The Dinosaurs: What Do Paleontologists Think Of Netflix’s Hit Series?

Since premiering on the platform last week, Netflix’s new documentary The Dinosaurs has become a huge hit with viewers.

A sequel of sorts to the nature series Life On Our Planet, the new venture was co-produced by EGOT recipient Steven Spielberg and features narration from the unmistakable Morgan Freeman.

The four-parter tells “the story of the rise and fall of the dinosaurs — where they came from, why they mattered, how they evolved and how they met their ultimate fate” using cutting-edge visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic, the team behind the sensational ABBA Voyage.

So far, The Dinosaurs has gone down a storm, earning a rare 100% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes (based on seven positive reviews) and at the time of writing, it’s still the number one show on Netflix UK, ahead of the likes of Bridgerton, The Night Agent and Vladimir.

But what’s the reaction been like within the community of dinosaur experts?

Over the last few days, a Reddit thread inviting paleontologists to weigh in has been popping off, with a mix of reactions.

One of the most popular answers came from user u/Maip_macrothorax, who has described it as a somewhat “shallow” watch, albeit not a “terrible” one.

“While it suffers from similar issues to Life On Our Planet (like the ‘evolutionary superiority’ framing), it’s to a much lesser degree,” they wrote. “The pacing here is also a lot better.

“I just wish they explained some things better,” they added, while criticising some of the information for being on the “misleading” side.

Fellow dino expert u/mmcjawa_reborn had a similarly mixed reaction, hailing the show for featuring “a lot of critters” who don’t always get a moment to shine – specifically naming “Procompsognathus, Rhynchosaurs, Marasuchus [and] Tanystropheus” – and praising the use of visual effects to bring the dinosaurs to life.

However, they agreed that the narration had “varying accuracy” while some character designs veered towards “dull”.

“Worth a watch… just wish the script for the narration was better,” they surmised.

Another viewer, u/endmaga2028, admitted they were “disappointed” at certain mispronunciations early on in the series, though others were less critical on this subject.

Meanwhile, u/Practical_Reveal9477 was even less impressed, calling the show “overly dramatic” and with “little educational value”, suggesting that “all signs pointing to a simple and quick cash grab”.

On the other hand, u/GuessBrilliant9167 admitted they were moved to tears by the final episode, even if they conceded the show on the whole was “a bit more of the same”.

“The bird/dinosaur montage and comparing behaviours made me very emotional and reminded me how resilient and successful dinosaurs were and still are today,” they enthused.

Director Nick Shoolingin‑Jordan previously told Netflix’s Tudum outlet that he wanted to “tell the full chronology all the way through and take the audience on a rip‑roaring adventure” with The Dinosaurs.

Showrunner Dan Tapster added: “We had eight 50-minute episodes to tell the entire story of life on Earth [in Life On Our Planet], so there were lots of things where we could only scratch the surface – and the dinosaur story was absolutely one of them.

“With The Dinosaurs, we finally get to tell that story in full and celebrate it like no one has ever done before.”

The Dinosaurs is now streaming on Netflix.