Latest news with #WalkingWithDinosaurs
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Studios Unscripted Boss on Tom Hanks, Stanley Tucci Series and the Recipe for U.S. Success
The Americas, narrated by Tom Hanks, on NBC. [Stanley] Tucci in Italy on National Geographic. Walking With Dinosaurs, narrated by Bertie Carvel (The Crown, HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series), on PBS. These series are just the latest star-studded factual offerings from BBC Studios Productions, one of the British and global media industry's most respected production outfits that is part of BBC Studios, the main commercial arm of U.K. public broadcaster BBC, that have taken the U.S. by storm. Of course, there has also been Prehistoric Planet, executive produced by Jon Favreau, and OceanXplorers with James Cameron. And there is more to come involving big names, as Disney has unveiled that National Geographic has greenlit a new documentary series under the working title Meet the Planets, that is being developed by Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort and BBC Studios. More from The Hollywood Reporter Busan Film Festival to Honor Jafar Panahi as Asian Filmmaker of the Year Anne Hathaway Shares First Look at 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' 'Dune' VFX House DNEG's Immersive Experiences Unit Names NBCU's Jeff Lehman Exec Producer (Exclusive) Bottom line: Shows from BBC Studios Productions, which includes the world-renowned Natural History Unit, the Documentary Unit, the Science Unit, wholly owned label Voltage, and third-party distribution relationships, regularly feature Hollywood creatives and do well on U.S. screens, as well as worldwide. And they have just received six Primetime Emmy nominations and 11 Daytime Emmy nominations. Secrets of the Neanderthals and The Secret Lives of Animals are nominated for the latter. In terms of Primetime Emmy nominees, The Americas are in the running for the Outstanding Narrator Award for Hanks and the Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special Emmy for Hans Zimmer. Tucci in Italy is up for the honors for outstanding hosted non-fiction series or special and outstanding cinematography. And Planet Earth – Asia was nominated in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special category and Outstanding Narrator for Attenborough. But what is the recipe for factual success at BBC Studios Productions? Key ingredients are scale and breadth, collaborations and partnerships, and specialism, or craft, Kate Ward, managing director, Unscripted Productions at BBC Studios Productions, tells THR. 'I think that factual programming is really having a moment, and we're really seeing that moment,' she argues. 'Big dramas have incredible power and zeitgeist and are, obviously, a huge part of the ecosystem. But what factual does as a genre is that we really passionately believe it's there to change perspectives and start conversations. And because it hasn't always been at the front of the schedule in the U.S., when it does, it feels really special.' Take The Americas, for example. 'We hope it's giving Americans a shared view of the natural world of life on their doorstep, sometimes at the end of their street, which in a world that can feel fragmented and challenging is something that brings people together,' Ward argues. 'Bringing people together is something that is core to our values and our mission at the BBC.' So, how is her unscripted team at BBC Studios trying to succeed in a crowded marketplace? First, 'we're excited about the scale and the variety of work we're doing for the U.S. market,' Ward shares. 'Our shows represent a range of different styles of factual programming for a range of different broadcasters with a range of different models.' In terms of the scale of productions, she lauds BBC Studios' 'unmatched ambition' and ability to pull off 'epic' shows. 'If you look at The Americas, for example, it took five years to make 180 filming expeditions,' she explains. 'So, we are working at epic proportions in terms of production. How many protein bars did the team have to eat over five years to make this show? As a result, you get that infectious curiosity that just draws you in as a viewer.' The second ingredient of success is expertise. 'We can bring the specialism, the craft we are known for,' to ensure high-quality programming, Ward explains. 'Walking With Dinosaurs can bring real value and an education for children and adults. It's rooted in real science. So it is entertainment and education together, and I think that means it can reach a really, really large audience.' Finally, Ward says it's about collaborations with creatives, producers and distribution partners rather than going it alone. 'Creators bring their own way of storytelling, ambition, passion, and together, we can do extraordinary things. We also have deep partnerships producers, with platforms and broadcasters, from our long-standing, unbelievably special relationship with PBS that we value so deeply to NBC and Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS), which was a great experience for us. We also have a whole range of programming for National Geographic and Disney, and we have done great work with the likes of Apple and Netflix.' Strong relationships not only give existing shows a good audience platform but can, of course, also lead to the development of further shows, and shows that stand out, she argues. 'These deep collaborative relationships help us shape and do new things for the U.S. market that's really distinctive,' concludes Ward. Now, how about those Hollywood stars collaborating with the BBC. 'We're working with a range of amazing Hollywood talent – actors, directors, auteurs,' she tells THR. 