Prehistoric Planet is an absolutely fantastic documentary. Being split into five episodes, all available on Apple TV+, we get a different environment to focus on in each entry of the series. From seeing the deserts of what we now know as North Africa to the forests of Cretaceous North America, every biome is overrun with dinosaurs that look like they could walk the Earth today. With the input of executive producer, and creative visionary Jon Favreau, this series has a lot of hype to live up to, and it certainly delivered.
While this docuseries may not have as many explosions as Jurassic World: Dominion, this series proved to be ground-breaking material for young, aspiring paleontologists, avid nature documentary fans, and anyone who desires an entertaining dose of knowledge. Here, we’ll examine what BBC and company brought together to make Prehistoric Planet the go-to dinosaur series.
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Graphic Technology
Apple Inc.
Motion Picture Company (MCP) is the company that brought CGI animals to an incredibly lifelike standard in films such as The Jungle Book (2016) & The Lion King (2019). Their skill in creating lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) is impressive, but one is left in awe when they see what the team has done with prehistoric monsters of the past. Creatures that haven’t been around for millions of years, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Pteranodon, & Triceratops, look as if they were filmed in their natural habitats with modern 4k technology. Clever use of the technology was when creatures found themselves in areas without natural lighting, the camera would change to resemble a night vision recording, such as when a herd of Triceratops would travel through an underground cavern.
The giants aren’t the only ones being brought to the small screen. Seeing the clusters of ammonites light the ocean depths with their mating ritual was enrapturing. We even see the appropriately sized Velociraptors on a dangerous hunting mission, attempting to hunt down some Pterosaurs on the edge of a cliff. This technology is most impressive at leaving a first impression, such as when the Titanasaurs first walk onto the screen. With the musical score swelling as much as the bulbous sacs on the sides of their necks, viewers know they’re in for a treat as David Attenborough narrates the coming battle for supremacy. A battle that seems almost too real with the amazing graphical technology put forth by MCP.
Modern Day Research
BBC is responsible for two dinosaur documentaries before this one. The most recent, Planet Dinosaur, was done in 2011. To say there have been innumerable discoveries in the eleven-year interim would be an understatement. And these discoveries have even been contradictory to prior scientific statements. BBC Studios Natural History Unit works to give a comprehensively accurate depiction of dinosaurs based on the knowledge we have at our disposal today.
One of the best examples is when we see the Velociraptors hunting the Pterosaurs. We’re so used to the Velociraptors of the Jurassic franchise. Still, since the first Jurassic Park film came out, research has shown that Velociraptors are not the size of a human being, nor are they scaly. Here, we see them to be roughly over one foot (or roughly half a meter) tall. And they are covered in feathers, have a long, flat-feathered tail; a beak instead of a snout, and small, flightless wings that run along their arms. In comparison, we see Pterosaurs with a strong bone structure clearly visible in their wings and the muscular membrane they use to glide along with the wind.
Storytelling
What drives viewers toward nature documentaries isn’t always the history behind the creatures, but the story that following a specific subject could entail. Only a small niche audience would care to learn about penguins. But, there’s a sizable audience willing to sit down and watch a family struggle to survive a harsh winter with predators around every corner. That was the story of March of the Penguins (2005) But with Prehistoric Planet, we are treated to an anthology of stories, with every episode providing a different staging ground for these stories.
One of the first stories viewers witness is that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex crossing a segment of the ocean to go from one coast to another, with his young in tow. Most media villainizes the King of the dinosaurs. Still, here we see him as a family man trying to do what’s best for his children. But, his progeny are being hunted by an oceanic predator, and the King is not at full strength without land under him. Elsewhere, in the frozen tundras, viewers would be shown a tragic happenstance. With a herd of Edmontonsaurus’ attempting to cross a thinly frozen lake, they are attacked by deadly predators. Chaos would ensue, and heartbreaking cries of children calling out to their mothers could be heard. Not every story has to be a thrilling fight or a survival tale, however. There are also light-hearted fairs, such as when a Carnotaurus attempts to seduce a potential mate with a fairly silly dance.
