Latest news with #WalkingwithDinosaurs
Time Out
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs
This King's Cross Lightroom now has surely the weirdest repertoire of any venue in London, possibly the world. With an oeuvre based around massive megabit projection-based immersive films, its shows so far have been a David Hockney exhibition, a Tom Hanks-narrated film about the moon landings, a Vogue documentary and a visualiser for Coldplay's upcoming album. It's such a random collection of concepts that it's hard to say there was or is anything 'missing' from the extremely esoteric selection of bases covered. But certainly, as the school summer holidays roll around it's very welcome to see it add an overtly child-friendly show to its roster. Bar a short Coldplay break, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs will play daily at Lightroom from now until at least the end of October half-term. It is, as you would imagine, a dinosaur documentary. And indeed, if the name rings a specific bell it's because it's culled from the David Attenborough-narrated Apple TV series of the same name. It's quite the remix, though: Attenborough is out, and Damian Lewis is in, delivering a slightly melodramatic voiceover that lacks Sir David's colossal gravitas but is, nonetheless, absolutely fine. Presumably Attenborough is absent because he's very busy and very old, because while the film reuses several of the more spectacular setpieces from the TV series, it's sufficiently different that repurposing the old narration would be a stretch. Any child with any degree of fondness for the mesozoic era will surely have a great time Essentially the 50-minute experience is sub-divided into six mini documentaries, which have a wealth of high-quality pre-existing CGI to draw upon, supplemented by new bits that add an agreeable educational aspect. A bit where life-sized dinosaurs are projected on the walls and audience members are invited to come up and stand next to them undoubtedly lacks the astronomical production values of the bits from the TV show, but it is also really, really fun. And of course, it's not like we're just sitting there watching it on a big telly: it's thrilling to see battling dreadnoughtus, courting tyrannosaurs, and sweet baby sauropods at huge, almost overwhelming scale. There's a particularly impressive scene where a trio of crafty velociraptors pick their way down some cliffs to ambush some nesting pterosaurs – the pack's murderous journey spirals its way around the walls of the room until they encounter their prey. It obviously doesn't hurt that it's genuinely tremendous CGI, that stands up to being blown up to giant scale (it's far better than the BBC's recent second season of Walking with Dinosaurs). Basically, it looks great, it sounds great, and it's pretty informative, and any child with any degree of fondness for the mesozoic era will surely have a great time whether or not they've seen the original docs. The standard caveat with Lightroom is that it's expensive: although kids' tickets are cheaper than adult ones and there's a small family discount, a family of four is probably looking at something like £80 for a one-hour film (though as child tickets are cheaper it's better value proportionally if only one adult goes). Is this reasonable? I'm always suspicious of stuff aimed at children where accompanying adults have to pay more. That said, the film has been created specially for the venue, and higher-than-the-cinema prices are surely inevitable. Prehistoric Planet
Irish Independent
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming picks: The Sunday Game Live, My Policeman and The Charles Ponzi Story
The Sunday Game Live RTÉ2, 1.15pm Joanne Cantwell is at Croke Park for the last two All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals. Highlights can be seen at 10.15pm. Walking with Dinosaurs BBC One, 6.25pm The final episode profiles the long-necked Lusotitan, one of the largest dinosaur species. But as we're about to discover, it was a gentle giant that had just one goal — to find the perfect mate. Live Women's International Football RTÉ2, 7.30pm Having missed out on a place at Euro 2025, which begins this week, the Republic of Ireland team have to make do with another friendly against an impressive USA squad, which should provide them with a stern test. 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia Channel 4, 9pm Two-part documentary focusing on the hunt for the killer of 74-year-old Annette Smith, whose remains were found in a storage locker in Hertfordshire in late 2023. Initially reported as missing by her lodger, detectives were left reeling as the truth emerged. Concludes Monday. North By Northwest BBC Two, 1.50pm One of Alfred Hitchcock's most stylish and popular thrillers sees Cary Grant play an advertising executive who's mistaken for a spy, prompting him to go on the run across the US, chased all the way by a foreign agent. James Mason and Eva Marie Saint co-star. My Policeman RTÉ One, 9.30pm Romantic drama dealing with the love triangle between a police officer, his teacher wife and their museum curator friend during the 1950s, as well as the feelings of loss and regret they experience 40 years later. Harry Styles and Emma Corrin star. Squid Game Netflix, streaming now Brace yourselves… In the wildly anticipated third and final season of Squid