'Walking with Dinosaurs' Will Stomp Into Summer

Walking with Dinosaurs was an ambitious series when it premiered on the BBC in 1999; at the time, Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) was still a new technology, and creating lifelike dinosaurs was the province of big-budget blockbusters like Jurassic Park, not public television. However, the show took the U.K. by storm (and did quite well in the U.S., where it aired on the Discovery Channel), proving there was a real appetite for learning about these extinct beasts. Now, the series returns a quarter century later; to a world where CGI is an industry staple and 25 years' worth of scientific discoveries to alter its original perspective.

For those who are not dinosaur-obsessed, the last few years have been something of "a golden age of paleontology," transforming our understanding of dinosaurs, with ~50 new species identified per year and details about dinosaur biology and behavior uncovered. The new series takes all of the latest discoveries into account, as well as the proliferation of new species of dinosaurs, and mixes them with a level of CGI normally only found on HBO fantasy fare.

As part of the press release, PBS Chief Programming Executive Sylvia Bugg said, "Twenty-five years ago, Walking with Dinosaurs changed how we viewed the prehistoric world. With this exciting reimagining, we're proud to partner with the BBC and invite viewers to witness the awe-inspiring lives of these incredible creatures once again. With groundbreaking science and state-of-the-art visual effects, the dramatic life stories of these ancient giants will be seen like never before.”

Here's the series synopsis:

Walking With Dinosaurs will take viewers on a unique journey back through time, revealing the incredible life stories of these long-lost giants. Each episode 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.

Across the six episodes, audiences will meet a range of spectacular dinosaur species in an array of prehistoric landscapes. These include a Spinosaurus — the largest carnivorous dinosaur to ever walk the earth — roaming the rivers of ancient Morocco; a youthful Triceratops battling a ravenous T. rex in North America; and a lonely giant Lusotitan risking it all for a love in Portugal.

The new series will be narrated by Bertie Carvel (Dalgliesh), the latest sonorously voiced British actor to take on the "Fill David Attenborough's Shoes" challenge.

Kirsty Wilson is the series showrunner for Walking with Dinosaurs. Directors Stephen Cooter, Tom Hewitson, and Owen Gower split helming and producing duties, with Max Brunold and Libby Hand also producing. BBC Factual commissioned the series, and the CGI was created by the international team of BBC's Science Unit Production, PBS, Germany's ZDF, and France Télévisions. Andrew Cohen and Helen Thomas executive produce with Bill Gardner & Diana El-Osta for PBS. 

Walking with Dinosaurs will premiere on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel on Monday, June 16, with two episodes, followed by two a day through Thursday, June 18, 2025. All episodes will be available for members to stream via PBS Passport on premiere day.