2
7
6
(funny enough to revisit)
(veiled references to drugs, a little strong language, dinos with no pants)
(nothing substantial)
Looking at my collection of “sit-com” TVD’s I have to laugh. I watched "The Cosby Show" way back when, "Family Ties," "Sanford & Son" (one of the few I’ll still stop to watch if I catch it on), and others, but for the most part I’ve grown bored with that type of show. Currently there aren’t any I watch on TV, and what I have in my collection can barely be considered Sit-Com genre: "The Simpsons," "ALF," and now "Dinosaurs." Now that you have some idea of my tastes I’ll fill you in on why "Dinosaurs" is worth my time.
In some ways this show is very much the stereotypical sit-com family. In a lot of ways the Sinclairs are very similar to the Simpsons, and with some variation the Tanners and other TV families. There’s the middle-aged father, a not-too-bright blue collar worker with more than his share of weight on his bones who, despite what flaws he may have such as being a bit gruff around the edges, is unquestioningly devoted to his family. Then there’s the attractive (used relatively in the case of dinosaur puppets, of course), self-assured wife who is the voice of reason and brains of the collective parental unit. Two kids, a boy and a girl, who face the challenges of school and whose driving ambitions are to hang out with friends. The baby, who in this case is pretty much the star of the show, the father’s bachelor best friend, the father’s overbearing boss, and Grandma who doesn’t approve of her daughter’s choice in husbands.
In "The Simpsons" they’re all cartoons, in "ALF" they’re housing an alien, and in "Dinosaurs" they’re all… yep, you guessed it futuristic ectoplasm… just kidding! They’re dinosaurs living in prehistoric times. Think Flintstones with the roles of Fred and Dino reversed. OK, maybe that’s not the best analogy since Earl only has a pet human for 1 episode, however, humans are kept as zoo animals and used in TV shows in the same way Mr. Ed was. Plus there are creatures living in the fridge and garbage can, pterodactyls dropping the morning paper from the sky, and that sort of thing.
Much of the humor is from the same kind of thinking as "Flintstones:" modern concepts presented in ancient context. The Mr. Ed as a human joke is a perfect example. We also get to see the prehistoric version of "Funniest Home Videos," crazy TV salesmen, wrestling, zoos, and even Ninja Turtles (just a poster, not actual turtles - or cavemen in this case).
While the prehistoric parodies are probably the main reason I like the show as much as I do, the comedy is not limited to that. There are plenty of laughs coming from the situations as well such as Earl’s clash with Baby (not the mama!), Earl’s clash with Fran, Earl’s clash with the kids, Earl’s clash with his boss… hmm, I think a pattern is forming here… How about Baby trying to eat his own tail or playing with fire.
The show is loads of fun although the actions often feel more staged than natural. I guess that's hard to avoid with an all-puppet cast. Many of the bit parts are played by dinos that look and act pretty much the same although I suppose that’s forgivable in the grander scheme of the laughter. You do have to get past the fact that you are watching puppets rather than people. It’s kind of cartoonish even though it’s technically live-action. If you like cartoons that’s not a problem, if you’re not so keen on them you may not enjoy the show that much.
Morality
We’re dealing with dinosaur puppets so lack of clothing is a non-issue (nobody wears pants). Sexual innuendo is so tame it’s bland though some dino issues can be metaphorical for human sexuality. There is an episode dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace.
The show deals with drugs on a couple of occasions, but again it’s veiled by being put into dino terms.
The language is probably the most questionable thing. It’s not too strong, probably not anywhere close to "The Simpsons," but there are a couple of questionable words in most of the episodes.
Spirituality
There is virtually nothing spiritual or religious here. It's easy to think that there might be a lot of talk about evolution in a series about dinosaurs, but it's actually minimal with the exception of humans being somewhat animalistic (presumably having not yet evolved to the point of being able to communicate like we can now). And we're dealing with a show about talking dinosaurs that live in houses, even if they put forth any notions how could you take them seriously?
There are some positive elements such as the Sinclairs working through their marital troubles and reconciling with their kids when things go badly between them. There's something to be said for shows that place value on families sticking together. We do get themes such as old dinosaurs being thrown into the tar pit, but the idea of episodes like that is for the younger generation to question it and find a better way.
Final Thoughts
Overall I think that "ALF" is a better show. The writing, comedy, and acting are all better (at least in the early seasons). If I were going to get one show and not the other that would be my choice. However, I think most fans of "ALF" would like "Dinosaurs." If you can catch it in syndication that’s your best test of interest. It's a fun set to have if you like keeping some odd comedy around to watch on a stressful day.
