Walking with...: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:58, 10 June 2024

Revision as of 07:45, 11 June 2024

Line 7:

| image_size = 180px

| caption = Cover of the Australian 2008 DVD box set of the franchise

| creator = {{nowrap|[[Tim Haines]] & [[Jasper James]]{{efn|Tim Haines conceptualized both ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' and ''Walking with Beasts'' and is often referred to as the creator of the series.<ref name=":04">{{cite web |last1=Haines |first1=Tim |title=The Making of…Walking with Dinosaurs |url=http://www.dinosaurlive.com/about-the-show/the-making-of/ |access-date=10 JanuaryApril 20192016}}</ref><ref name=":11" /> Jasper James joined as producer during the development of ''Walking with Dinosaurs<ref name=":132">{{Cite web |title=Summary |url=http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021015129/http://walkingwithdinosaurs-theorigins.com/index.php |archive-date=21 October 20182013 |access-date=21 October 20182013 |website=Walking with Dinosaurs - The Origins}}</ref>'' and served as co-creator and creator for later programmes; together they founded [[Impossible Pictures]], which produced all series and specials except for ''Walking with Cavemen''. Additional creators behind the different series include [[Susan Spindler]] (co-creator of ''Walking with Dinosaurs''),<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2001 |title=BBC "Making It Happen" Project Director Joins Speakers at CSR Forum |url=https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/21495-bbc-making-it-happen-project-director-joins-speakers-at-csr-forum |access-date=30 MayApril 20232022 |website=CSRWire |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{Cite web |title=Greg Dyke Making It Happen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/02_february/07/makingithappen.shtml |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=BBC - Press Office}}</ref> Andrew Wilks (co-creator of ''Walking with Beasts'' and ''Walking with Monsters''), Richard Dale and Peter Georgi (creators of ''Walking with Cavemen'') and [[Chloe Leland]] (co-creator of ''Walking with Monsters'').}}}}

| origin = ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]''

| owner = [[BBC]]

Line 23:

* ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|Land of Giants]]''}}

| plays = ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular]]''

}}'''''Walking with...'''''{{efn|'''''Walking with...''''' is the conventional umbrella title for the franchise.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rawnsley |first1=Ming-Yeh T. |author1-link=Ming-Yeh Rawnsley |author2-link=Gary D. Rawnsley |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qb9aDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT175 |title=Connecting Taiwan: Participation – Integration – Impacts |last2=Rawnsley |first2=Gary D. |date=2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-26894-3 |editor-last=Storm |editor-first=Carsten |language=en |chapter=Science communication in Taiwan}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{Cite web |title=BBC - Worldwide Press Office - Walking with Spacemen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2003/03_march/wws.shtml |access-date=2 May 20232022 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Other names sometimes used include '''''Walking with Prehistoric Life<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2022 |title=11 Must-Watch Dinosaur Movies That Aren't 'Jurassic Park' |url=https://collider.com/dinosaur-movies-that-arent-jurassic-park/ |access-date=2 May 20232022 |website=Collider |language=en-US}}</ref>''''' and '''''Prehistoric Earth'''''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calderaro |first=Marc |date=31 July 2008 |title=Prehistoric Earth: A Natural History, PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/prehistoric-earth-a-natural-history-2496135312.html |access-date=2 May 2022 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]'' (1999), ''[[Walking with Beasts|Beasts]]'' (2001) and ''[[Walking with Monsters|Monsters]]'' (2005) have also been marketed together as the '''''Trilogy of Life'''''.<ref name=":5">''Walking with Monsters'' DVD - ''Trilogy of Life'' featurette</ref>}} is a [[Paleontology|palaeontology]] [[media franchise]] produced and broadcast by the [[BBC Studios Science Unit]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Støen |first=Michael |date=20232022 |title=1999: The BBC simulates prehistoric wildlife |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09636625211068944 |journal=Public Understanding of Science |volume=31 |issue=4 |language=en |pages=524–529 |doi=10.1177/09636625211068944 |pmid=35062833 |s2cid=246165620 |issn=0963-6625}}</ref> The franchise began with the series ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]'' (1999), created by [[Tim Haines]]. By far the most watched science programme in British television during the 20th century,<ref name=":172" /> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' spawned companion material and four sequel series: ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'' (2001), ''[[Walking with Cavemen]]'' (2003), ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'' (20042003) and ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'' (2005). Each series uses a combination of [[computer-generated imagery]] and [[animatronics]], incorporated with [[live action]] footage shot at various locations, to portray prehistoric animals in the style of a traditional [[nature documentary]].

