Apple TV+ rolled out a major new TV series this week, Prehistoric Planet, which is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First of all, the series has been debuting a brand new episode every night throughout the entire week like a classic television event; second, it’s a CG documentary about the life of dinosaurs on prehistoric Earth narrated by Sir David Attenborough, executive produced by Jon Favreau, and featuring music by Hans Zimmer; and finally, it has a prefect score on Rotten Tomatoes. With fourteen critic reviews as of this writing the series maintains a 100% rating, and even holds a 97% Audience score.
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In their review, CNN called the series “a welcome reminder that the pop-culture vision of dinosaurs that has become magnified in the rear-view mirror goes beyond just the stuff of science fiction.” Daily Telegraph awarded it a 5 out of 5, writing: “Stunning feat of CGI. The dinosaurs look as real as any animal you see in a wildlife documentary. This is the point.” The Times (UK) also gave it a perfect score, adding: “Some of you may find the music a tad annoying, but for sheer creative effort and imagination it deserves five stars.”
The first three episodes of the series have been released on the streamplatform with two more set to arrive by the end of the week. You cee the official episode descriptions and schedule below along with the trailer.
Episode 1, “Coasts”: A pregnant Tuarangisaurus is in distress – and her young calf can sense it – as she travels waters that are home to the ocean’s deadliest predators. Premiere Date: May 23, 2022
Episode 2, “Deserts”: Above the deserts of North Africa, aerial combat ensues as male Barbaridactylus pterosaurs fight for the attention of females below. Premiere Date: May 24, 2022
Episode 3, “Freshwater”: With its feathered body and duck bill, the eight-ton Deinocheirus wades through an Asian wetland in search of relief from pesky biting flies. Premiere Date: May 25, 2022
Episode 4, “Ice Worlds”: Within the snow-covered forest, a tense standoff develops between ancient rivals, Pachyrhinosaurus and Nanuqsaurus. Premiere Date: May 26, 2022
Episode 5, “Forests”: A journey through an underground cave in North America turns perilous when a young Triceratops is separated from its mother. Premiere Date: May 27, 2022
Spanning one episode per night, “Prehistoric Planet presents little-known and surprising facts of dinosaur life set against the backdrop of the environments of Cretaceous times, including coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice worlds and forests,” per the official description from Apple TV+. “From revealing eye-opening parenting techniques of Tyrannosaurus rex to exploring the mysterious depths of the oceans and the deadly dangers in the sky, Prehistoric Planet brings Earth’s history to life like never before.”
BBC Studios Productions’ Natural History Unit (Planet Dinosaur, Planet Earth, The Green Planet) produces the event series for Apple TV+ with support from the photorealistic visual effects of MPC (the Favreau-directed The Lion King, The Jungle Book). Favreau is executive producer with Mike Gunton (Nature, Dynasties).