Buying Guide
The first two seasons of Dinosaurs come in a single package. This will be an easy guide because there is only one version of the release.
There is a single TVD edition out there. There is no series box set.
Final Recommendation:
While some of the extras are small there are some good ones here. I wouldn't say any of them are enough to really sway a purchase decision, but if you're a fan of the show chances are good that you'll enjoy some of these features. Overall it's a fun package with some creativity put into it.
The Complete First & Second Seasons set is a 4 disc TVD package. Disc 1 is season 1; 2-4 are season 2.
Video
1.33:
This is the TV standard ratio. It looks good for an older TV show. It's fairly grainy and even a little fuzzy, but you're not buying an old comedy TV show made with puppets for its astounding quality I hope.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
It sounds clean and clear with good levels but is not very robust. There is just enough bass to not feel totally deficient while being heavy on the high ranges.
Packaging
The packaging offers a bit of fun creativity with its art design. The outer case is a picture of an egg, crack it and slide it apart to reveal what's inside. Inside is a book with the disc trays. Unfortunately, it uses the stacked DVD design that I hate so much. That means to remove disc 2 you first have to remove disc 1 then replace it only to have to remove and replace it again when disc 2 goes back into the case. Who came up with this design? You’re fired!
The back of the folder includes an episode list and other disc contents but the set offers no other details for the episodes.
Some of the interface elements are amusing. The screen looks like a cave wall. You’re holding a torch (with an animated flame) and looking at “ancient” paintings of the shows characters.
Put in disc one and you’re immediately treated to the set’s second major annoyance: 30 minutes of previews, warnings, and such. Not only did I want to see "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" when it came out, I liked it enough to buy it on DVD. But despite my interest I DO NOT want to have to sit through the preview every time I want to watch a "Dinosaurs" episode! Sure you can use chapter skip to get by, but then there are just more previews. If I can skip it anyway how detrimental to sales is it to just put a link on a menu and let me decide for myself if I want to watch it or not?? All this does is aggravate me. And now that the movie has come and gone, it’s still going to play and say “Coming soon to theaters!” on my TVD. Thank goodness this is only on disc 1. The others have only a logo and a warning so it’s not so bad.
Extras
-Pre-Hysterical Times (13:26) This is a behind-the-scenes feature that deals with the origins and making the show. It's pretty interesting.
-Creating Dinosaurs (4:03) This collection of sketches is not a slideshow gallery though we get good closeup views of the images. It actually a presentation hosted by the artist and shows the creative process behind designing the characters.
-Previews: There are several previews (the same ones they make you sit through when you put in the disc) offered in a menu. The first page features some original animation. There's a play all option.
-DVD Registration: This will let you replace damaged discs and get mail from Disney. Click the menu link to find out how.
Easter Eggs:
To add to the whole archeology theme there are dinosaur eggs scattered liberally throughout the set. They are short clips of various types. Some are behind-the-scenes things, some are trivia segments, and others are Earl interviews. Since there are so many I will list them by disc. I don't know for sure if this is all of them, but it's all I found.
Disc 1
-Intro (0:20) This is an intro to the collection by Brian Henson who talks about the other hidden eggs. On the main menu highlight the egg in the title
-Inside the Suit (0:24) This is a behind-the-scenes look at acting in the dino suits by the man in the Earl suit. He uses a model to illustrate what he's saying. On the main menu look by Earl’s neck. It will probably be highlighted automatically after watching the Intro clip.
-Name Origin Trivia (0:40) Find out where the names came from. On the bonus features menu, look on Baby’s chin.
Disc 2
-What's Your Favorite Kind Of Dinosaur (0:26) Who does Earl like? On the set up menu look on Richfield’s watch.
-Record Trivia (0:23) This was the first series to.... Episodes page 2 look between 5 & 7.
Disc 3
-What's the Message Behind Dinosaurs (0:23) Earl's take on life. On the main menu look in the flames.
-Pants Trivia (0:17) Very funny. On the set up page look on Roy’s knee.
-Baby Puppet (1:50) A look at the actual puppet and what it takes to make it work. Episodes page 1 look on Baby’s hand.
Disc 4
-Middle Name Trivia (0:12) Ever wondered about their full names? Episodes page 2 look in the “o” in “episode.”
-Photo Album (1:24) This is a look at some of the images in Bill's personal photo book. It's not a gallery but offers some good close-up shots of the images On the set up page look by Earl’s head.