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Prehistoric Planet is a British–American nature documentary 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 The Moving Picture Company, and narration by natural historian Sir David Attenborough.[1] The documentary follows dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals recreated with computer-generated imagery, living around the globe in the Late Cretaceous period 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian), just before the non-avian dinosaurs' extinction. It set out to depict prehistoric life using current palaeontological research by including accurately feathered dinosaurs, and speculative animal behaviour.[2]
| Prehistoric Planet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Nature documentary |
| Narrated by | Sir David Attenborough |
| Theme music composer | Hans Zimmer Andrew James Christie |
| Composers | Hans Zimmer Anže Rozman Kara Talve |
| Country of origin | United States United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jon Favreau Mike Gunton |
| Running time | 37–46 minutes |
| Production companies | BBC Studios Natural History Unit Golem Creations Ltd. LLC |
| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | May 23, 2022 – May 26, 2023 |
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.[3][4][5] Prehistoric Planet received critical acclaim for its visual effects, depiction of dinosaurs, and Attenborough's narration.
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A documentary that follows dinosaurs recreated with computer-generated imagery living around the globe in the final part of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. It set out to depict dinosaurs using current palaeontological research such as feathered dinosaurs like dromaeosaurs and small, feathered dinosaurs.
According to palaeontologist and consultant Steve Brusatte, the series had been in development "a decade" prior to its trailer release.[6] 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.[7] An original score was composed by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman and Hans Zimmer.[8]
The series uses up-to-date palaeontological research to depict its animals of the Cretaceous with scientific rigour; for example, feathered dinosaurs are featured in the series, such as juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.[8] Palaeozoologist Darren Naish was the lead consultant for the depictions of prehistoric life in the series.[9] The concept art and creature design was created by Jellyfish Pictures,[10] while computer-generated imagery was developed by The Moving Picture Company and intended to be photorealistic, as with their previous productions The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019).[2]
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.[11] David Krentz, the director of Dinosaur Revolution and character designer on Disney's Dinosaur, was also revealed to have been involved in the creature development and design.[12]
In March 2023, Apple renewed the series for a second season, which began airing on 22 May 2023.[13] A spin-off, called Prehistoric Planet Immersive which features Apple Vision Pro, began airing on 2 February 2024.
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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.[14] A ten-second teaser was released on April 19, 2022, followed by an official trailer the following day.[15] A second trailer was released on May 19, 2022, in the lead up to the show's premiere.[16]
The teaser of the second season was uploaded to the official Apple TV+ YouTube channel on April 18, 2023.[17] The official trailer was released on May 2, 2023.[18]
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Season 1 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Coasts" | Adam Valdez | Paul D. Stewart | May 23, 2022 | |
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In North America, a father Tyrannosaurus and his offspring swim across a perilous seaway to feed on a dead protostegid turtle. In North Africa, Tethydraco nestle their brood by the shores of the mainland, while baby Alcione take their first flight from a nearby island, encountering the predatory Barbaridactylus and Phosphatodraco in the process. Dozens of Tuarangisaurus travel to a bay in Zealandia to search for gastroliths, with some capitalizing on the situation as an opportunity to mate. A male Mosasaurus is cleaned by reef denizens and defends his territory from a younger, rival mosasaur. Bioluminescent scaphitid ammonites perform an elaborate mating display at night, fulfilling one of the last and most important events of their short lifespans. A pregnant Tuarangisaurus is targeted by a Kaikaifilu and protected by her pod, after which she gives birth to a healthy, baby plesiosaur. Species:
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| 2 | 2 | "Deserts" | Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez | Dom Walter | May 24, 2022 | |
