Every person is born aware of dinosaurs. They may have lived 65 million years ago, but they are still alive in kids imaginations today. Dinosaurs are a merchandise machine in the form of toys, t-shirts, books, and theme parks. Yes, there is Jurassic Park and all its sequels, but one area where the world of prehistoric dinosaurs’ thrives in is the world of animated television shows.
From television shows targeted towards little kids, to late night animation over on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The subgenre of dinosaurs has always caught the eyes of children and young adults for its captivating adventure and subtle knowledge of the creatures that lived here long before us.
10 Dino-Riders (1988)
Let’s kick things off with some retro dinosaur action. Dino-Riders was a cartoon show that aired for one season in 1988 and was produced for the sole purpose of having its own toy line to go along with it. The show deals with a group of warriors who travel through a wormhole and find themselves on a prehistoric earth. With only fourteen episodes, it still scratches the itch of a lot of people who yearn for nostalgic, 1980s-style cartoons. Also, it features some voice acting from a young Stephen Dorff.
9 Extreme Dinosaurs (1997)
About a decade later, we would get Extreme Dinosaurs. The show features a group of genetically enhanced dinosaur warriors who team up to take on evil. There is a distinct 1990s vibe to the show, as the heroes are multicolored and some use skateboards and motorcycles. This reeks of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rip off. There’s a lot of humor, action, and conflict that gets solved in 22 minutes or less. The show would last one season, but it strongly fits into the category of being a one-season wonder that people really enjoyed.
8 Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020-)
A Netflix original show that builds off of the Jurassic Park universe. Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous deals with teenagers who are attending a camp on the opposite side of the island that holds the park full of dinosaurs. But of course, as things always happen, they end up encountering prehistoric creatures who break loose. Someone really needs to get this place under control. A show that features voice talents from Jena Ortega, Bradley Whitford and Haley Joel Osment. Like most of the shows on this list, it has a strong theme of working together to get out of hairy situations. A theme that has a positive effect on children’s viewers.
7 Dino Dan (2010-2013)
Dino Dan blends live action with CGI. It may not be the best-looking thing for adults, but we’re talking about shows for the kiddos here. Dino Dan is a Canadian-produced show whose target audience is preschool and kindergarten kids. It’s about a boy named Dan, who is a paleontologist in training. The show is full of high adventure for young kids, where dinosaurs roam the world in our modern-day lives. The show is highly educational for kids to learn about dinosaur habits and their behaviors, as well as encouraging critical thinking for its young viewers.
6 LEGO Jurassic World (2019)
The second Jurassic Park show to appear on this list. LEGO Jurassic World is a show that takes Jurassic’s World’s main characters like Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, and follows them throughout their adventures working at the dinosaur theme parks. We dive deeper, on a more G-rated level, into how Owen Grady works with velociraptors. The show has an educational side to it, but also is heavy on entertainment and plot for its episodes. As both Dearing and Grady work together to keep Jurassic World from falling apart.
5 Dinosaur King (2007-2008)
The only show on this list that is an anime. With its fast-paced action meant for kids ages 7-12, Dinosaur King consists of three friends who discover these mythical tablets that came from a meteor crash in a forest. The power that these tablets give the friends is the ability to summon ancient dinosaurs, thus forming what is called the D-Team. On a consistent basis, the D-Team must protect the relics from the villains of the show, the Alpha Gang.
4 Planet Dinosaur (2011)
Planet Dinosaur is the BBC’s follow-up to their docuseries Walking With Dinosaurs. It’s a bit of an upgrade on the CGI from its predecessor. The six-episode series centers on the discoveries of new species of dinosaurs. It feels like a blend of National Geographic, 3D animation, and real-life photography and videography blended together with CGI to create some gripping footage. Keep in mind that although this may be an educational show, there may have been some scientific theories in the show that have evolved a bit since it first aired in 2011.
3 The Land Before Time (TV Series 2007-2008)
The lengthy animated film franchise that has been going strong since the late 1980s also had a television show at one point. The Land Before Time has us follow Ruby, Cera, Littlefoot, Ducky, and Chomper through their prehistoric world. The show has a brilliant balance of plot and engaging experiences for young audiences, and a nostalgia factor for adults who may have watched the first few installments of the films growing up.
2 Primal (2019)
Primal is a show that premiered on Adult Swim a few years ago and is now two seasons deep into the world it has built for its audience. It is a show created by Genndy Tartakovsky and follows the story of a dinosaur we, the audience, know as Fang and a caveman who we know as Spear. Like most of Cartoon Network’s most iconic shows, Primal takes kid-like animation and blends it with adult themes. The show takes place on the brink of human evolution, thus meaning Spear and Fang are both on the edge of extinction. It’s a show about survival as the two pair up to endure life’s hardships and tragedies. This show is for teens and up, as its violence is over the top and its dramatic storytelling cuts deep beneath the surface.
1 The Flintstones (1960-1966)
With many reboots of the animated classic and a couple of live-action movies to go along with it. The Flintstones are one of the most iconic television shows of all time. An animated series that takes place during prehistoric times and also doubles as a cartoon sitcom. The Hanna Barbera-produced show has a theme song that most people can sing word for word to this day. A show that took place nearly 65 million years ago is still pretty popular almost sixty-five years after its premiere. For a while, The Flintstones was the longest-running animated sitcom of all time, until a little show called The Simpsons eventually took its place.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