The ''Walking with...'' programmes were praised for their special effects and for their science communication. Though largely praised by scientists for the effort to adhere to science and for portraying prehistoric life as animals rather than movie monsters, some academic criticism has been leveled at the series for not making clear through their narration what is speculative and what is based in fact.<ref name=":92">{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |author-link=Darren Naish |title=Reminiscing About Walking With Dinosaurs, Part 2 |url=https://tetzoo.com/blog/2021/7/3/reminiscing-about-walking-with-dinosaurs-part-2 |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=Tetrapod Zoology |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In addition to the five main series, the success of ''Walking with...'' also led to the production of the ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' special episodes ''[[The Ballad of Big Al]]'', [[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|''The Giant Claw'' and ''Land of Giants'']]. The franchise has also been accompanied by several books, merchandise, video games and the live theatrical show ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular]]''. In 2013, [[Walking with Dinosaurs (film)|a movie]] based on ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', with the same name, was directed by [[Neil Nightingale]] and [[Barry Cook]].<ref>{{Citation |last1=Cook |first1=Barry |title=Walking with Dinosaurs 3D |date=19 December 2013 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1762399/ |type=Animation, Adventure, Comedy |publisher=Animal Logic, BBC Earth MD (WWD), BBC Earth |access-date=52 JunApril 20232022 |last2=Nightingale |first2=Neil}}</ref>

== Development ==

Line 36:

2000 saw the release of a special episode of ''Dinosaurs'', ''[[The Ballad of Big Al]]'', focusing on a single ''[[Allosaurus]]'' specimen.''<ref name="BBC One">{{Cite web |title=Walking with Dinosaurs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sy534/episodes/guide |access-date=12 October 2020 |website=BBC One}}</ref>'' The first entire sequel series released in 2001: ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'', which explored the life of the Cenozoic, after the age of the dinosaurs. Like ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' before it, ''Beasts'' was the idea of Haines. Haines wished to introduce the general public to the assortment of animals of the Cenozoic, typically less represented in popular culture than the dinosaurs.<ref name=":11">{{cite video |title=Tim Haines Production Interview |date=2002 |people=Tim Haines |medium=''Walking with Beasts'' DVD featurette |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Haines served as executive producer on the series, with James and Nigel Paterson producing and directing.<ref name=":12">{{cite web |date=2001 |title=Making Of - TV Production |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/prod/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011223144053/http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/prod/index.shtml |archive-date=23 December 2001 |publisher=bbc.co.uk}}</ref> ''Beasts'' was in terms of effects more challenging to produce than ''Dinosaurs'', owing to mammals having features such as fur, whiskers, eyebrows and various floppy parts absent in dinosaurs, and to audiences being more familiar with how mammals move and act and thus better at spotting mistakes.<ref name=":3" />

[[File:Walking with Spacemen book cover.png|thumb|Initial cover for the companion book of the 20032004 BBC series ''[[Space Odyssey (TV series)|Space Odyssey]]'', initially intended to be part of the ''Walking with...'' franchise as "''Walking with Spacemen''"|upright=0.8]]

In late 2002 and early 2003, further special episodes of ''Dinosaurs'' were broadcast: ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|Land of Giants]]'' and ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|The Giant Claw]]''. These specials starred wildlife presenter [[Nigel Marven]] as a "time-traveling zoologist". Marven's inclusion was mainly so that audiences would have a better understanding of the scale of the animals shown.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=The Giant Claw {{!}} Impossible Pictures |url=http://impossiblepictures.co.uk/project/the-giant-claw/ |access-date=18 MayOctober 20212020 |website=impossiblepictures.co.uk}}</ref> While Haines, James and Impossible Pictures worked on ''Land of Giants'' and ''The Giant Claw'', the BBC produced a further series without their involvement: ''[[Walking with Cavemen]]'', also broadcast in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 May 2014 |title='Walking with Dinosaurs' - the Television Phenomenon |url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A87827629 |access-date=25 April 20232022 |website=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition}}</ref> ''Cavemen'' acted as a sequel to ''Beasts'', exploring [[human evolution]]. The series was created by Richard Dale and Peter Georgi, both of whom had previously worked together on documentaries such as ''[[The Human Body (2001 film)|The Human Body]]'', and starred [[Robert Winston, Baron Winston|Robert Winston]] as a presenter.<ref name=":22">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/03_march/12/cavemen.pdf ''Walking with Cavemen'' - BBC One Press Pack] (3 March 2003)</ref> The success of ''Land of Giants'' and ''The Giant Claw'' led to the creation of ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'', broadcast in 20042003, a miniseries exploring the "seven deadliest seas of all time", once again starring Marven.<ref name="bbc">{{Cite news |last=Kettlewell |first=Julianna |date=7 AprilNovember 20042003 |title=Ancient sea monsters bite back |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3247691.stm |url-status=live |access-date=16 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016150627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3247691.stm |archive-date=16 October 2020}}</ref>

