My day with ABC's Dinosaurs

January 4, 2016 2:06 PM

"I recalled watching the show as a kid, as ABC's TGIF lineup was a staple for kids my age back then, and I thought the show was bonkers but was too young to really enjoy the nuance -- or, as much nuance as a show with creepy looking puppet dinosaurs going for wink-wink adult comedy wrapped in the façade of a kids show on primetime network television could possibly have." Baseball blogger Christopher Fittz live-tweets a New Year's Day binge-watch of every episode of the 1990s sitcom Dinosaurs.
posted by shadow vector (43 comments total)

I love this show - and it wasn't for kids. It was for everyone, and functioned at many levels.

And it was also one of the most thoughtful sitcoms I've ever seen. You can get very serious with puppets.
posted by jb at 2:11 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]

I forgot about "not the mama" - but it's coming back to me now. Also, agreed with the author, the only thing I remember is the baby dinosaur, and vaguely that the dad was like Fred Flinstone.
posted by sweetkid at 2:14 PM on January 4, 2016 [6 favorites]

It was a savvy show, thanks for the link...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 2:17 PM on January 4, 2016

Too young for it, but thought I was too old for it when it originally aired.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:18 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]

I never discovered any interest in it, though many of my friends seemed to enjoy it. I know of it mainly through years and years of listicles and articles about how this unpigeonholable show (sitcom, dinosaur puppets, adult comedy, etc.) ended with an oncoming Extinction Level Event.

For example, when you gather your clan to watch a sitcom starring big dinosaur puppets, is part of you hoping to see an episode where the main character’s environmental irresponsibility leads to the death of his entire species?

posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:20 PM on January 4, 2016 [8 favorites]

"It's like they saw our lives and put it right up on the screen!"
posted by Ian A.T. at 2:41 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]

obligatory: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-v2mvO7Yq48
posted by trackofalljades at 2:43 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

Also, agreed with the author, the only thing I remember is the baby dinosaur, and vaguely that the dad was like Fred Flinstone.

My memory is that the father-dinosaur was more like Dan from Roseanne. But that could just be the 90s. I think a lot of sitcom Dads were of that type.
posted by Fizz at 2:48 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

My mother, at 72, was getting through a rough period and convalescing at my brother's house where my wife and I came to visit. The nephews turned on this new show we all watched called "Dinosaurs". The episode? "Hurling Day"

Awkward.
posted by hal9k at 2:48 PM on January 4, 2016 [12 favorites]

"I've realized that most of the characters in Dinosaurs are named after oil companies (Hess, BP, Phillips, Sinclair). Well played, Dinosaurs."

I'm glad people are finally starting to appreciate how damn subversive this stupid ass show was. Amazing stuff.
posted by absalom at 2:51 PM on January 4, 2016 [20 favorites]

I really liked Dinosaurs back in the day. I was in middle school - young enough to consider puppets a huge draw, but old enough to start to understand some of the adult topics. I'm hesitant to re-watch it in case it hasn't aged well, but it sounds like it has.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:55 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]

I was about the same age when it came out Matroid Baby, and watched it for the first time as an adult a couple of years ago. It holds up remarkably well.
posted by KGMoney at 3:08 PM on January 4, 2016

there was a gay panic episode on the early 90s TGIF puppet dinosaur show?! And it was handed WELL?!?!
posted by The Whelk at 3:10 PM on January 4, 2016 [6 favorites]

Never really watched it, except in passing, but I do remember sitting down to watch the finale. That was some (for the time) different TV.
posted by nubs at 3:10 PM on January 4, 2016

My memory is that the father-dinosaur was more like Dan from Roseanne.

Yeah. But I think that's more because John Goodman looks like a dinosaur than that the dinosaur looked like John Goodman.
posted by howfar at 3:11 PM on January 4, 2016 [8 favorites]

The mother was played by Jessica Walter.

Buster: "I love those leathery little snappy faces."
Michael: "You certainly have a type."
posted by Sys Rq at 3:56 PM on January 4, 2016 [14 favorites]

The nephews turned on this new show we all watched called "Dinosaurs". The episode? "Hurling Day"

We almost watched that entire episode in elementary school. The librarian either grabbed the wrong VHS tape labeled "Dinosaurs" or honestly believed it was an educational program about dinosaurs.

Either way, she shouldn't have left the room so quickly after pressing "Play"
posted by RonButNotStupid at 4:12 PM on January 4, 2016 [7 favorites]

Was there an episode of this show that featured either Hal Hartley or Daisy Age rap? If so we can officially crown it the Peak of American Culture.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:35 PM on January 4, 2016

I watched the first couple of seasons first-run, but then lost track of it, or got busy with theater productions, or something. I thought it was clever and fun. Of course, I did. Jim Henson could do no wrong.

One of the only actual moments from the show I remember was when the daughter was complaining about her weight: "But I can barely hear my thighs rubbing together!" Of course, her weight was too low, not too fat.

