Extreme Dinosaurs/Predator Dinosaurs/Prehistoric Park (BBC DVDs)/Valley Of The Dinosaurs: The Complete
Series (1974/Hanna-Barbera/Warner Archive DVD)
Picture: C/C/C/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D/D/C/D Episodes: B-/B-/B-/B
PLEASE NOTE: Valley Of The Dinosaurs is only available
from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the
link below.
With
Spielberg’s Jurassic Park being reissued in a 3D
conversion, it is no surprise we would be getting more dinosaur releases to take
advantage of its reissue. For the BBC,
this is usually a way to issue educated programming. This time, we get three releases from them: Extreme Dinosaurs, Predator Dinosaurs and the 2-DVD Prehistoric Park which we previously covered years ago from another
distributor at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5524/Prehistoric+Park+%E2%80%93+The
Though
not great, the show was not bad and should at least be available. Turns out the long look (288 minutes) at the
subject has dated a bit as expected, especially thanks to the limited digital
video budget, but the show remains watchable and it is still a good show. David Jason narrated the older DVD set.
Stills
(including storyboards), interactive stats & facts and a making of featurette (27 minutes) are
still the extras.
Extreme Dinosaurs and Predator Dinosaurs are in-house BBC shows that offer more of the
same in less the time with Extreme
having the program that asks the question T-Rex – Warrior or Wimp? Both programs are about that dino fave and
all three are worth a look for fans of the subject or those interested. However, only fanatics will find them often
rewatchable.
Proving
dinosaurs were always popular, there was a boom interest in the mid-1970s
thanks to reruns of older such films, the popularity of Toho Godzilla films in their golden age and
new toys celebrating all of it. For the
1974 – 75 season of what used to be Saturday Morning TV from the big three
networks, two shows on the subject went head to head. They should not have, but NBC had Sid &
Marty Krofft’s Land Of The Lost shot
on videotape and ABC had Hanna-Barbera’s animated Valley Of The Dinosaurs and it is that show that has finally,
recently arrived on DVD, even though as a high quality online-only Complete Series set from the Warner
Archive collection.
With 16
half-hours, the Butler Family (John (Father & Professor), Kim, Katie and
Greg, plus their dog Digger) are water rafting when they hit a whirlpool and
land up in another world no one knows about.
Before they get eaten by a giant predator, a cave family who knows the
ways of this world save them and instantly befriend them, leading to discoveries
for both families and new adventures each week.
Though
the original Lost was a good show
(which I cannot say about any of its sad revivals), Valley was to me, always the superior show, yet it did not last and
despite being one of the smartest, most mature Hanna-Barbera series along with
the original Jonny Quest and Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home, it has
become lost in the shuffle of TV history.
Yet, I think people miss how good the show its, even to the point that
the author of a coffee table book on the company actually wrote the show off as
racist and awful!
In
reality, the show is about accepting the outside world and the other, with Gorak,
Gara, Lok, Tana and Glump (a dinodog meant to be a child favorite) representing
minorities, especially Native Americans and even the Hippie counterculture. Yes, they happen to speak good English, but
this is a show for children and a smart one, so at a half-hour, compromises had
to be made. The contrasts of the two
families is always clever and in a rare thing for any TV animation, there is chemistry
among the characters that makes the show even more watchable.
It is a
peak of the company in general, producing more hits and classic than they ever
had or would again. Too bad it did not
have another time slot or it might be recognized as the great show it is. With good writing, real heart & soul work
and some suspense that works, Valley Of
The Dinosaurs: The Complete Series is an unrecognized gem that has only
become better with age and in some ways, is more relevant than when it first
arrived. I cannot recommend it enough
and anyone who has children who are dinosaur fans or just looking for quality
product for their child to watch, this one is worth going out of your way for.
Sadly,
there are no extras, but there is more to be said on the show and if you watch
it very closely, you’ll see what I am talking about.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on all three BBC DVDs are softer than I
expected and especially in their dated digital visual effects with smearing and
detail issued throughout. The 1.33 X 1
image on Valley is the visual champ
here despite the limited animation used, the definition and detail here are
better and best of all, color is excellent for the format and the show not only
looks better than ever, but better than many of its critics might have
expected. The transfers can even be a
revelation in shots.
The lossy
Dolby Digital 5.1 on Prehistoric
shows its age and limited soundfield to the point that lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo on the other BBC DVDs are just as good (with their own sonic limits) and
the lossy Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono on Valley
can more than compete despite its age (down to its great theme song). Don’t expect much more sonically from any of
these releases, but they are just fine for what they are.
To order Valley Of The Dinosaurs,
go to this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:
http://www.warnerarchive.com/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
