"Dinotopia" (2002/I) TV series 2002-2003

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Writers:

James Gurney (books)
Raymond Khoury (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

28 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Adventure isn't extinct.

Plot Keywords:

Short Lived | Television Flop | Utopia | Lost Civilization | Lost World

Awards:

6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Erik von Detten	...	Karl Scott (11 episodes, 2002-2003)
Shiloh Strong	...	David Scott (11 episodes, 2002-2003)
Zoltan Papp	...	Martino (11 episodes, 2002-2003)
Omid Djalili	...	Zipeau (10 episodes, 2002-2003)
Sophie Ward	...	Rosemary (9 episodes, 2002-2003)
Lisa Zane	...	Le Sage (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Michael Brandon	...	Frank Scott (7 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jonathan Hyde	...	Mayor Waldo (7 episodes, 2002-2003)
Zoltán Seress	...	Quint (7 episodes, 2002-2003)
Georgina Rylance	...	Marion (5 episodes, 2002-2003)
Sian Brooke	...	Krista (5 episodes, 2002-2003)

Also Known As:

Dinotopia: The Series (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

ABC Productions

Trivia:

In the US, ABC cancelled Dinotopia: The Series on 17 December 2002 after only airing 6 episodes, leaving 7 episodes unaired. All 13 original episodes were released on DVD in January 2004. Complete series aired in Europe in the summer 2003.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Dinotopia" (2002/II)

Huge improvement over the miniseries

For those who read and loved James Gurney's Dinotopia books, the miniseries was quite a letdown. With one dimensional characters, hammy acting (with the exception of David Thewlis), and a clunky script, it failed, even over a six hour period, to capture the magic that Gurney had created. The good news is that the series seems to be a marked improvement. While still plagued with cheesy dialogue, the cast comes across as much more talented, and they have a good deal more charisma. The abundant dinosaurs, while not ILM quality, are very impressive, and become a part of the story rather than a cheap visual gimmick. The producers also have wisely decided to keep much of Trevor Jones' orchestral score from the miniseries, a blessing in today's slew of corny pop TV themes. While it still has a long way to go before it can be called as good as the books, this series shows great promise. Let's hope the pieces continue to fall into place before it is cancelled and the opportunity is lost forever.