the series as they knew the show could be canceled when they created season 4. Michael Jacobs stated that "We certainly wanted to make the episode to be educational to the audience", and as people knew dinosaurs were no longer alive, "The show would end by completing the metaphor and showing that extinction."[8] Ted Harbert, president of ABC, expressed discomfort at the ending in a telephone call, but allowed it to go forward.[8]

Jacobs stated that correspondence from parents revealed that "They understood the creativity in the final episode, and they were sad at the predicament we presented in the story."[8] Pankin stated that "Everybody was at first shocked, but I think it was more of a reaction to the show ending."[8] Pankin stated that he did not remember a significant number of audience members being angry about the ending.[8] In 2018, Jacobs stated that the episode would have trended on social media had it been released that year.[8]

Noel Murray of The A.V. Club stated that the episode "delivered as blunt an environmental message as any major network TV broadcast since The Lorax."[13] Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed described it as being shocking for children.[14]

International screening edit

In the United Kingdom, the show was screened on ITV in 1992 and in reruns from 1995 to 2002 on Disney Channel.[15] In Canada, the show started airing reruns in 1992 on The Family Channel and aired them until the late 1990s; the show also aired on CHRO-TV in the early-to-mid 1990s. In Australia, the show started airing on the Seven Network from February 1992 through to 1995. In Ireland, in the mid-1990s, it was shown on a Sunday evening on RTÉ Two (known as network 2 back then). In 1994, it was shown in Italy on Rai 1. The show has also aired on TV3, then moved in 2003 to TV2 in New Zealand, KBC in Kenya and M-Net in South Africa. In Brazil the show started airing on Rede Globo from 1992 to 1999, on SBT from 2003 to 2005, on Band from 2007 to 2011, and on Canal Viva in 2014.[16] In Mexico the show was aired on Canal 5.[17]

Home media edit

The first three volumes were released on VHS on December 6, 1991. On May 2, 2006, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Dinosaurs: The Complete First and Second Seasons as a four-disc DVD box set. The DVD set includes "exclusive bonus features including a never-before-seen look at the making of Dinosaurs". The complete third and fourth seasons, also a four-disc DVD set, were released on May 1, 2007, with special features, including the episodes not aired on U.S. television. Both sets are currently available only in Region 1.

On September 29, 2017, Hulu acquired the streaming rights to Dinosaurs along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties Home Improvement and Boy Meets World, in addition to fellow TGIF programs Family Matters, Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers and Step by Step.[18]

Dinosaurs was made available for streaming on Disney+ on January 29, 2021, for the United States.[19]

Reception edit

As of September 2022, the series as a whole has received an approval rating of 91% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[20] Its first season received an approval rating of 83%, its consensus reads, "Dinosaurs, marries astonishingly expressive puppetry with genuinely funny satire of social norms, making for a forward-thinking prehistoric sitcom."[21] While its fourth season received more critical praise, with a 100% approval rating.[22] Common Sense Media rated the series a three out of five stars and said: "Dino puppet-driven sitcom deals with modern issues."[23]

Awards edit

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated Title Result
1991 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Series John C. Mula, Brian Savegar, Kevin Pfeiffer Episode: "The Mating Dance" Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production Marco Zappia Episode: "The Mighty Megalosaurus" Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Nominated
1992 Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing – Television Episodic – Effects & Foley Patrick M. Griffith Nominated
Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "Power Erupts" Won
1993 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "If You Were A Tree" Won
1995 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode: "Changing Nature" Won

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Seven episodes set prior to "Changing Nature", which had not previously aired on ABC, first aired in television syndication in fall 1994, with "Scent of a Reptile" being the final episode to premiere. Ordering on digital platforms varies, however Disney+ now lists the final season episodes in production order ending with "Changing Nature".