The series ''[[Space Odyssey (TV series)|Space Odyssey]]'' (20032004), produced by Haines and James at Impossible Pictures together with BBC Worldwide, the Discovery Channel and ProSieben, was originally going to be titled ''Walking with Spacemen''. Both executives of the BBC and ProSieben heralded ''Walking with Spacemen'' as the logical next step in the series, following on from the journey began with ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', ''Beasts'' and ''Cavemen''.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Meza |first=Ed |date=27 March 2003 |title=ProSieben, Discovery 'Spacemen' in orbit |url=https://variety.com/2003/scene/markets-festivals/prosieben-discovery-spacemen-in-orbit-1117883674/ |access-date=2 May 20232022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Space Odyssey'' used special effects and techniques from the ''Walking with...'' documentaries<ref name=":1" /> to speculate how astronauts may explore the various planets in the [[Solar System]] on [[Human spaceflight|crewed missions]].<ref name="BBC" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=27 March 2003 |title=Blue plaques for film stars' seats |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2892155.stm |access-date=2 May 2022}}</ref> Despite the title change, ''Space Odyssey'' has at times been referred to as ''Walking with Spacemen'' also after its release<ref name=":0" /> and the old title was used in some of the companion material, including as the title of the earliest editions of the companion book, co-authored by Haines and [[Christopher Riley]].<ref>[https://www.amazon.in/Voyage-Planets-Beyond-Giles-Milton/dp/0756612659 ''Walking with Spacemen'' (2004) by Tim Haines and Christopher Riley]. ''[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]''. Retrieved 2 May 2022.</ref>

Instead of a futuristic series, Haines and Impossible Pictures decided to round off the ''Walking with...'' series by making a programme on the before then largely underutilized [[Paleozoic]] era, set before the dinosaurs. ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'', broadcast in 2005, utilized the most sophisticated effects of the entire franchise, owing to advancements in technology by the time of its production.<ref name=":4" />

Framestore and Crawley Creatures returned to do the computer graphics and animatronics, respectively, for every successor series,<ref name=":3">{{cite web |date=2001 |title=Making Of - Computer Graphics |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/cg/index.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011221074333/http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/cg/index.shtml |archive-date=21 December 2001 |publisher=bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web |date=2001 |title=Making Of - Animatronics |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/anim/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011221070809/http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/makingof/anim/ |archive-date=21 December 2001 |publisher=bbc.co.uk}}</ref><!-- sources for Walking with Beasts --><ref name="Framestore">{{Cite web |date=15 February 2012 |title=Framestore CFC Makes Sea Monsters |url=https://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/news/framestore-cfc-makes-sea-monsters-396143 |access-date=25 October 2020 |website=Creative Planet Network |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 May 2019 |title=Films, TV & Adverts |url=https://crawley-creatures.com/films-tv-adverts/ |access-date=17 October 2020 |website=Crawley Creatures |language=en-GB}}</ref><!-- sources for Sea Monsters --><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=1 June 2016 |title=Walking With... Series |url=https://www.framestore.com/work/walking-series?language=en |access-date=25 MayApril 20232022 |website=Framestore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mike |title=The People Behind Prehistoric Animal Animatronics and Puppetry |url=https://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2010/10/25/4664347.html |access-date=2 May 2022 |website=Everything Dinosaur Blog |date=25 October 2010 |language=en-US}}</ref><!-- sources for Walking with Monsters --> with the sole exception of ''Walking with Cavemen'', which involved Framestore but not Crawley Creatures.<ref name=":22"/> The practical effects of ''Walking with Cavemen'' were done by several companies, including Altered States FX, Animated Extras and BGFX.<ref name=":CV">{{Cite web |title=fantasy makeups {{!}} hominids and cavegirls {{!}} Suzanne Cave in 'Walking with Cavemen' {{!}} themakeupgallery |url=https://www.themakeupgallery.info/fantasy/hominid/walkingsc.htm |access-date=24 April 20182022 |website=www.themakeupgallery.info}}</ref> After the release of ''Monsters'', Impossible Pictures, Framestore and the others involved were effectively forced to move on from documentary filmmaking and produce other series like ''[[Primeval (TV series)|Primeval]]'' (2007–2011) due to companies and executives losing interest in funding fact-based documentaries on prehistoric life.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Naish |first=Darren |author-link=Darren Naish |title=Reminiscing About Walking With Dinosaurs, Part 1 |url=https://tetzoo.com/blog/2021/6/23/reminiscing-about-walking-with-dinosaurs-part-1 |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=Tetrapod Zoology |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Television series ==