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Several male Dreadnoughtus clash for the right to mate, with an old male dying as his younger rival takes his place as the dominant contender. A pair of Velociraptor hunts for lizards among a group of sleeping Tarbosaurus surrounding a sauropod carcass. A Mononykus forages for termites in the desert, and, following a brief rainstorm, searches for prey within freshly-grown vegetation. Several animals (Barsboldia, Mononykus, Nemegtosaurus, Mongolian azhdarchids, Tarchia, Therizinosaurus, "Mongolian Titans", and Tarbosaurus) congregate around a temporary watering hole. Male Barbaridactylus compete for females atop a remote mesa, with some dominating through violent means, while others pretend to be females. In the desolate gypsum dunes of South America, a herd of Secernosaurus brave the elements and rely on their senses to reach their destination, plants growing by the seaside. Species:
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| 3 | 3 | "Freshwater" | Andrew R. Jones | Paul Thompson | May 25, 2022 | |
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In Asia, a trio of Velociraptor hunt juvenile pterosaurs near a waterfall. In North America, an old, battle-scarred male Tyrannosaurus feeds on a Triceratops, nurses his wounds, and encounters a three-year younger female, which he attracts and mates. A Deinocheirus feeds on river plants, and scratches himself against a dead tree to relieve himself of blood-sucking flies. In southern Africa, a female Quetzalcoatlus builds and guards her nest, eventually coming to blows with an older Quetzalcoatlus that destroys some of her eggs. In Madagascar, a mother Masiakasaurus and her family hunt crabs, but one of her hatchlings is ambushed by a Beelzebufo. Somewhere in South America,[20] some elasmosaurs enter an estuary in search of fish. Species:
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| 4 | 4 | "Ice Worlds" | Adam Valdez | Simon Bell | May 26, 2022 | |
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As winter ends in Alaska, three Dromaeosaurus get a herd of Edmontosaurus to panic and stampede across a freezing river, causing one juvenile hadrosaur to drown, allowing the theropods to eat. Male Ornithomimus set up nests by a river for females, though one raids his neighbor's hard work to bolster his own. In an east Russian volcanic region,[21] a herd of Olorotitan raise their offspring on fertile volcanic fields but contend with biting mosquitoes. In the Arctic Circle, a troodontid flushes out Cimolodon[22][23] by spreading a forest fire. Turned away by his two siblings, a juvenile Antarctopelta scours the forest for a new winter den, briefly crossing paths with a herd of Antarctic hadrosaurids before settling within a massive cavern with glowing fungus gnats. A Pachyrhinosaurus herd stands off against a trio of Nanuqsaurus during a blizzard, with the herd eventually panicking, giving the tyrannosaurs an opportunity to bring down one of them. Species:
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| 5 | 5 | "Forests" | Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez | Matthew Wright | May 27, 2022 | |
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Austroposeidon herds level several trees in search of fresh foliage, with the forest's plants closing the hole in the canopy almost immediately. A herd of Triceratops journey through a cave to find an underground clay lick. A male Carnotaurus sets the stage for an elaborate display, only to be rejected by a female. In Asia, a female Qianzhousaurus takes advantage of the autumn winds to ambush a flock of Corythoraptors. A family of Edmontosaurus evade a forest fire, while an Atrociraptor and an ankylosaur take advantage of the situation to feed on beetles, smoke out parasites, and feed on charcoal. At night, three juvenile Therizinosaurus attempt to climb up a tree to reach a beehive, eventually getting to feed on it after a passing adult Therizinosaurus knocks the beehive down. In the forests of Hațeg Island, Telmatosaurus takes cover, while Hatzegopteryx preys on juvenile Zalmoxes and patrols the dense undergrowth, before flying past the seaspray-battered coastline. Species:
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Season 2 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | "Islands" | Andrew R. Jones | Paul D. Stewart | May 22, 2023 | |
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After a tropical storm, a Zalmoxes on a raft escapes a mosasaur and finds a female Zalmoxes on a larger raft. Several Hatzegopteryx ambush a herd of Tethyshadros. In Madagascar, a female Majungasaurus hunts Simosuchuses. Nearby, a mother Adalatherium raises her offspring in a burrow, eventually moving her family out due to the presence of a Madtsoia, which preys on a Masiakasaurus, another potential threat to her offspring. For their family of five, three Imperobator pursue a Morrosaurus across a frozen lake, though their prey successfully escapes. A male Hatzegopteryx attracts a mate on a small island, proving his worth with a dead juvenile Tethyshadros he brought, a ceremonial nest, a synchronized dance, and by aggressively driving away a younger male. Species:
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| 7 | 2 | "Badlands" | Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez | Nick Lyon | May 23, 2023 | |