References edit

  1. ^ "Brian Henson's Goal – Bringing 'Dinosaurs' To Tv'". Orlando Sentinel. April 20, 1991. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  2. ^ Du Brow, Rick (February 23, 1991). "Television: The ratings success of CBS' Ed Sullivan, Mary Tyler Moore and 'All in the Family' retrospectives may doom innovative entries in the 'Twin Peaks' mode". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. ^ Bibisi, Suzan (February 3, 1994). "'Dinosaurs' Takes Puppetry Into The Electronic Age". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  4. ^ Cerone, Daniel (November 17, 1991). "Primal Secrets From the World of 'Dinosaurs'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  5. ^ Kahn, Eve M. (April 14, 1991). "All in the Modern Stone Age Family". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Owen, David. "Looking Out for Kermit", The New Yorker (Aug. 16, 1993.) (PDF)
  7. ^ Grover, Ron. The Disney Touch. Homewood, IL: Business One Irwin, 1991. pp. 167–168.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Aguiton, Rafael Montemayor (August 7, 2018). "Dinosaurs: The Making of TV's Saddest, Strangest Sitcom Finale". Retrieved June 28, 2020. [...]said Jacobs. "After the initial success of the show, they pretty much left us alone, [...]"
  9. ^ "DINO History". Sinclair Oil Corporation. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (February 19, 1992). "Television: ABC series sinks its teeth into witty social commentary a la 'The Simpsons' and finds its metier". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  11. ^ "Did Homosexuality Kill the Dinosaurs? - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "Nostalgia Fact Check: How Does Dinosaurs Hold Up?". www.vulture.com. July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Murray, Noel (July 21, 2011). "Dinosaurs, "Changing Nature"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  14. ^ Galindo, Brian (May 14, 2013). ""Dinosaurs": The Most Traumatizing Series Finale Ever". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  15. ^ . January 7, 2005. Archived from the original on January 7, 2005. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "'Família Dinossauros' estreava há 25 anos. Veja curiosidades da série". revistaquem.globo.com. April 26, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  17. ^ TIM, Televisa. "¡No estaban extintos, la serie dinosaurios está de regreso!". Canal 5 (in Spanish). Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  18. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (September 29, 2017). "This Is Not a Drill: Boy Meets World Is Now On Hulu". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  19. ^ Spellberg, Claire (December 15, 2020). "Jim Henson's 'Dinosaurs' Is Finally Coming to Disney+ in January". Decider. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  21. ^ "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  22. ^ "Dinosaurs" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  23. ^ "Dinosaurs - TV Review". December 13, 2017.