Game, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, aka player 456) returns. Haunted by incremental loss, he's determined to end the deadly competition once and for all. His clash with the enigmatic Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) escalates into a (surprise, surprise) grave battle of strategy and morality, as new games and old enemies collide. With the expected level of twists — including a baby being added to the mix and the viral Gachapon craze (plastic vending balls to you) putting in a pivotal appearance — the stakes are high. As surviving players face progressively brutal choices, the line between justice and tainted vengeance increasingly blurs. Can humanity survive the harshest reality? As the world awaits the final answer, writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk promises a powerful conclusion to the global phenomenon. I think we'll be the collective judges of that. The Charles Ponzi Story AppleTV+, streaming now We've all heard of Ponzi schemes, but what do you know of their namesake? He was a broke immigrant based in 1920s Boston, who rocketed to wealth and infamy in mere months by orchestrating what would become known as the infamous scheme, one of history's boldest financial frauds. For more stories inspired by true events, try Smoke starring Taron Egerton, John Leguizamo and Greg Kinnear. Nary a Rachel Riley or a giant clock in sight in this LAPD-set moody number.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs returns with second season
HOLLYWOOD has a long history of making villains out of dinosaurs for dramatic and entertainment purposes. Given their immense size and reputation for danger, dinosaurs have been frequently depicted as fearsome monsters. A new BBC Studios documentary, however, shows a gentler side of them. Returning after 25 years, BBC classic documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs follows the lives of six dinosaurs, including the famous T-Rex and Triceratops. It can be watched on BBC Earth via Unifi TV channel 501 or Astro channel 554 on Sundays at 8pm. Each episode interweaves scenes of CGI dinosaur life with the work of scientists uncovering their fossilised remains. BBC head of development Thomas Scott and Dr Nizar Ibrahim, a scientist who worked on the series, spoke to theSun on bringing the documentary to life. How does it feel to bring back the series after 25 years? Scott: It has been a huge honour and a privilege to get the opportunity to do it. We were on the 25th anniversary of the first series and there have been many extraordinary scientific breakthroughs since then. So, between the opportunity to use new visuals and tell new stories, it was the perfect time to do it. The new series has since been watched by millions of people and it is still being watched as it launches in all the different territories. So, it has been an honour and a privilege. Nizar: I grew up watching the first season, which is such an iconic title and series. So, to work on the second series as an established scientist now feels very exciting. It feels surreal because it is something that you experienced as a child. To contribute and write the new chapter for the series was a special experience. Fortunately, the people working on the series felt the same as they were extremely passionate about the project. Everyone wanted to do science justice. Did you feel pressure to live up to or outdo the original series? Scott: I was 14 when the first series came out. I remember watching it with my parents and was inspired to do the degree I did at university and the career I have been doing from watching it. I know the same is true for lots of people in the field. So, you do feel a huge responsibility because you are not just making an amazing piece of television, you are also creating the start of a lifelong passion for palaeontology and science. That is one of the things I love about the series. Nizar: Definitely because the original series set the bar very high. It was this amazing spectacle as many people watched it. But with nostalgia tinting things a little, we tend to forget that there were a few inaccuracies pointed out by palaeontologists and scientists. It is difficult for people to distinguish between things that are directly based on fossils and things that are not. People who do not have background knowledge of palaeontology and natural history, may believe that 90% of what they are watching is made up. All they hear is an authoritative narrator telling them things but do they really know these things? So, with the new series, we are taking it one step further and ensuring viewers are not only entertained but also learn something new. What were some sources you referred to during pre-production? Scott: There is science running through every element of this. Just in terms of the scientists we work with, every episode has a key palaeontologist who is excavating the bones of the individual dinosaur. We work with those experts in the field to tell the stories of what is coming out of the ground. We also work with them to combine our knowledge of science and natural history storytelling to create the story for our individual dinosaurs. In terms of designing the dinosaurs, we work with our scientists, using their academic publications and others. Additionally, we have another layer of experts who are our series consultants who sit across the whole series. Was it easier to