It was twenty years ago today that ABC aired the first episode of “Dinosaurs.” I remember the show as a strange mix of Jim Henson and “The Flinstones,” with the result being not particularly funny but compulsively watchable. (Although I suspect that then, as now, I found all dinosaurs — especially talking ones — compulsively watchable.) TV Squad has more details:
On April 26, 1991, the world was introduced to the Sinclair family on ABC’s ‘Dinosaurs.’ The sitcom lasted for four seasons and 65 episodes (58 episodes aired during the first run; the remaining aired in syndication) before ultimately ending with the extinction of dinosaurs. (Inevitable, we suppose.)
While ‘Dinosaurs’ was a sitcom, the show broke the mold by not having a studio audience or a laugh track. Brought to life by a cast of experienced Henson puppeteers and seasoned voice actors, ‘Dinosaurs’ is heralded as one of the most ambitious sitcoms ever.
While the most memorable aspect of the show may be that stupid baby dinosaur’s catch phrase — “Not the mama!” (ugh) — I generally remember “Dinosaurs” as having one of the most depressing finales in sitcom history. You can watch the YouTube of it below. While the “we should respect nature” allegory is heavy-handed, it still took balls to have sitcom characters face down the end of the world. Big ol’ T. Rex balls.
Aw, poor T. Rex. He could never touch his own balls with those useless little forearms.