External links edit

  • Official website  
  • Dinosaurs at IMDb  

dinosaurs, series, articles, with, similar, title, dinosaur, disambiguation, dinosaurs, american, family, sitcom, television, series, that, aired, from, april, 1991, july, 1994, show, about, family, anthropomorphic, dinosaurs, produced, michael, jacobs, produc. For articles with similar title see Dinosaur disambiguation Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 26 1991 to July 20 1994 The show about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television in association with Walt Disney Television and distributed by Buena Vista International Inc 3 4 The characters were designed by Henson team member Kirk Thatcher DinosaursGenreSitcom Puppetry Satire Slapstick Comedy dramaCreated byMichael Jacobs Bob YoungDeveloped byJim HensonVoices ofStuart Pankin Jessica Walter Jason Willinger Sally Struthers Kevin Clash Sam McMurray Sherman HemsleyTheme music composerBruce BroughtonOpening themeBruce BroughtonComposersBruce Broughton Ray ColcordCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo of seasons4No of episodes65 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersMichael Jacobs Brian HensonProducersMark Brull Dave Caplan Tim Doyle Victor Fresco Andy Goodman Jeff McCracken Peter Ocko Dava Savel Kirk Thatcher Rob Ulin Bob YoungRunning time23 minutesProduction companiesMichael Jacobs Productions Jim Henson Productions Walt Disney TelevisionOriginal releaseNetworkABC 1 2 ReleaseApril 26 1991 1991 04 26 July 20 1994 1994 07 20 Contents 1 Origins and development 2 Plot 3 Characters 3 1 Main characters 3 2 Supporting characters 3 3 Other characters 3 4 Unisaurs 4 Episodes 5 Topical issues 5 1 Series finale 6 International screening 7 Home media 8 Reception 8 1 Awards 9 Footnotes 10 References 11 External linksOrigins and development editNews stories written at the time of the show s premiere highlighted Dinosaurs connection to Jim Henson who had died the year before Henson conceived the show in 1988 according to an article in The New York Times adding he wanted it to be a sitcom but about a family of dinosaurs Until the success of The Simpsons according to Alex Rockwell a vice president of the Henson organization people thought it was a crazy idea 5 In the late 1980s Henson worked with William Stout a fantasy artist illustrator and designer on a feature film starring animatronic dinosaurs with the working title of The Natural History Project a 1993 article in The New Yorker said that Henson continued to work on a dinosaur project presumably the Dinosaurs concept until the last months of his life 6 The television division of The Walt Disney Company began working on the series in 1990 for CBS before the series landed on ABC which Disney eventually acquired 7 Rafael Montemayor Aguiton of Vulture wrote that upon premiere the show was a hit and Michael Jacobs stated that this was why the network did not interfere much in the production 8 Aguiton wrote that ratings suffered from the show being moved to different time slots on the network 8 The animatronics made the show relatively expensive with Stuart Pankin recalling that I heard it was the most expensive half hour TV show at least at that point and that this contributed to the cancellation 8 Plot editDinosaurs is initially set in 60 000 000 BC in Pangaea The show centers on the Sinclair family Earl Sneed Sinclair the father Fran Sinclair nee Phillips the mother their three children son Robbie daughter Charlene and infant Baby Sinclair and Fran s mother Ethyl Earl s job is to push over trees for the Wesayso Corporation with his friend and coworker Roy Hess where they work under the supervision of their boss Bradley P Richfield Characters editThis section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy June 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message The focus of the show s plot is the Sinclair family Earl Fran Robbie Charlene Baby and Ethyl The family name is a reference to the Sinclair Oil Corporation which had prominently featured a dinosaur as its logo and mascot for decades under the belief that petroleum deposits were formed during the age of the dinosaurs 9 Other character and family names throughout the series often referred to rival petroleum companies or petroleum products For example Phillips Hess B P Richfield and Ethyl among others Main characters edit Character Voice Body Face Head Species Summary Earl Sneed Sinclair Stuart Pankin Bill BarrettaTom Fisher occasionally Dave Goelz Seasons 1 2 Mak Wilson Seasons 2 4 Megalosaurus The patriarch of the Sinclair family Earl is the protagonist He is a 43 year old Megalosaurus and is depicted as being thick headed and suggestible Earl works as a Tree Pusher at the WESAYSO Development Corporation Sneed is the maiden name of Earl s mother Fran Phillips Sinclair Jessica Walter Mitchel Young Evans Seasons 1 2 Tony Sabin Prince Seasons 2 4 Pons Maar occasionally Allan Trautman Allosaurus The mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family Fran is mentioned on the show as being an Allosaurus On rare occasions Fran wears fuzzy house slippers Earl affectionately calls his wife Frannie Robert Mark Robbie Sinclair Jason Willinger Leif Tilden Steve WhitmireRob Mills occasionally Julianne Buescher eyes Hypsilophodon Earl and Fran s son and oldest child he is a Hypsilophodon Robbie stands out with his red varsity jacket and bright red sneakers Charlene Sinclair Sally Struthers Michelan SistiStar Townsend occasionally Arlene Lorre Season 1 episode 1 only Bruce Lanoil Protoceratops Earl and Fran s only daughter and middle child she is a Protoceratops Charlene stands out by wearing sweaters necklaces and earrings Baby Sinclair Kevin Clash Terri Hardin arms Season 1 3 Julianne Buescher arms Season 4 Kevin Clash head amp mouth John Kennedy eyes Megalosaurus Earl and Fran s son and youngest child he is a Megalosaurus as stated by Earl In the episode Out of the Frying Pan Baby is shown as a Ceratosaurus His legal name is Baby Sinclair which was given to him by the Chief Elder Baby is sarcastic and wisecracking His favorite thing to do is to hit Earl on the head with a frying pan His catch phrases are I m the baby Gotta love me Again and Not the mama his preferred name for his father Earl much to his father s chagrin Earl will often call his youngest son Junior For a while the character was actually christened as Aaah Aagh I m Dying You Idiot Sinclair the unfortunate last words of