re-imagine the legendary creatures with the new visual effects and updated scientific knowledge? Scott: It did not make it easier because it was a different challenge. In the first series, they used a combination of CGI when it was wide shots, long lenses and close-ups. The models were anatomically correct as they could be back then. With pure CGI, you can create more dramatic sequences to build a sense of character. For instance, it enables you to have features and expressions, allowing you to build an emotional bond with the dinosaurs. But some of the CGI made things harder such as putting more feathers on dinosaurs. There is a lot more texture, lighting, colours, shading and complexities going on. But that is a challenge we are happy to embrace. Nizar: It is interesting how some of the movements of the dinosaurs look alien and surprising to some people. It is the first time that many actually see what a T-Rex or an Albertosaurus would actually look like when it is walking. It is supposed to look weird and alien-looking when you actually do it right. If you look at a T-Rex walking in Jurassic Park, it looks more like your typical Hollywood monster and it roars like a lion. But the reality is these animals are like aliens. There is nothing like a T-Rex or a Spinosaurus around today. So, it is interesting to be able to capture the alien nature of these creatures with new CGI. Will this series provide a warmer perception of dinosaurs, given the many violent portrayals of them? Scott: Certainly because we are spending so much time with an individual dinosaur. There is the chance to tell a more complex story of their social structure, their relationship with their offspring or with other members of their pack. You, as a result, get a more rounded sense of what these animals would have been like. You will get to see a Spinosaurus looking after his babies. You will see two Albertosaurs comforting each other after a failed hunt. We want people to walk away thinking that these are not monsters. Nizar: There will be a stark difference. In Hollywood movies, dinosaurs are one-dimensional creatures. They are out to destroy and eat you. Whereas with Walking with Dinosaurs, you see a palette of behaviours such as protecting their offspring, feeding and going on long journeys. You have a richer picture of an animal and not a monster. This rich palette of behaviours is something you only see in Walking with Dinosaurs. Do you think dinosaurs will ever walk this earth again through regenerative cloning? Nizar: No, but we are very fortunate that we still live in an age of dinosaurs. Birds are living dinosaurs and they carry some old fossil genes, which allowed them to switch from their dinosaurian ancestors. So, if you tweak some of those genes, you can make a chicken grow some tooth buds, a long tail and grasping arms. But it still would not be a velociraptor. Instead, it would be a very scary-looking chicken. The genetic material is far too degraded and essentially non-existent in almost all chickens. You might be able to do it one day with extinct mammals such as thylacine and mammoth. It would still be hugely challenging but we might be able to pull that off, but not a T-Rex. Dinosaurs are thousands of times older than most of us. Even if we could, it would not be a good idea as I am sure they will suffer from our human activities. It is probably better for them to be extinct.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Reimagining prehistoric villains
HOLLYWOOD has a long history of making villains out of dinosaurs for dramatic and entertainment purposes. Given their immense size and reputation for danger, dinosaurs have been frequently depicted as fearsome monsters. A new BBC Studios documentary, however, shows a gentler side of them. Returning after 25 years, BBC classic documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs follows the lives of six dinosaurs, including the famous T-Rex and Triceratops. It can be watched on BBC Earth via Unifi TV channel 501 or Astro channel 554 on Sundays at 8pm. Each episode interweaves scenes of CGI dinosaur life with the work of scientists uncovering their fossilised remains. BBC head of development Thomas Scott and Dr Nizar Ibrahim, a scientist who worked on the series, spoke to theSun on bringing the documentary to life. How does it feel to bring back the series after 25 years? Scott: It has been a huge honour and a privilege to get the opportunity to do it. We were on the 25th anniversary of the first series and there have been many extraordinary scientific breakthroughs since then. So, between the opportunity to use new visuals and tell new stories, it was the perfect time to do it. The new series has since been watched by millions of people and it is still being watched as it launches in all the different territories. So, it has been an honour and a privilege. Nizar: I grew up watching the first season, which is such an iconic title and series. So, to work on the second series as an established scientist now feels very exciting. It feels surreal because it is something that you experienced as a child. To contribute and write the new chapter for the series was a special experience. Fortunately, the people working on the series felt the same as they were extremely passionate about the project. Everyone wanted to do science justice. Did you feel pressure to live up to or outdo the original