The BBC & PBS Resurrect 'Walking with Dinosaurs'

It's been a quarter century since the BBC originally commissioned Walking with Dinosaurs, a factual documentary series using 1990s-era state-of-the-art CGI to bring the giant creatures to life. At the time, some protested that the computer-generated creatures were not real; therefore, their "adventures" (presented in the style of a David Attenborough special) were all fakery. However, the ratings for the series, which used the same technology as the Jurassic Park films, went through the roof, as people wanted to see what these creatures might have really been like. Now, 25 years on, the BBC and PBS are teaming up with ZDF and France Télévisions to bring the series back, using the advancement of technology, both in computer graphic imagery and in paleontology, to reimagine the series for the 21st century.

As the press release boasts, "There’s never been a better time to travel back to the prehistoric. We’re living through a golden age of paleontology that is transforming our understanding of dinosaurs. Around 50 new species are being identified every year, and science is revealing extraordinary new details about dinosaur biology and behavior. Across the globe, hundreds of dinosaur experts are currently scouring the wilds for new dig sites, and this series has exclusive access to some of the very best."

The six-episode series will each focus on different dinosaurs that are in the middle of being unearthed in 2024 and will include the latest discoveries made about these creatures since the 1990s. Check out the teaser released by the BBC:

Here's the series synopsis:

In an exciting reimagining of one of the BBC’s best-loved factual shows, each episode of Walking With Dinosaurs tells 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 work out 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 brings 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 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer we 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.

Walking With Dinosaurs is produced and directed by Stephen Cooter, Tom Hewitson, and Owen Gower. Kirsty Wilson is the showrunner, and Bill Gardner is the Editorial Consultant for PBS. Andrew Cohen and Helen Thomas executive produce for the BBC, and Diana El-Osta is the Executive in Charge for PBS. 

Walking with Dinosaurs is expected to debut on both sides of the pond in 2025.