a dying Chief Elder who was suffering from a heart attack but it wasn t until the end of the episode in which he received that hilariously crude name that new Chief Elder Edward R Hero renamed him Baby Sinclair after one of his popular catchphrases Jacobs stated that the popularity of Baby contributed to the network allowing the creators to run the show as they saw fit stating As long as the Baby hit his father over the head with a pot we could use that to hide anything 8 Supporting characters edit Character Voice Body Face Head Species Comments Ethyl Hinkleman Phillips Florence Stanley Brian Henson seasons 1 2 Rickey Boyd seasons 3 4 Kevin Clash occasionally David Greenaway occasionally Julianne Buescher face occasionally Edmontonia Ethyl is an Edmontonia who is Fran s mother Earl s mother in law and the maternal grandmother of Robbie Charlene and Baby Ethyl comes to live with the Sinclairs and is revealed to have a son named Stan Fran s brother Ethyl always wears house slippers and is wheelchair bound Ethyl enjoys making fun of Earl and hitting him with her cane Roy Danger Hess Sam McMurray Pons Maar body Julianne Buescher arms David Greenaway Tyrannosaurus rex Roy is Earl s co worker at the WESAYSO Development Corporation and best friend He is a dimwitted Tyrannosaurus who also has a brother named Roy Bradley P B P Richfield Sherman Hemsley Steve WhitmireRob Mills occasionally Allan Trautman occasionally Steve WhitmireRob Mills occasionally Triceratops B P Richfield is Earl Roy Ralph Gus and Sid s aggressive heartless and temperamental boss at the WESAYSO Development Corporation where he oversees the Tree Pushers He is a Triceratops but has the frill spikes of a Styracosaurus In episode Hungry for Love it is revealed that Mr Richfield has a daughter named Wendy in which she there is a slight affair with Robbie and was known for eating any boyfriend of hers that disappoints him Monica DeVertebrae Suzie Plakson n a Julianne Buescher Brontosaurus A Brontosaurus and Fran s best friend who is the only four legged dinosaur on the show and the Roy s love interest She is usually seen from the neck up It took three or four people to operate her neck and head Spike full name unknown Christopher Meloni David Greenaway N A Polacanthus He is a semi regular character who resembles a Polacanthus with a bandana a black leather jacket and biker boots Spike is Robbie s best friend who often refers to him as Scooter Spike is normally a bad influence on Robbie whom he enjoys belittling and goading into dangerous and or humiliating situations To Spike s credit however he talked sense into his friend when Robbie used thornoids sentient anabolic substances to impress a pretty female classmate Ralph Needlenose Various Various Various Troodon A Troodon who is a co worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation The Full Bodied costume used for Ralph is often used for one appearance minor characters Gus Spikeback Various Various Various Ceratosaurus A Ceratosaurus who is a co worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation The Full Bodied costume used for Gus is often used for one appearance minor characters Sid Turtlepuss Michelan Sisti John Kennedy Michelan Sisti Psittacosaurus A Psittacosaurus who is a co worker of Earl and Roy at the WESAYSO Development Corporation Sid is seen more than the other characters He enjoys bagels and donuts The Full Bodied costume used for Sid is often used for one appearance minor characters Mr Pulman Allan Trautman Bruce Lanoil first time Tom Fisher later appearances Allan Trautman Troodon A bespectacled Troodon who is Robbie Charlene Mindy and Spike s teacher at Bob LaBrea High School The Full Bodied costume used for Mr Pulman is often used for one appearance minor characters Mindy Jessica Lundy Star Townsend Julianne Buescher Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus who is Charlene s best friend There are two different characters with the same name that are both friends of Charlene There are also two unrelated characters called Mindy One green skinned character named Mindy only appeared in Slave to Fashion A brown skinned character also named Mindy appeared in Charlene amp Her Amazing Humans and Scent of a Reptile Howard Handupme Kevin Clash N A N A Pachycephalosaurus A Walter Cronkite esque Pachycephalosaurus who is the newscaster for DNN short for Dinosaur News Network which is a spoof of CNN He is one of a few characters that isn t a Full Bodied character Chief Elder Various Voices Various Performers N A Various species Also known as the Elder in Chief the Chief Elder presides over all of the government in Pangaea It is assumed that he is the head of the Council of Elders There had been different Chief Elders in different appearances The first Chief Elder appeared in the two part episode Nuts to War where he was a Protoceratops He was performed by Steve Whitmire and voiced by George Gaynes The Dryptosaurus Chief Elder who died in the episode And the Winner Is is voiced by Sam McMurray and was succeeded by political analyst Edward R Hero He was about to name Baby Sinclair but he was dying of a heart attack with the Stegosaurus name announcer thinking the Chief Elder named Baby Aagh Aagh I m Dying You Idiot Sinclair This was the only Chief Elder that was a Full Bodied character A suited Chief Elder that appeared in Green Card is performed by Mak Wilson and voiced by Joe Flaherty The Chief Elder that appeared in The Greatest Story Never Sold is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Tim Curry The Chief Elder that appeared in The Golden Child is voiced by Michael Dorn The Chief Elder that appeared in Working Girl is performed by Allan Trautman and voiced by Joe Flaherty Mr Lizard Allan Trautman N A N A Iguanodon Mr Lizard is a gray Iguanodon who is the star of Baby s favorite TV show Ask Mr Lizard a parody of the television show Watch Mr Wizard His show helpfully taught generations of children about science that was vaguely related to scientific principles but mostly existed as a way of ridding the world of young dinosaurs named Timmy After the often violent death of his assistant Mr Lizard would cheerfully call off camera We re going to need another Timmy Other characters edit The following characters are not in the Unisaurs category below Character Voice Body Face Head Species Comments Gary Steve Landesberg N A N A Dilophosaurus Gary is a 50 ft dinosaur whose feet can only be seen He appeared in the Dinosaurs