Line 72:

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | ''[[Walking with Cavemen]]''

| style="text-align:center" | 1327 March – 2523 NovemberApril 2003

| Richard Dale

| Richard Dale, Nick Green, Mark Hedgecoe & [[Peter Oxley]]

Line 80:

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | ''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]''

| style="text-align:center" | 9–23 9November April - 24 April 20042003

| Jasper James

| Tim Haines, Adam Kemp & Jasper James

Line 88:

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | ''[[Walking with Monsters]]''

| style="text-align:center" | 5 November 2005{{efn|''Walking with Monsters'' first aired as a [[omnibus (broadcast)|omnibus]] version, cut together into a single 90-minute instalment, on 5 November 2005. The series as divided into three episodes first aired a month later, 8–19 OctoberDecember 2005.}}

| [[Chloe Leland]] & Tim Haines

| Tim Haines & Chloe Leland

Line 103:

| 2003a = ''[[Land of Giants / The Giant Claw|Land of Giants]]''

| 2003b = '''''[[Walking with Cavemen]]'''''

| 2004c2003c = '''''[[Sea Monsters (TV series)|Sea Monsters]]'''''

| 2005 = '''''[[Walking with Monsters]]'''''

}}

Line 110:

{{Main|Walking with Dinosaurs}}Envisioned as the first "Natural History of Dinosaurs" and a series that would provide viewers with "a window into a lost world",<ref name=":172">{{Cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=Karen D. |last2=White |first2=Anne M. |date=2003 |title=Unnatural History? Deconstructing the Walking with Dinosaurs Phenomenon |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0163443703025003002 |journal=Media, Culture & Society |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=315–332 |doi=10.1177/0163443703025003002 |s2cid=143566889 |issn=0163-4437}}</ref> ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' explores life in the [[Mesozoic]] era, particularly [[dinosaur]]s, in the format of a traditional [[nature documentary]].

==== Specials (2000–20042000–2003) ====

{{Main|The Ballad of Big Al|Land of Giants / The Giant Claw}}The first special episode of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' to be released was ''The Ballad of Big Al'' (2000). ''Big Al'' follows a single ''Allosaurus'' specimen nicknamed [[Allosaurus#"Big Al" and "Big Al II"|"Big Al"]] whose life story has been reconstructed based on a well-preserved fossil of the same name. The two later specials, ''The Giant Claw'' (2002) and ''Land of Giants'' (2003), star "time-travelling zoologist" Nigel Marven as he travels back in time to encounter and interact with prehistoric life.

Line 119:

{{Main|Walking with Cavemen}}''Walking with Cavemen'' follows ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' and ''Walking with Beasts'' in adopting the same nature documentary style, though this time involving presenter [[Robert Winston, Baron Winston|Robert Winston]]. ''Cavemen'' follows the story of human evolution through exploring key developments on the path from ''Australopithecus afarensis'' to modern humans. The programme often focuses on particular characters and their relationships to each other in order to be more accessible to viewers.

=== ''Sea Monsters'' (20042003) ===

{{Main|Sea Monsters (TV series)}}''Sea Monsters'' once again stars Nigel Marven as a "time-traveling zoologist" who this time travels to seven different periods of time in prehistory, diving in the "seven deadliest seas of all time" and encountering and interacting with the prehistoric creatures who inhabit them.