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In India, dozens of female Isisaurus traverse the Deccan Traps to reach their nesting site. In Mongolia, a herd of Nemegtosaurus, "Mongolian Titans", and Prenocephale navigate a maze of canyons to reach a source of water, but are ambushed by a trio of Tarbosaurus, an event that a pair of Velociraptors capitalize on in order to hunt a Prenocephale for their family. A colony of male Corythoraptors protect their eggs from the scorching sun, though a female Kuru kulla stealthily eats some of the eggs at night, before running off with one egg to feed her own pair of young. A pair of juvenile Tarchia travel through the desert in search of sustenance, fighting seven Prenocephale and an adult Tarchia to lay claim to a hidden oasis. Several Isisaurus hatchlings traverse the Deccan Traps to reach their mothers' ancestral forest home, with some falling to mudpots and a pair of Rajasaurus in the process. Species:
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| 8 | 3 | "Swamps" | Krzysztof Szczepanski | Alec Ginns | May 24, 2023 | |
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Pterosaur hatchlings take flight to leave their island sanctuary, with many being caught by Shamosuchuses. Several Austroraptors hunt garfish and contend with the best fishing spots. A Beelzebufo tries to attract a mate while a herd of Rapetosaurus take a mudbath in its pond. A herd of ten Pachycephalosaurus look for water in a drought-stricken field in North America, with the dominant male fighting and expelling a young male for his aggression. In Hell Creek of North America, two subadult Tyrannosaurus brothers[28] ambush a herd of Edmontosaurus annectens in a forest, taking advantage of their superior senses under the cover of darkness. Species:
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| 9 | 4 | "Oceans" | Adam Valdez | Amber Cherry Eames | May 25, 2023 | |
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A female Phosphorosaurus hides during the day from larger mosasaurs, and emerges by moonrise to hunt lanternfish. In North America, the food chain is shown, with a group of Hesperornis and several Xiphactinus feasting on numerous small fish, the Hesperornis getting hunted by Xiphactinus, and the larger Xiphactinus cannibalizing the smaller ones. Nostoceras hatchlings are at the mercy of tides, with some escaping while the others are left stranded and eaten by juvenile Pyroraptors. In the Pacific Ocean, a pod of Tuarangisaurus leave their atoll sanctuaries to feed, exposing themselves to a Mosasaurus ambush. The young Nostoceras that survived find themselves among Baculites and Diplomoceras in their new seagrass meadow home. A pod of Morturneria dive below the ice sheets of Africa to sift the muddy seabed in search of food. Species:
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| 10 | 5 | "North America" | Andrew R. Jones | Paul Thompson | May 26, 2023 | |
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A Tyrannosaurus rex and two Quetzalcoatlus fight over an Alamosaurus carcass. A shoal of Sphenodiscus are ambushed by a Globidens, relentlessly killing and eating several of them while the survivors make it to shallow water, where they can lay their eggs. At an evaporating soda lake, juvenile Pectinodons hunt flies while their father hunts "Styginetta". Male Triceratops compete with each other for the right to mate, with a young male losing his left horn after battling a 30 year-old veteran. A female Nanuqsaurus hunts an Ornithomimus to feed herself and her seven hatchlings. Species:
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Immersive (2024)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pterosaur Beach" | Andrew R. Jones | Unknown | February 2, 2024 |
| 2 | 2 | "Triceratops Forest" | Andrew R. Jones | Unknown | April 19, 2024 |
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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.4/10, based on 31 reviews for the first season. 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."[30] The second season has an approval rating of 83% with an average rating of 7/10, based on 6 reviews.[31] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[32]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 |
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Docuseries or Non-Fiction Series | Prehistoric Planet | Nominated | [33] |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in News and Information | Nominated | [34][35] | ||
| Cinema Eye Honours | Outstanding Anthology Series | Nominated | [36] | ||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Song/Score — Documentary Series - TV/Digital | Anze Rozman, Kara Talve, Hans Zimmer | Won | [37][38] | |
| Televisual Bulldog Awards | Best VFX | Prehistoric Planet | Won | [39] | |
| Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards | Best VFX Project | MPC | Won | [40] | |
2023 |
Annie Awards | Best Animated Special Production | Prehistoric Planet | Nominated | [41] |
| Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production | "Coasts" | Nominated | |||
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode | "Ice Worlds" – Lindsay McFarlane, Fay Hancocks, Elliot Newman, Kirstin Hall | Nominated | [42][43] | |
| Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project | Daniel Fotheringham, Krzysztof Szczepanski, Wei-Chuan Hsu, Claire Hill | Nominated | |||
| Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Animal/Nature Show | Prehistoric Planet | Nominated | [44] | |
2024 |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, Kara Talve (for "Badlands") | Nominated | [45] |
| Astra Creative Arts TV Awards | Best Streaming Nonfiction Series | Prehistoric Planet | Nominated | [46] | |
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