BBC Studios recently announced that they are co-producing an all-new Walking with Dinosaurs series with ZDF and France Télévisions, for the BBC and PBS stations.
From the official press release:
‘In an exciting reimagining of one of the BBC’s best loved factual shows, each episode of Walking with Dinosaurs will tell the dramatic story of an individual dinosaur whose remains are currently being unearthed by the world’s leading dinosaur hunters. Thanks to cutting-edge science, experts can reveal how these prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died more accurately than ever before. As the dinosaur’s bones emerge from the ground, the series will bring these prehistoric stories to life with state-of-the-art visual effects – making each episode a gripping dinosaur drama based on the very latest evidence.‘
The original Walking with Dinosaurs series, which debuted in 1999, mixed digital and practical effects to showcase dinosaurs (and other animals that lived during the Mesozoic) in natural environments and with [at the time] up-to-date scientific knowledge. The six-part series was record-breaking, and due to its popularity, it spawned several spin-off series and specials, such as Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special, Walking with Beasts and Sea Monsters. There was also a very successful Walking With Dinosaurs arena show (produced by Creature Technology Company, who are also responsible for the animatronics used for a plethora of Jurassic projects such as Jurassic World Live Tour!, Jurassic World The Exhibition, and Jurassic World Adventure at Universal Bejing,) and one unfortunately unsuccessful movie attempt in 2013.
The new Walking with series will span six episodes and audiences can expect to meet many different prehistoric species in an array of Mesozoic landscapes. These include a Spinosaurus roaming the rivers of ancient Morocco; Cretaceous favorites of North America; and a lonely Lusotitan risking it all for a chance at love in Portugal. Scientific consultants, such as Dr. Thomas Holtz, have also given hints as to how the series will be structured:
Watch the teaser for the all-new series, and let us know in the comments if you’re excited about the new series and what you hope to see!