episode High Noon He takes a romantic interest in Fran and challenges Earl for her Gary has been classified as a Dilophosaurus Dilophosaurus was actually smaller than Megalosaurus in reality Blarney Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Steve Whitmire Deinonychus Blarney is a red Deinonychus hand puppet character on Dinosaurs intended as a spoof of Barney the Dinosaur He appeared in Dinosaur TV segments in two fourth season episodes Terrible Twos and Into the Woods Blarney is adored by young children but is less popular with older viewers He appears on videotapes released as part of the Blarney Home Video Library Parents who order will get a new video delivered to their child every hour for the next decade Titles spoof not only the Barney franchise but other commercials for mail order videos from fitness and health tapes to bridge computers and semi religious quests Henri Poupon Tim Curry Allan Trautman puppeteer N A Archaeopteryx Henri Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode Getting to Know You Henri is the father of Francois Poupon and husband of Simone Poupon The Poupons are a family of birds who come from an unnamed country clearly based on France that is outside of Pangea Henri is irritated by exchange student Charlene Sinclair He is disappointed by the consumption of his own son but feels that a big screen TV would help the healing process Simone Poupon Julianne Buescher Julianne Buescher Simone Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode Getting to Know You She is the wife of Henri and the mother of Francois Francois Poupon Bruce Lanoil Bruce Lanoil Francois Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode Getting to Know You He is the son of Henri Poupon and Simone Poupon Francois was eaten by Baby Sinclair Decker Thom Sharp Pons Maar Rickey Boyd Glyptodon Decker is a Glyptodon that appeared in the episode Monster Under the Bed When thought to be the titular monster that has been lurking under Baby Sinclair s bed it turns out that he was lurking under their house which they built over his house when he captured him Charlene and Robbie Decker did mention that he had to get a permit to do some tunnel digging When Earl and Fran find out about the situation that ended up involving the police and a broadcast from Howard Handupme that covered the hostage situation Baby Sinclair suggested that they move the Sinclair house off of Decker s house Everyone accepted that idea after Howard Handupme did a consultation with someone as it is moved a short distance away from where Decker s house is Georgie Allan Trautman normal voice Edward Asner evil voice Jack Tate Allan Trautman European hippopotamus Georgie is a dinosaur dressed as a full bodied European hippopotamus He is a children s TV icon and host of The Georgie Show who appeared in the Dinosaurs episode Georgie Must Die He appears as kind hearted Georgie is actually a megalomaniac planning to take over the world through his financial empire and the devotion of the dinosaur children After Earl was arrested for impersonating Georgie Fran invited Georgie down to the police department to clear things up where he showed off his bad side when alone with Earl while stating that he was not pleased with Earl posing as him and reveals his evil plans to take over the minds of children Later that night Earl learned about his motives from Jean Claude and Brigitte upon them springing Earl from the police department Earl later fought Georgie on his television show and ended up defeating him During the credits on the DNN Pre Prime News Howard Handupme reported about the resulting fallout caused by last week s melee on The Georgie Show that sparked a Justice Department investigation on the Georgie empire leading to the arrest of Georgie himself on the charges of tax evasion and racketeering It was also mentioned by Handupme that Earl was pardoned of all criminal charges by the Chief Elder who is also a parent presented Earl with the Key to the City and thanking Earl for in his words giving that chuckling carpet bag the well deserved shot in the chops Roy ended up taking his place on TV as the eponymous Uncle Roy Like Blarney Georgie is also a parody of Barney Unisaurs edit Outside of the recurring characters there are a group of dinosaur characters called Unisaurs They are customizable dinosaur characters similar to the Whatnots from The Muppet Show and the Anything Muppets from Sesame Street Some of the Unisaurs are Full Bodied while the others are hand puppets They come in different types The following are the Full Bodied Unisaurs Character Species Comments Longsnout Dryptosaurus A generic green Dryptosaurus This Unisaur was used for Ansel from the episode Driving Miss Ethyl His face was performed by Julianne Buescher his body was performed by Pons Maar and his voice was provided by Michael McKean The Babysitter from the episode Terrible Twos His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Tom Fisher and his voice was provided by John Glover Buddy Glimmer from the episode Family Challenge His face was provided by David Greenaway his body performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray The Devil from the episode Life in the Faust Lane His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Pons Maar and his voice was provided by Tim Curry Dr Ficus from the episode Germ Warfare His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Pons Maar and his voice was provided by Charles Kimbrough Ed from the episode Scent of a Reptile His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice provided by Thom Sharp Mel Luster from the episode The Mating Dance His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Richard Portnow Stu Boomird from the episode Network Genius His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander Ty Warner from the episode Swamp Music His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Pons Maar and his voice was provided by Jon Polito Walter Sternhagen from the episode The Discovery His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Pons Maar and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp Needlenose Troodon A tall dinosaur resembling a Troodon with an elongated snout In addition to being used for Mr Pulman and Ralph Needlenose this Unisaur was used for The Doctor from the episode Golden Child His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Tom Fisher and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray