BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

Lost World BBC One 8:30 pm Wednesday 14th September 2011
Episode 1 of 6
Duration: 30 minutes
From the deadliest killers to the biggest and strangest beasts, Planet Dinosaur brings to life a new and terrifying world of dinosaurs.
More here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014r8bx

[Twelfth Monkey]

I'm glad my kids are still young enough to be used as an excuse...

The ingenuity shown in science never ceases to amaze me, as I gather that chemical traces in bones are starting to be able to help with things like colouration, which had previously postulated as unlikely ever to be knowable.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I fully expect children of all ages to enjoy this one. I know I will.

[Nails]

I've recorded them so I can watch them with my kids one cold, rainy night in the not-so-distant future....

Thanks for the heads-up MPL

[Healerman]

Kids of all ages?

Pop-corn on standby!

[Twelfth Monkey]

Watched the first one with my 11 year-old yesterday, followed by an edition of Walking with Dinosaurs. We both enjoyed the former, and clearly the degree of definition and detail available is much greater than for WWD. But in no longer using 'real' backgrounds, I think it looks more artificial, rather than less, and I have to admit that some dinosaur movement looked less natural than in the older series.

I don't think the helped themselves by interrupting sequences quite so frequently with the 'evidence' pieces though, and the viewing angles were often too much of a Wayne's World-style extreme close up.

Overall, PD was good, but just a little underwhelming, we both thought.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I have to agree with Monkeys on this, my twelve year old (and obsessed with Dinosaurs) thought "the cgi was a bit obvious and even if the old version was just puppets and stuff, it was 'real' ..." which I have to admit sums it up pretty well and it was pretty much my impression too.
It was good but not as amazing as the old version was in its day.

[Graham Ogle]

The one thing which is lacking from many of these programmes is any explanation about the science involved and any assumptions or guesses which are made. It would be nice to have the option of subtitles, so when they show a stripey dinosaur, there is some text to explain why they think it is stripey. Or why do they show carnivorous dinosaurs as being vocal creatures?

[Healerman]

Glad it wasn't just me. I also found it looked more artificial than WWD.

The one thing which is lacking from many of these programmes is any explanation about the science involved and any assumptions or guesses which are made. It would be nice to have the option of subtitles, so when they show a stripey dinosaur, there is some text to explain why they think it is stripey. Or why do they show carnivorous dinosaurs as being vocal creatures?

I think, Graham, that the "details" used in finishing the dinosaurs are just extrapolations of what we find with existing life. Predators tend to be stealthy as they hunt but do seem, by and large, to make an awful lot of noise when they kill. Perhaps to intimidate the prey, making the kill easier?

[Graham Ogle]

I think, Graham, that the "details" used in finishing the dinosaurs are just extrapolations of what we find with existing life. Predators tend to be stealthy as they hunt but do seem, by and large, to make an awful lot of noise when they kill. Perhaps to intimidate the prey, making the kill easier?

I appreciate that many of the "details" are based on behaviour of modern species, but how do we know that it that is representative of primitive species? As shown in the first episode, the pressure sensitive pits on a crocodiles snout are also found on a particular dinosaur snout, so we can make an assumption that the two have similar properties. But showing a plant eater as stripey without explaining why they are portrayed as stripey is what I don't like. Perhaps the subtitles could show, fact (we've found footprints of many individuals together therefore herding), assumption (pressure pits on the snout) and "guesstimate" (skin colour etc.) In the absence of scientific discipline, I find these programmes good television, but they leave more questions unanswered than they answer.

[Liam Sheppard]

agreed, I think when they have science they do explain it... the rest is artists impression based on life today.

These Primitive species however had evolved a lot longer than life today has, so it is most probable they had the same colourations, sensory organs etc, if not more advanced.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Thats a very good point Liam, it is very easy to assume that our point of evolution is some sort of ultimate plateau and yet many traits that were more advanced may well have been lost along the way.

Yes, I think that subject deserves greater thought.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Anyway, I think its still a very interesting programme so I'm going to get ready for tonight's issue.

Feathered Dragons
Episode 2 of 6
Today 20:30 BBC One (except Scotland)
Duration: 30 minutes
The second episode of the documentary series takes a look at bizarre and extraordinary feathered dinosaurs, many of which have only just been discovered. These feathered beasts are revolutionising our understanding of life on Earth as they blur the boundaries between what we know of dinosaurs.
Read more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0151tyd

Actually, when it comes to feedback, or lack of, it occurs to me (belatedly I know) that given the international membership of this forum, those people on here not from the UK, and including Scotland it would seem, will probably not be able to watch it real time anyway?

[M Paul Lloyd]

Last Killers
Episode 3 of 6 Wed 28
Duration: 30 minutes
The third episode looks at the last generation of killer dinosaurs - carnivores that took killing to a new level.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015clmt

[Jamie]

Anyone seem that Terra Nova yet ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Nova_(TV_series)

[M Paul Lloyd]

I though the youngest would really go for that, but no, she just doesn't think humans and dinosaurs should mix on any level.
"makes the dino's look bad, like servants" apparently.

[Jamie]

Well, I might give it a try anyways. Like the young one says, it'll probably end up bad for the humans.

[Shadowwolf]

Can't say I'm overly enthused, guarantee they will shoot their time-line in the foot before long.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Episode 4 of 6 Tomorrow 5 Oct 20:30 BBC One (except Wales)
This episode focuses on the Jurassic period, a time when the first giant killers stalked the Earth and lurked in the seas; a time when the slightest advantage meant the difference between life and death.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015pbw7

[Nails]

quite so frequently with the 'evidence' pieces though, and the viewing angles were often too much of a Wayne's World-style extreme close up.

I understand what you mean, but these are documentaries and they are not there to tell a story.
The evidence is the most important part, without which what you are seeing is truly guesswork.
For me, that's what sets the newer docu's apart from the older ones in that they explain the evidence more then ever before, and that is key to understanding everything.
And lets be fair, if you had to research the evidence for yourself to cover just one episode, it would take several days at least I think, even wit the help of the web!
The evidence shows your kids how we know what we do, and makes trips to museums far more exciting - I remember once talking with my little one when she was about 5 about Australapithicus afterr watcing walking with beasts - and I showed her the picture of Lucy. When we went to the natural history museum and actually saw Lucy's skeleton, her little face lit up - like she was looking at an old friend. To me this adds a whole extra dimension to learning, and ensures that the facts are understood.
But that is just my opinion!