'Why have these people, often known for their fictional work, been drawn to the factual genre? I believe it's because it allows them to explore the subjects about which they're genuinely passionate and to innovate in a different way of storytelling than they do in their other work, which may predominantly be in scripted. We're super excited about that melding of worlds and that sharing of experience.' How does BBC Studios attract such big names in the always-fierce battle for talent? 'It's about storytellers, trust and mutual respect,' Ward tells THR. 'I believe that they are coming to the BBC, because we have the trust, the legacy, the consistent quality, and the specialism that we have built over the years. 'That is really, really important and critical when we're working with other storytellers.' For BBC Studios Productions, working with famous personalities with a shared passion, along with fan appeal and bases, is key too, not least to give series the desired broad reach. But importantly, the creative collaborators must make real sense – or viewers will smell a rat. 'We're looking for those meaningful connections and that creativity,' Ward explains. 'But it is important to approach this through the lens of two storytellers coming together in true partnership, and it always has to be authentic.' Take Tucci, for example. 'Stanley is an incredible storyteller, and to be part of that storyteller's journey through Italy, which he is passionate about, is so exciting, and we're so proud of what we were able to create together,' Ward says. 'Or when you think about Tom Hanks' role on The Americas: Tom's passion for the subject really shines through. If that wasn't the case, the audience would know the difference.' In other words: you couldn't just take a random famous face and attach it to a BBC Studios Productions documentary or other factual series without a real interest or connection. 'This is factual programming. So, there have got to be real, authentic, passionate connections to the subjects, storytellers who immerse you and take you on that journey,' Ward explains. 'These storytellers can start those conversations, change perceptions, take you to worlds and times that you didn't know about. So, we will always be looking for that authenticity and that connection between us and storytellers in a creative partnership.' Thanks to BBC Studios, U.S. audiences, along with British and global viewers, have also fallen in love with such British voices as the legendary naturalist David Attenborough and historian Lucy Worsley (Lucy Worsley's Holmes vs. Doyle). 'She also brings that authentic connection,' highlights Ward. 'Lucy is so popular in America, and she does it so brilliantly.' Ward vows to continue on the path of bringing factual hits to the U.S. and the world. 'Scale, specialism, and collaboration are part of the secret sauce of how we're approaching the business,' she tells THR. 'And we feel super privileged to be able to bring those together and provide a melding of creativity and what that does for people who love factual storytelling or find it. That is a really, really powerful and exciting proposition.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Greatest Standoff: T.rex vs Triceratops
In a world ruled by giants, even the fiercest predators find their match. Watch as a and fully-grown Triceratops face off in a brutal stand-off that shakes the earth. This video is a clip from the BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs.
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the public's dinomania: passion for palaeontology endures through the ages
On-screen discussions of DNA and off-screen scientific consultants notwithstanding, no one goes to see a Jurassic Park movie for its realism. Yet one of the less convincing moments in Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest in the franchise, is unrelated to oversized velociraptors. It's the palaeontologist Dr Henry Loomis complaining of shrinking public interest in his field. This spring, the BBC revived its 1999 hit series Walking With Dinosaurs. Not a week goes by without headlines announcing the discovery of a new species or new theories on how they behaved. Publishers produce an endless stream of dino-related fact and fiction, particularly for children. Palaeontology – at least when focused on the dinosaurs of the Mesozoic, or our hominin forebears – has long exerted an extraordinary hold on the public imagination. Yet it's a marginal field in terms of academic prestige and scientific funding, as Dr Chris Manias, a historian of science, points out in the essay collection Palaeontology in Public, published last year. (Dinosaurs are themselves a small part of the discipline; the vast mass of fossils are invertebrates, micro-organisms or plants. Good luck getting a movie made about stromatolites). The spectacular scale and fearsome nature of creatures such as Spinosaurus, the magic of conjuring extraordinary life from a handful of rocks tens of millions years old, and the mirroring of myths about dragons and other ancient beasts may all play a part in its appeal. Entertainment has always helped: the Crystal Palace dinosaurs were created in the 1850s to encourage interest in recent discoveries (Richard Owen, who coined the term dinosaur, provided advice.) Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World portrayed a South American plateau where prehistoric creatures still roamed. Some of today's palaeontologists were drawn to the field by watching the first Jurassic Park movie as children. But the science itself has been central too. In the 19th century, the US palaeontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope vied to outshine each other in the bitter 'Bone Wars', with academic rigour and ethics taking second place to headline-grabbing glory. In the 'dinosaur renaissance' of the 1960s, experts showed the creatures to be more sophisticated, active and interesting than previously imagined. The feathered dinosaurs found in Liaoning, China, in the 1990s have revolutionised our understanding – even if the Jurassic franchise makers, and many dinosaur fans, still draw the line at a downy Tyrannosaurus rex. In recent years, experts have identified a new dinosaur every week or so. New technology is unlocking details of their appearance and behaviour. The original Jurassic Park was a tourist resort inhabited by dinosaurs brought back from extinction. In the latest film, the plot is driven by big pharma's hunt for prehistoric DNA that could drive a medical breakthrough. That parallels the tension Dr Manias notes around palaeontology itself: is it primarily a 'luxury', which entertains more than it enlightens, or 'useful'? Jaw-dropping giants like Patagotitan still captivate adults and, especially, children. But there are lessons here too. In the past, the field appeared to offer a narrative of progress, as lumbering creatures gave way to mammals and ultimately – tada! – the triumph of humans. Now it is an instructive tale of uncertainty, offering powerful insights into time, nature and how life has fared at times of huge and rapid changes in climactic conditions. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Fun With Kids: Book Bugs cards, free screening at Gardens by the Bay, Hong Kong Disneyland turns 20
Visit the Book Bugs: Unearthing Memories exhibition, watch Walking With Dinosaurs series and be part of Hong Kong Disneyland's 20th anniversary celebrations. PHOTO: BBC, HONG KONG DISNEYLAND, NATIONAL LIBRARY BOARD Fun With Kids: Book Bugs cards, free screening at Gardens by the Bay, Hong Kong Disneyland turns 20 SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities. Book Bugs cards exhibition If your kids are avid collectors of the National Library Board's (NLB) Book Bugs cards, take them to the Book Bugs: Unearthing Memories exhibition, which will showcase all 425 cards from five editions since 2016. Until July 17, four public libraries in Punggol, Tampines, Jurong and Woodlands, as well as the Central Library in Victoria Street will each showcase a panel of cards from an edition. Complete the activities at these libraries to get a limited-edition Book Bugs postcard. From July 29 to Aug 17, all five panels will be exhibited at the Asian Civilisations Museum, where you can collect a commemorative card featuring Empress, a new Book Bug inspired by a royal assyrian butterfly. These Book Bugs programmes kick off NLB's 30th anniversary celebrations. Book Bugs: Unearthing Memories will exhibit all 425 cards from five editions since 2016. PHOTO: NATIONAL LIBRARY BOARD Book Bugs was launched to encourage children to visit libraries and discover the joy of reading. They earn points by borrowing books or e-books, which can then be exchanged for the collectible cards. As of April 2025 , more than 486,000 people have participated in Book Bugs activities and events, with more than 9.1 million cards redeemed. Find out more at BBC Earth Screening Festival Watch the new Walking With Dinosaurs series' first episode at the free BBC Earth Screening Festival, which returns to Gardens by the Bay. PHOTO: BBC A new series of Walking With Dinosaurs has premiered on BBC Earth, 25 years after its original debut. Each of the six fresh episodes offers the perspective of a different prehistoric creature. These include a Spinosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur, navigating the rivers of ancient Morocco and a Triceratops fending off a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex in North America. Your family can catch the first episode at the free BBC Earth Screening Festival, which returns to Gardens by the Bay's Supertree Grove on July 5. Arrive early to enjoy a line-up of dinosaur-themed fringe activities, which start at 5pm, before the 8pm screening. Budding palaeontologists can dig for bones and eggs at the fossil excavation pit and unleash their creativity at the dino egg painting station. Families can also enjoy free popcorn and Choco Dinosaur drinks – while stocks last – and watch animated shows Bluey (2018 to present), Hey Duggee (2014 to present) and Stan Can (2025). Go to for details on the event. Watch the remaining episodes on BBC Earth (StarHub Channel 407 and Singtel Channel 203) and BBC Player. Hong Kong Disneyland turns 20 Meet the beloved characters of Encanto at the Friendtastic! Parade. PHOTO: HONG KONG DISNEYLAND Plan a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland, which is celebrating its 20th birthday with a year-long party. The festivities, which kicked off on June 28, feature a 15-minute concert-style show Disney Friends Live: Party At The Castle!. The star-studded line-up includes Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Duffy and Disney Princesses – all in special party attire. Be sure to catch Friendtastic!, the largest parade in the park's history. This 30-minute spectacle features 11 floats and more than 100 performers, including the debut appearances of Isabela from Encanto (2021) and Officer Clawhauser from Zootopia (2016). Round up your outing with an evening show that illuminates the sky for nearly 30 minutes. Momentous: Party In The Night Sky involves eight multimedia elements, including projection mapping, drones, lasers and pyrotechnics effects. Find out more at Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
The Irish Sun
24-06-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Never-before-seen dog-sized dinosaur that dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and killer crocs found after 150 MILLION years