Dr Herder from Terrible Twos His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Tom Fisher and his voice was provided by Michael McKean Glenda Molehill from the episode Switched at Birth Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil her body was performed by Tom Fisher and her voice was provided by Mimi Kennedy Heather Worthington from the episode A Slave to Fashion Her face was performed by Terri Hardin her body was performed by Tom Fisher and her voice was provided by Julia Louis Dreyfus Spikeback Ceratosaurus A bulky Ceratosaurus with a striped back striped tail and a nose horn In addition to being used for Gus Spikeback this Unisaur was used for Al Sexual Harris from the episode What Sexual Harris Meant His face performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Jack Tate and voice provided by Jason Alexander Andre from the episode Leader of the Pack His face was performed by Mak Wilson his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray Bob the DMV Worker from the episode Unmarried With Children His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by David Wohl Dolf from the episode Steroids to Heaven His face was performed by Allan Trautman his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray Frau Woodhouse from the episode Terrible Twos Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher her body was performed by Jack Tate and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher Gus Molehill from the episode Switched at Birth His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander Hank Hibler from the episode Charlene and her Amazing Humans His face was performed by Allan Trautman his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Jeffrey Tambor The Job Wizard from the episode Career Opportunities His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander Ray Gherkin from the episode Scent of a Reptile His face was performed by Rickey Boyd his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Glenn Shadix Richard from the episode Refrigerator Day His face was performed by John Kennedy his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp Shelly from the episode Dirty Dancin Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil her body was performed by Jack Tate and her voice was provided by Conchata Ferrell Turtlepuss Psittacosaurus A brown turtle headed Psittacosaurus that was used as Earl s co worker Sid Turtlepuss This Unisaur was also used for Crazy Lou from the episode Leader of the Pack His face was performed by Julianne Buescher his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Ken Hudson Campbell The Clerk from the episode The Son Also Rises His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Jody St Michael and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo The Dinosaur Chief from the episode Hurling Day His face was performed by Kevin Clash his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice provided by Harold Gould The Folk Singer from the episode I Never Ate My Father His face was performed by John Kennedy his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Steven Banks Frank from the episode Fran Live His body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp General H Norman Conquest from the episode Nuts to War His face was performed by John Kennedy his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander Hank from the episode Life in the Faust Lane His face is performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Michael McKean The Insurance Agent from the episode Family Challenge His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Peter Bonerz Jean Claude from the episode Georgie Must Die His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Tim Curry Mr Myman from the episode Out of the Frying Pan His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Leif Tilden and his voice was provided by Michael McKean The Muse from the episode Charlene s Flat World His face was performed by John Kennedy his body was performed by Jack Tate and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo Officer Bettelheim from the episode License to Parent His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and voice was provided by Michael McKean The Odd Job Dinosaur from the episode How to Pick Up Girls Police Chief Parish from the episode Monster Under the Bed His face was performed by Rickey Boyd his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Michael McKean Ted Hardshell from the episode Network Genius His face was performed by Allan Trautman his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo UFO Host from the episode We Are Not Alone His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander Zabar from the episode Germ Warfare His face was performed by David Greenaway his body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Dan Castellaneta Unnamed Female Unisaur Class Corythosaurus A female Corythosaurus with a short snout eyelashes hair like crest and lighter hued skin that was often used for Mindy This Unisaur was also used for Caroline Foxworth from the episodes How to Pick Up Girls and Steroids to Heaven Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher her body was performed by Star Townsend and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher Sally from the episode Out of the Frying Pan Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher her body was performed by Star Townsend and her voice was provided by Suzie Plakson Thighs of Thunder from the episode The Discovery Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher her body was performed by Star Townsend and her voice provided by Suzie Plakson Wendy Richfield from the episode Hungry for Love Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher her body was performed by Michelan Sisti and her voice was provided by Wendie Jo Sperber Unnamed Female Light Green Unisaur Dryosaurus A female Dryosaurus with a short snout eyelashes hair like three crest Episodes editMain article List of Dinosaurs episodes SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast airedNetwork15April 26 1991 1991 04 26 May 24 1991 1991 05 24 ABC224September 18 1991 1991 09 18 May 6 1992 1992 05 06 322September 18 1992 1992 09 18 July 2 1993 1993 07 02 4147June 1 1994 1994 06 01 July 20 1994 1994 07 20 7September 6 1995 1995 09 06 November 10 1995 1995 11 10 SyndicationTopical issues editAlthough Dinosaurs is targeted at a family audience the show touched upon