Apple TV’s new dinosaur documentary, Prehistoric Planet with David Attenborough, is a visual masterpiece so well-done that many viewers will forget it isn’t real.
Produced by BBC’s Studios Natural History Unit, Prehistoric Planet marks the production company’s third foray into dino-documentaries as well as something like Attenborough’s 934th run as narrator in the Planet franchise.
Ordered by Apple back in 2019, the series follows various species of dinos around the world in various climates, a nature doc template proven to be tried and true as it cemented Planet Earth‘s success back in 2006.
From the first episode “Coasts” to the final, titled “Forests,” the series is both familiar and fresh. But as this “documentary” isn’t exactly covering nature in real time like it’s previous incarnation, what exactly can viewers expect from this iteration of the beloved series?
Prehistoric Planet Spins on a Familiar Axis
Sticking with that winning formula, there are no real surprises here. Prehistoric Planet is what the Planet Earth series would be if there were a key-grip brave enough to stand face-to-face with the ferocious and overwhelmingly powerful creatures that dominated our planet 66 million years ago.
The set pieces are astounding, gorgeous, and inviting; Prehistoric Planet is a triumph in that regard.
The journey begins on shallow coasts with a Tyrannosaurus Rex and her young crossing an intercoastal body of water in search of food. As she escorts her young across the narrow waterway, viewers are treated to the first predator-on-predator exchange–a 15-ton Mosasaurus stalks the family just below the surface.
Spoiler alert: One of them loses.
Beyond the coastal waters, Attenborough escorts viewers across the planet into an unbelievably detailed and engaging look at what life may have been like in frozen worlds, deserts, freshwaters, and more.
Just as Planet Earth followed modern day fauna into the ocean deep and across lush greens and inhospitable environments alike, Prehistoric Planet asks viewers to be neutral observers of these creatures, but to never interfere, only to accept the beauty of nature and all of its tragedies and triumphs.
A Journey Through Time
In Prehistoric Planet, turtles are as large as busses. Predatory pterosaurs disguise their genders to mate and adorn horns the length of men. Thirty-foot long Marine-dwelling tuarangisaurs patrol the waters of the sunken continent of Zealandia while velociraptors survive on a diet of lizards, existing only by the good graces of carnivores far more frightening than those conjured by Hollywood.
Though there are likely paleontologists who question the scientific speculation and liberties showrunner Jon Favreau took with the series, the result is a stunning look at what the world once was, before that fateful day an asteroid changed our planet forever.
Attenborough’s walk through the Cretaceous period is so engaging viewers will forget that his voice is the only attribute of the film that is real as they slip in and out of reality.
Could Prehistoric Planet be One of the Best Apple TV Shows Yet?
In what may be the best dino-documentary ever, Apple is beginning to hit its stride, increasingly becoming more competitive with exclusive content like Prehistoric Planet and the Tom Hanks WWII vehicle Greyhound, a great selection all at a reasonable monthly price.
Even critics seem to be down to visit fully CGI Jurassic Park. According to the Daily Telegraph, “Prehistoric Planet is a stunning feat of CGI. The dinosaurs look as real as any animal you see in a wildlife documentary. This is the point.”
Currently holding a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s hard to imagine this odyssey into cretaceous times will be the last of the series. With so much of the prehistoric planet left to explore, there’s certain to be a Season 2.
And honestly, there’s room to dive in deeper with each species. The “doc” shifts from one species to the next fairly quickly, touching only on the highlights of what is already widely known about each. The visuals alone are so captivating that the entire series could have followed just one species for a fuller, more robust story, and the format would’ve been just as effective.
Instead, Apple tries to tell a full story about the environment overall rather than the subjects themselves, which leaves a lot to be desired. But perhaps this was intentional to grease the wheels for more in-depth stories to come. Suspicion that Season 1 may just be a delightful prehistoric appetizer to tease the main course seemed to be confirmed with implications in Episode 5 that the jurassic journey had only just begun.
The tease is a move that is understandable but slightly frustrating as it feels unnecessary: Aren’t there 166 million years worth of dinosaur stories to tell? Still, Apple has viewers’ attention, and that will no doubt translate into more competition for Netflix.
The visuals take a lot of credit for grabbing that attention. As The Guardian put it: “There is no uncanny valley here. The beasts – large or small, parents or juveniles, flightless or soaring – created by Moving Picture Company, the special-effects experts behind the likes of The Lion King, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Blade Runner: 2049, have made them look…real. I can say no more than that. You look at the screen and you see dinosaurs. You watch episode one and find yourself thinking: ‘Hang on. I’ve just seen dinosaurs. Near as dammit, they’ve just filmed a wildlife documentary in the Cretaceous period and I’ve watched it.'”
Apple Continues to Build Momentum in the Streaming Business
With just a 5.6% market share as of February 2022, Apple has faced a tougher-than-expected climb to relevance since the launch of Apple TV+ back in 2019, mostly due to streaming becoming an increasingly crowded space.
Although most services saw a boost in viewership as a result of the pandemic, none fared better than Netflix with shows like Stranger Things, Tiger King, and Squid Game. While the streaming giant piled on points with audiences in properties that were well established by 2020, others fought for relevance and attention.
However, in 2022, Apple TV+ is emerging as a force to be reckoned with.
With titles like Mythic Quest, Severance, and Ted Lasso, there may be wisdom in Wall Street’s recent retreat from NFLX – Stranger Things or not. At least for now.
Stream Now Before It’s Extinct
Prehistoric Planet premiered on Apple TV+ on May 23rd and is intended to be a five-night exclusive event. The fifth and “final” episode of Prehistoric Planet is available now.
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