A "NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN" dinosaur that dates back 150 million years has been revealed – and is now on show in the heart of London. The speedy creature would've dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and even crocodiles to survive in prehistoric 13 A brand new dinosaur has gone on show at the historic Natural History Museum in London Credit: Natural History Museum 13 The speedy creature would've darted around prehistoric Colorado, USA Credit: Natural History Museum / Bob Nicholls 13 At about a metre long, the dinosaur was the size of a very large dog Credit: Sean Keach Officially named Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae , the two-legged sprinter is available for free public viewing at the Natural History Museum from Thursday, June 26. The metre-long creature's fossilised skeleton is remarkably well-preserved, stretching over a metre long (3.2ft) – and about 50cm (1.6ft) tall. Visitors will be able to get up close to the early American creature, which lived alongside iconic dinos like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus. "What we're dealing with here is a new species of dinosaur that comes from Colorado in the western USA," said Professor Paul Barrow, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun at the grand unveiling. Read more on dinosaurs "It was discovered back in 2021 and we were able to acquire it thanks to an amazingly generous private donation, which allowed us to buy it for the museum." BACK IN TIME The dinosaur itself is believed to have not been fully grown. Normally the upper and lower parts of the creature's back bones would fuse together as the animal aged. But they weren't fully fused together, suggesting that the dino may have been quite young. Most read in Science And it certainly would've been surrounded by "At the time, Colorado would have been a floodplain," said Professor Susannah Maidment, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun. Walking With Dinosaurs: Official Trailer, BBC "It would have had a series or rivers coming down from high land to the west, and there would have been dinosaurs all over it. "Some of the most famous dinosaurs – thinks like Diplodocus and Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus. "And so this little dinosaur would have been running around at the feet of those giants." GREEN MACHINE This particular dinosaur was a herbivore, meaning it mostly ate plants. 13 The remarkably preserved fossilised skeleton was found in a quarry Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Scientists have pieced together the fossils to reconstruct the dinosaur Credit: Natural History Museum But because flowering plants hadn't evolved yet, Professor Maidment told us, it "would have just been eating things like cycads and ferns". The dinosaur didn't need to move fast to eat – but it did need speedy legs to avoid being eaten. It lived alongside deadly predators, including "We know it's a very speedy little dinosaur," said Professor Paul Barrow. 13 It was previously thought to be a type of poorly-understood dinosaur called a Nanosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum 13 The official name for the new dinosaur is the Engimacursor mollyborthwickae Credit: Natural History Museum "It has very long hind legs – it walks on its hind legs only. "So its main defence against predators would actually have just been a speedy getaway. "And it's living at the same time as quite a lot of other large predatory dinosaurs. "Probably the most famous of which is a thing called 29 to 32ft ) in length – it's quite common at the time. A timeline of life on Earth Here's a brief history of life on our planet 4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth 3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth 2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve 1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge 550million years ago – first arthropods evolve 530million years ago – first fish appear 470million years ago – first land plants appear 380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth 370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land 320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve 230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve 200million years ago – mammals appear 150million years ago – earliest birds evolve 130million years ago – first flowering plants 100million years ago – earliest bees 55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear 30million years ago – first cats evolve 20million years ago – great apes evolve 7million years ago –first human ancestors appear 2million years ago – Homo erectus appears 300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves 50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised 40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction 13 The Sun spoke to Natural History Museum experts Professor Susannah Maidment and Professor Paul Barrett, who discovered the new species Credit: Natural History Museum "But also a lot of speedy predators as well, and also some big crocodiles that could have taken out this guy." DIG IT The creature was first unearthed in 2021 from a commercial quarry. And it was thought to be a Nanosaurus, a "poorly-known" species that was first named in 1870s. The Enigmacursor was acquired from the David Aaron Ltd gallery with support from David and Molly Lowell Borthwick (after whom the dinosaur is now named). 13 The dinosaur would've lived between 145 and 150 million years ago Credit: Natural History Museum 13 It would've lived alongside giants like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum And Natural History Museum scientists renamed it after analysing the specimen, confirming it as a species new to science. But there is still a mystery: exactly how fast the nippy little creature could run. "It was a two-legged dinosaur and so it had very small forelimbs actually," Professor Maidment told us. "But we don't really know how fast it would have run at all. "It probably might have been able to just about outrun us – but probably not much faster than that." 13 Analysis of the dinosaur revealed that it belonged to a brand new species Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Visitors can go to see the dinosaur at the museum for free from Thursday, June 26 Credit: Sean Keach 13 Scientists have been able to reconstruct what the dinosaur would've looked like based on its fossils Credit: Natural History Museum