series? Scott: I was 14 when the first series came out. I remember watching it with my parents and was inspired to do the degree I did at university and the career I have been doing from watching it. I know the same is true for lots of people in the field. So, you do feel a huge responsibility because you are not just making an amazing piece of television, you are also creating the start of a lifelong passion for palaeontology and science. That is one of the things I love about the series. Nizar: Definitely because the original series set the bar very high. It was this amazing spectacle as many people watched it. But with nostalgia tinting things a little, we tend to forget that there were a few inaccuracies pointed out by palaeontologists and scientists. It is difficult for people to distinguish between things that are directly based on fossils and things that are not. People who do not have background knowledge of palaeontology and natural history, may believe that 90% of what they are watching is made up. All they hear is an authoritative narrator telling them things but do they really know these things? So, with the new series, we are taking it one step further and ensuring viewers are not only entertained but also learn something new. What were some sources you referred to during pre-production? Scott: There is science running through every element of this. Just in terms of the scientists we work with, every episode has a key palaeontologist who is excavating the bones of the individual dinosaur. We work with those experts in the field to tell the stories of what is coming out of the ground. We also work with them to combine our knowledge of science and natural history storytelling to create the story for our individual dinosaurs. In terms of designing the dinosaurs, we work with our scientists, using their academic publications and others. Additionally, we have another layer of experts who are our series consultants who sit across the whole series. Was it easier to re-imagine the legendary creatures with the new visual effects and updated scientific knowledge? Scott: It did not make it easier because it was a different challenge. In the first series, they used a combination of CGI when it was wide shots, long lenses and close-ups. The models were anatomically correct as they could be back then. With pure CGI, you can create more dramatic sequences to build a sense of character. For instance, it enables you to have features and expressions, allowing you to build an emotional bond with the dinosaurs. But some of the CGI made things harder such as putting more feathers on dinosaurs. There is a lot more texture, lighting, colours, shading and complexities going on. But that is a challenge we are happy to embrace. Nizar: It is interesting how some of the movements of the dinosaurs look alien and surprising to some people. It is the first time that many actually see what a T-Rex or an Albertosaurus would actually look like when it is walking. It is supposed to look weird and alien-looking when you actually do it right. If you look at a T-Rex walking in Jurassic Park, it looks more like your typical Hollywood monster and it roars like a lion. But the reality is these animals are like aliens. There is nothing like a T-Rex or a Spinosaurus around today. So, it is interesting to be able to capture the alien nature of these creatures with new CGI. Will this series provide a warmer perception of dinosaurs, given the many violent portrayals of them? Scott: Certainly because we are spending so much time with an individual dinosaur. There is the chance to tell a more complex story of their social structure, their relationship with their offspring or with other members of their pack. You, as a result, get a more rounded sense of what these animals would have been like. You will get to see a Spinosaurus looking after his babies. You will see two Albertosaurs comforting each other after a failed hunt. We want people to walk away thinking that these are not monsters. Nizar: There will be a stark difference. In Hollywood movies, dinosaurs are one-dimensional creatures. They are out to destroy and eat you. Whereas with Walking with Dinosaurs, you see a palette of behaviours such as protecting their offspring, feeding and going on long journeys. You have a richer picture of an animal and not a monster. This rich palette of behaviours is something you only see in Walking with Dinosaurs. Do you think dinosaurs will ever walk this earth again through regenerative cloning? Nizar: No, but we are very fortunate that we still live in an age of dinosaurs. Birds are living dinosaurs and they carry some old fossil genes, which allowed them to switch from their dinosaurian ancestors. So, if you tweak some of those genes, you can make a chicken grow some tooth buds, a long tail and grasping arms. But it still would not be a velociraptor. Instead, it would be a very scary-looking chicken. The genetic material is far too degraded and essentially non-existent in almost all chickens. You might be able to do it one day with extinct mammals such as thylacine and mammoth. It would still be hugely challenging but we might be able to pull that off, but not a T-Rex. Dinosaurs are thousands of times older than most of us. Even if we could, it would not be a good idea as I am sure they will suffer from our human activities. It is probably better for them to be extinct.