multiple topical issues which include environmentalism endangered species women s rights sexual harassment LGBT rights objectification of women censorship civil rights body image steroid use allusions to masturbation in the form of Robbie doing the solo mating dance drug abuse racism in the form of a dispute between the two legged dinosaurs and the four legged dinosaurs peer pressure rights of indigenous peoples in the form of the dinosaurs interacting with cavepeople corporate crime government interference in parenting and pacifism 10 In the episode I Never Ate for My Father in lieu of carnivorism Robbie chooses to eat vegetables and the other characters liken this to homosexuality communism drug abuse and counter culture 11 The 2 part episode Nuts to War was a satire of American involvement in the Gulf War with two legged dinosaurs going to war with four legged dinosaurs over pistachios instead of oil 12 In the final season The Greatest Story Ever Sold a take off of The Greatest Story Ever Told references religion when the Sinclair family becomes eager to learn the meaning of their existence The Elders dictate a new system of beliefs and the entire cast with the exception of Robbie abandons science to blindly follow the newly popular Potato ism Another religious themed episode was The Last Temptation of Ethyl in which Ethyl willingly allows a televangelist to exploit her near death experience to extort money from followers She backs out after having a second such experience where instead of heaven she experiences a place not so nice an existence surrounded by nothing but multiple Earl Sneed Sinclairs Several jokes in the series were at the expense of television shows in general Earl often wants to watch TV rather than do something more practical and several jokes accuse television of dumbing down the population and making it lazy Captain Action Figure shows up in children s programming that Fran mistakes for a commercial Whenever Captain Action Figure mentions a product the screen flashes Tell Mommy I WANT THAT Before the appearance of Georgie Dinosaurs used a puppet reminiscent of Barney the Dinosaur named Blarney in two episodes During his appearances members of the Sinclair family commented on his annoying characteristics and failure to teach anything to children The characters will sometimes break the fourth wall as well especially Baby An example of such is seen in the episode Nature Calls Season 3 Episode 1 when Fran and Earl spell out words in front of Baby during an argument who after looking at the camera and saying This could get ugly proceeds to spell out They think I can t spell with his alphabet blocks Series finale edit The final episode of Dinosaurs produced and aired on ABC titled Changing Nature was intended as the series finale a and depicts the irresponsible actions of the dinosaurs toward their environment and the ensuing Ice Age which leads to their demise In the episode a swarm of bunch beetles do not show up as expected to devour a form of creeper vine Charlene discovers that a wax fruit factory called FruitCo has been constructed on Wesayso controlled swampland that serves as the bunch beetles breeding grounds causing the extinction of the species save for one male named Stan who were killed off by the developers Charlene and Stan make this information public on the news After getting a phone call from his superiors at Wesayso who are fearing a public relations nightmare more than any environmental threat B P Richfield quickly puts Earl in charge of an attempt to destroy the vines which have grown out of control without the beetles to keep them in check Earl proposes spraying the planet with defoliant which causes the destruction of the vines but also kills off all plant life on the planet B P Richfield assumes that the creation of clouds will bring rain allowing the plants to grow back and so decides to create clouds by dropping bombs in the planet s volcanoes to cause eruptions and cloud cover The dark clouds instead cause global cooling in the form of a gigantic cloud cover Howard Handupme states that the scientists estimate that the dark clouds would take tens of thousands of years to dissipate When he gets a call from Earl B P Richfield dismisses this as a 4th quarter problem and states that Wesayso is currently making record breaking profits from the cold weather selling blankets heaters and hot cocoa mix as the result of the cold snap Later Earl apologizes to his family and Stan for his actions that led to the end of the world Baby is reassured by Robbie and Charlene that whatever happens nobody is going to leave and that they will all stay together Earl tries to assure everyone that it will work out okay saying that dinosaurs have been on this Earth for 150 million years and it is not like they are going to just disappear There is a brief shot of FruitCo as it starts to get buried in snow At DNN Howard Handupme states that the weather forecast is the same with continued snow darkness and extreme cold He concludes his broadcast by saying This is Howard Handupme Good night Goodbye The ending credits roll with scenes of snow falling around the Sinclair home signaling the start of a volcanic nuclear winter That officially ended the series on a somber note Stuart Pankin the voice of Earl stated that the ending was a simplistic and heartfelt social comment yet it was very powerful with subtlety being a defining aspect 8 The television series creators decided to make this finale as a way of ending the series as they knew the show could be canceled when they created season 4 Michael Jacobs stated that We certainly wanted to make the episode to be educational to the audience and as people knew dinosaurs were no longer alive The show would end by completing the metaphor and showing that extinction 8 Ted Harbert president of ABC expressed discomfort at the ending in a telephone call but allowed it to go forward 8 Jacobs stated that correspondence from parents revealed that They understood the creativity in the final episode and they were sad at the predicament we presented in the story 8 Pankin stated that Everybody was at first shocked but I think it was more of a reaction to the show ending 8 Pankin stated that he did not remember a significant number of audience members being angry about the ending 8 In 2018 Jacobs stated that the episode would have trended on social media had it been released that year 8 Noel Murray of The A V Club stated that the episode