I might revisit it someday. Maybe.
posted by hippybear at 4:51 PM on January 4, 2016

I've always been a dinosaur nut so it's weird that I never got into this show when it was on. It's only recently that I learned about its dark finale. So strange and awesome.
posted by brundlefly at 4:55 PM on January 4, 2016

When you think about it, it was not only pretty logical way to end the series, but a great way to present a message about caring about the environment.
posted by ilama at 5:10 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

I seem to remember "Not the Momma" and "You Lied To Me!" [whack with a frying pan] from Throw Momma from the Train were a good 50% of the communication I had with my mom from about 89-91
posted by DigDoug at 5:39 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]

My dad wouldn't let me watch this show when it was on (he felt Baby was too disrespectful to the father. Also the reason I couldn't watch The Simpsons at first), but as a huge Muppet/Jim Henson fan I found out how to sneak it in when he wasn't home. The episode where they talk about war as represented by the slogan "W.A.R." (We Are Right) has stuck with me since it aired. And I still think back to the episode where they had a trial to determine what Sexual Harris meant every time there's retraining at work.
posted by downtohisturtles at 6:28 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]

I've never even heard of this. How is that possible? It presses all of the right buttons. Now I have to go watch 90s tv.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 6:50 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

There's an episode where the dinosaur elders decide that the baby is some kind of chosen one, so they bring out a scripture with a name like The Book Of Truth. They read a verse about how the chosen one's father will be a proud, brilliant man with all kinds of amazing qualities and then look up at Earl.

"...pass me the Wite-Out".

Also the ending of the drugs episode, in which they plead with the audience to not use drugs so they can stop making terrible, preachy anti-drugs special episodes, was great.
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:53 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]

I seem to remember "Not the Momma" and "You Lied To Me!" [whack with a frying pan] from Throw Momma from the Train were a good 50% of the communication I had with my mom from about 89-91

Yes then everyone talked in Wayne's World references from like 1992-1996
posted by sweetkid at 7:06 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]

There was a really good one where the government decides they need a state religion and was taking submissions , the submissions were pretty insightful as I recall , but Earl came up with a really stupid one and that was selected where upon he was nearly buried alive soon after for being an unbeliever.
The vegetarian T-Rex (Roy) that was on the bowling team was a good character.
posted by boilermonster at 7:14 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't like reading Twitter, but that was pretty priceless. As was the show. I loved that evil damn baby.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:20 PM on January 4, 2016

The last episode is one of the most complete finales ever - they go extinct. (I'd say spoiler alert, but I'm pretty sure we all know the dinosaurs died out since they refused to accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior.)
posted by elwoodwiles at 7:22 PM on January 4, 2016 [6 favorites]

Wait wait wait wait wait... I just realized... is Family Guy based on Dinosaurs?
posted by hippybear at 7:24 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

no Family Guy is Simpsons
posted by sweetkid at 7:44 PM on January 4, 2016

Yes then everyone talked in Wayne's World references from like 1992-1996

We were unprepared for the Austin Powersing of America.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:18 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]

And then it was Borat
posted by sweetkid at 8:24 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]

no Family Guy is Simpsons

In the sense that the Shitty Beatles are the Beatles. (Speaking of Wayne's World references.)
posted by tobascodagama at 8:33 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

I loved this show. Jim Henson turned everything he touched to gold (even though he had already died by the time the show started to air).

I have elementary-school-age kids now and they also love this show. It has aged astoundingly well.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 8:40 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

Family Guy : Simpsons :: The Monkees : The Beatles

Dinosaurs : Flintstones :: Farscape : Lost in Space
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:54 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]

Dinosaurs : Flintstones

Flintstones didn't have an older son, a younger insecure daughter, an evil baby, a bumbling oaf of a father, and a sensible housekeeper mother. All that Dinosaurs is missing to be Family Guy's inspiration is a talking dog-o-saur.
posted by hippybear at 8:57 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

hippybear it's widely known that Groening felt like Family guy was a rip off of his show.

link
posted by sweetkid at 9:21 PM on January 4, 2016

Family Guy doesn't have an older son and a younger daughter, hippybear. Chris is younger than Meg. Therefore your argument is baseless. Baseless!

And I'm fairly certain Stewie's based on Rick Mayall. Cf. Drop Dead Fred, the scene where his head gets squished.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:34 PM on January 4, 2016

I think Groening has a pretty good claim, though it's less about the specific configuration of family members and more about the fact that half of the episodes of both shows involve the wife getting fed up with her worthless sack of shit husband only to pull a "just kidding, we really do love each other" in the last five minutes.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:08 AM on January 5, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Simpsons really do love each other. And the Dinosaurs. The characters on Family Guy really don't.
posted by OnceUponATime at 8:52 AM on January 5, 2016 [3 favorites]

Family Guy is a show that will eventually kill your ability to love or care about anything, if you watch it long enough.

The Simpsons is a shambling zombie that faintly resembles someone you once loved but who is forever gone.

Dinosaurs was just weird and to young me, kind of unpleasant. I can sort of appreciate it now, but I never felt a connection to the characters when I tried to watch it when it came out.
posted by emjaybee at 9:03 AM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Finally, at long last, we no longer need another Timmy.
posted by ckape at 11:28 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]