Tom's Guide
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
How to watch ‘Walking with Dinosaurs' online for FREE from anywhere
If "Jurassic Park" changed the way the world saw dinosaurs, the first series of "Walking with Dinosaurs" in 1999 added flesh and bona fide research to those very old bones. And now, twenty six years later, it is back with a new cast of characters (see trailer below) from over 60 million years ago... Traveling outside the U.S.? Don't miss the show back home. Simply download a VPN to stream the show from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN. "Walking with Dinosaurs" runs from Monday, June 16 to Wednesday, June 18 at 7 p.m. ET on Nine PBS and livestream.• U.S. FREE STREAM — Nine U.K. — BBC iPlayer (Available Now)• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 30-day trial New scientific evidence has revealed much more about how dinosaurs actually lived, hunted, fought and died and state-of-the-art visual effects are used here to stunning effect to deliver that knowledge and history to a new and demanding audience in the same style that won over so many at the turn of the last century. According to the advance publicity, the 2025 series will take us from ancient Morocco to meet the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever known (Spinosaurus) to North America to watch a young Triceratops fight for survival and Portugal where a Lusotitan has a struggle of a different kind. And then there's the Utahraptors, Albertosaurus and Pachyrhinosaurus. Who? What? Tune in to find out. Read our guide below for how to watch "Walking with Dinosaurs" online now, live and on-demand through Nine "Walking with Dinosaurs" begins on Monday, June 16 with back-to-back episodes at 7 p.m. ET on Nine PBS and livestream. This will continue until Wednesday, June 18 where the series concludes at 8 p.m. ET. Don't have time during the week to watch them. No worries, there will also be a Dinosaur marathon of all episodes on Sunday, June 22 from 11 a.m. ET. If you don't have access to cable, you can stream your local PBS channel through the PBS website and app. Not in the U.S. when "Walking with Dinosaurs" airs on Nine PBS? Don't worry — as we explain below, you can watch it live or on-demand when you download a VPN. We recommend NordVPN. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching "Walking with Dinosaurs" on Nine PBS? Luckily, you can still watch the show online thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where you are in the world. So it's ideal for viewers who may travel a lot and don't want to miss their favorite shows. Our favourite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market – and you can find out why in our NordVPN review. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 70% off NordVPN with this deal and a FREE Amazon gift card when you purchase a two-year plan (Exclusive deal for Canadian and U.S. residents) Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view your usual U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list (You'll need the Saint Louis server to access PBS' stream) 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to and stream "Walking with Dinosaurs" online on Masterpiece. Unfortunately, while PBS is available to Canadian residents, the Nine PBS channel isn't. Currently in Canada? Download a VPN and connect to the correct server so you can enjoy "Walking with Dinosaurs" without the hassle of waiting till you're home. The new six-part "Walking with Dinosaurs" docuseries is already available to stream on BBC iPlayer. This is before PBS in the USA. However, if you're an American citizen in the U.K. right now and want to use your usual domestic streaming platform, a VPN will allow you to stream "Walking with Dinosaurs" online by unblocking the free PBS website. We recommend NordVPN. "Walking with Dinosaurs" can be streamed in Australia on ABC iview NOW. It premiered on Tuesday, June 3rd - and is now available on demand! Don't have an ABC account? All you need to do is enter the usual details and your Aussie postcode (e.g. 2001). If you're outside Australia for work, make sure to use NordVPN so you can access ABC iview. Episode 01 - "The Orphan": Sixty-six million years ago, an orphaned baby triceratops roamed the lush world of Laramidia, alone and vulnerable. Stalked by the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, the youngster relied on her wits and diminutive size to survive. Today, paleontologists in Montana are uncovering her fossils, allowing us to imagine her life and the dangers she faced. Stunning VFX recreate her encounters, from escaping a giant pterosaur to a heart-stopping face-off with T. Rex, bringing her story vividly to life. Episode 02 - "The River Dragon": North Africa, 100 million years ago. A Spinosaurus father must embark on a dangerous voyage to feed his babies. To reach the destination, he must lead his young family across one of the deadliest environments in earth's history: a land crawling with ferocious predators. At the end of their journey, an extraordinary feast awaits - if he can run the gauntlet without his babies becoming someone else's meal. Episode 03 - "Band of Brothers": Utah, 130 million years ago. A band of armoured dinosaurs battle to reach adulthood, pursued by some of the most formidable predators that have ever lived: Utahraptors. It's a deadly game of cat and mouse that pits heavy armour against vicious claws and lethal cunning; a life-and-death struggle that builds to a final showdown amongst the flames of a burning forest. Episode 04 - "The Pack": Seventy-one million years ago lived a teenage Albertosaurus - a faster, nimbler relative of T. rex. She had to earn her place in a deadly, ferocious pack or risk starvation. Today, palaeontologists in western Canada are unearthing her remains, allowing us to imagine her story. Based on real-world evidence, stunning VFX recreate her encounters, from hunting pterosaurs to fighting the dominant matriarch and battling for survival in the brutal late Cretaceous world. Episode 05 - "The Journey North": Based on an unprecedented discovery in Alberta, Canada, this episode tells the epic tale of a Pachyrhinosaurus herd, one of the largest dinosaur groups that ever lived, through the eyes of its young member Albie. Episode 06 - "Island of Giants": The tale of one of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth, a colossal, long-necked Lusotitan. Living 150 million years ago on an island known as the Iberian Mesta, now in Portugal, this 25-metre-long titan dwarfs every other dinosaur in the region. Yet his intimidating size is only part of the story. His ultimate goal is to win over a female and secure his legacy. It's a quest that will see him embark on an epic journey as he risks his life for love. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