delivered as blunt an environmental message as any major network TV broadcast since The Lorax 13 Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed described it as being shocking for children 14 International screening editIn the United Kingdom the show was screened on ITV in 1992 and in reruns from 1995 to 2002 on Disney Channel 15 In Canada the show started airing reruns in 1992 on The Family Channel and aired them until the late 1990s the show also aired on CHRO TV in the early to mid 1990s In Australia the show started airing on the Seven Network from February 1992 through to 1995 In Ireland in the mid 1990s it was shown on a Sunday evening on RTE Two known as network 2 back then In 1994 it was shown in Italy on Rai 1 The show has also aired on TV3 then moved in 2003 to TV2 in New Zealand KBC in Kenya and M Net in South Africa In Brazil the show started airing on Rede Globo from 1992 to 1999 on SBT from 2003 to 2005 on Band from 2007 to 2011 and on Canal Viva in 2014 16 In Mexico the show was aired on Canal 5 17 Home media editThe first three volumes were released on VHS on December 6 1991 On May 2 2006 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Dinosaurs The Complete First and Second Seasons as a four disc DVD box set The DVD set includes exclusive bonus features including a never before seen look at the making of Dinosaurs The complete third and fourth seasons also a four disc DVD set were released on May 1 2007 with special features including the episodes not aired on U S television Both sets are currently available only in Region 1 On September 29 2017 Hulu acquired the streaming rights to Dinosaurs along with fellow Disney ABC television properties Home Improvement and Boy Meets World in addition to fellow TGIF programs Family Matters Full House Hangin with Mr Cooper Perfect Strangers and Step by Step 18 Dinosaurs was made available for streaming on Disney on January 29 2021 for the United States 19 Reception editAs of September 2022 the series as a whole has received an approval rating of 91 on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes 20 Its first season received an approval rating of 83 its consensus reads Dinosaurs marries astonishingly expressive puppetry with genuinely funny satire of social norms making for a forward thinking prehistoric sitcom 21 While its fourth season received more critical praise with a 100 approval rating 22 Common Sense Media rated the series a three out of five stars and said Dino puppet driven sitcom deals with modern issues 23 Awards edit Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated Title Result 1991 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Series John C Mula Brian Savegar Kevin Pfeiffer Episode The Mating Dance Won Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Editing for a Series Single Camera Production Marco Zappia Episode The Mighty Megalosaurus Nominated Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children s Programming Nominated 1992 Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing Television Episodic Effects amp Foley Patrick M Griffith Nominated Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode Power Erupts Won 1993 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode If You Were A Tree Won 1995 Environmental Media Awards TV Comedy Episode Changing Nature WonFootnotes edit Seven episodes set prior to Changing Nature which had not previously aired on ABC first aired in television syndication in fall 1994 with Scent of a Reptile being the final episode to premiere Ordering on digital platforms varies however Disney now lists the final season episodes in production order ending with Changing Nature References edit Brian Henson s Goal Bringing Dinosaurs To Tv Orlando Sentinel April 20 1991 Retrieved October 18 2010 Du Brow Rick February 23 1991 Television The ratings success of CBS Ed Sullivan Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family retrospectives may doom innovative entries in the Twin Peaks mode Los Angeles Times Retrieved October 18 2010 Bibisi Suzan February 3 1994 Dinosaurs Takes Puppetry Into The Electronic Age Chicago Tribune Retrieved October 18 2010 Cerone Daniel November 17 1991 Primal Secrets From the World of Dinosaurs Los Angeles Times Retrieved October 18 2010 Kahn Eve M April 14 1991 All in the Modern Stone Age Family The New York Times Owen David Looking Out for Kermit The New Yorker Aug 16 1993 PDF Grover Ron The Disney Touch Homewood IL Business One Irwin 1991 pp 167 168 a b c d e f g h i j k Aguiton Rafael Montemayor August 7 2018 Dinosaurs The Making of TV s Saddest Strangest Sitcom Finale Retrieved June 28 2020 said Jacobs After the initial success of the show they pretty much left us alone DINO History Sinclair Oil Corporation Retrieved July 19 2023 Rosenberg Howard February 19 1992 Television ABC series sinks its teeth into witty social commentary a la The Simpsons and finds its metier Los Angeles Times Retrieved October 18 2010 Did Homosexuality Kill the Dinosaurs YouTube www youtube com Archived from the original on December 12 2021 Retrieved January 23 2021 Nostalgia Fact Check How Does Dinosaurs Hold Up www vulture com July 20 2011 Retrieved August 11 2021 Murray Noel July 21 2011 Dinosaurs Changing Nature The A V Club Retrieved June 28 2020 Galindo Brian May 14 2013 Dinosaurs The Most Traumatizing Series Finale Ever BuzzFeed Retrieved June 28 2020 BBC Comedy Guide Dinosaurs January 7 2005 Archived from the original on January 7 2005 Retrieved January 16 2019 Familia Dinossauros estreava ha 25 anos Veja curiosidades da serie revistaquem globo com April 26 2016 Retrieved December 13 2019 TIM Televisa No estaban extintos la serie dinosaurios esta de regreso Canal 5 in Spanish Retrieved May 16 2023 Hatchett Keisha September 29 2017 This Is Not a Drill Boy Meets World Is Now On Hulu TVGuide com Retrieved October 2 2017 Spellberg Claire December 15 2020 Jim Henson s Dinosaurs Is Finally Coming to Disney in January Decider Retrieved February 3 2021 Dinosaurs via www rottentomatoes com Dinosaurs via www rottentomatoes com Dinosaurs via www rottentomatoes com Dinosaurs TV Review December 13 2017 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Dinosaurs TV series Official website nbsp Dinosaurs at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dinosaurs TV series amp oldid 1223938666 Characters, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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