What Do You Want to See?

[Balaur]

What would you want to see in a dinosaur documentary? It can be anything, from storylines, creatures, ect.
No Mesozoic creature is off limits. 

[ZoPteryx]

Gosh that's a tough question!   I'd like a documentary with variety, with representatives from every branch of the dinosaur family tree.  Ditto with other animal families.  Story lines, even if simple, are good; like in WWD, some of the Dino Revolutions, When Dinos Roamed America, etc.  Most importantly, the animals need to be as accurate as possible incorporating the latest scientific evidence.  In a perfect world, there would be a toy line released along with it.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

What would you want to see in a dinosaur documentary? It can be anything, from storylines, creatures, ect.
No Mesozoic creature is off limits.

Myself I would prefer to see something based on the fossil trade, dinosaur skeletons sold on free market, the chinese fossil issue, and the issue of poachers stealing American fossil material from protected lands. How it is stolen, sold, prices, etc. I think it is an area of paleontology and dinosauria that has a profound affect on all of us in many ways.

[Patrx]

A tough question indeed, and one I've pondered before. Ultimately, I think I'd very much like to see a return to the Walking With Dinosaurs format and concept - no talking heads, no discussions of fossils, etc. The thing I liked about WWD was the illusion that the animals were simply real and living; that they were being observed and photographed as they were. Of course, it was hugely speculative out of necessity, so it might be best to throw in a disclaimer of such at the beginning.

Other things that could use refining would be behavioral issues, namely the level of anthropomorphism that made it into the show. I'd like for the animators to spend lots of time observing what animals do and how they react to things (and how rarely they actually vocalize). Those were the things that broke the illusion for me in WWD; like Baby Al coughing and sputtering like a cartoon character when he fell in the pond. The best thing to come of this format, in my opinion, is  the range of behavior that can be displayed - not just fighting and hunting "rule of cool" stuff. I'd love for a show to convince me for a moment that they'd stumbled upon a herd of chasmosaurs grazing peacefully and pointed a camera at them.

Of course, a big part of it would be getting the most up-to-date dinosaur reconstructions - non-pronated hands, no visible fenestrae, strong tail muscles, and feathers and quills aplently. The BBC seems to have issues with feathering sometimes, if Planet Dinosaur is any indication. Their Troodon looks flat-out retro, and even the dinosaurs with their feathers on look awkwardly lizardlike.

[tyrantqueen]

A tough question indeed, and one I've pondered before. Ultimately, I think I'd very much like to see a return to the Walking With Dinosaurs format and concept - no talking heads, no discussions of fossils, etc. The thing I liked about WWD was the illusion that the animals were simply real and living; that they were being observed and photographed as they were. Of course, it was hugely speculative out of necessity, so it might be best to throw in a disclaimer of such at the beginning.

I agree, I hated the talking heads on Dinosaur Revolution too

A couple of things I disliked about Dinosaur Revolution was the narrator- it was so over the top and cheesy. Give me Kenneth Branagh any day of the week over that guy :S
Seriously though, I would prefer that the narration be a lot calmer, maybe like David Attenborough.

I want there to be as little anthropomorphisation as possible. I didn't like the way the dinosaurs were often given personality traits in DR that made them too human like. Make them behave like the animals they are supposed to be.

[Roselaar]

Things that haven't been shown before, particularly things involving marine life.

[ITewan]

I want a documentry to do with AUSTRALIA!!!! There is the WWD one but it is not that accurate anymore, I want to see Muttaburrasaurus, Leaellynasaura (feathured), Minmi, Koolasuchus, Australovenator and over various Australian dinosaurs, I would also like to see some Australian Megafauna, Procoptodon, Diprotodon and Thylacoleo

[ITewan]

AND RHOETOSAURUS!!

[Balaur]

A tough question indeed, and one I've pondered before. Ultimately, I think I'd very much like to see a return to the Walking With Dinosaurs format and concept - no talking heads, no discussions of fossils, etc. The thing I liked about WWD was the illusion that the animals were simply real and living; that they were being observed and photographed as they were. Of course, it was hugely speculative out of necessity, so it might be best to throw in a disclaimer of such at the beginning.

I agree, I hated the talking heads on Dinosaur Revolution too

A couple of things I disliked about Dinosaur Revolution was the narrator- it was so over the top and cheesy. Give me Kenneth Branagh any day of the week over that guy :S
Seriously though, I would prefer that the narration be a lot calmer, maybe like David Attenborough.

I want there to be as little anthropomorphisation as possible. I didn't like the way the dinosaurs were often given personality traits in DR that made them too human like. Make them behave like the animals they are supposed to be.

I think you just said everything I would have said.

[Gwangi]

I want a documentry to do with AUSTRALIA!!!! There is the WWD one but it is not that accurate anymore, I want to see Muttaburrasaurus, Leaellynasaura (feathured), Minmi, Koolasuchus, Australovenator and over various Australian dinosaurs, I would also like to see some Australian Megafauna, Procoptodon, Diprotodon and Thylacoleo

There was a recent series called "Australia: The Time Traveler's guide" which explored the natural history of Australia. There was an episode about dinosaurs specifically too. I don't know how good it was, I've been looking for it online with little success but clips I've seen of it look pretty good.

[Takama]

I wish to see something very natural for a change. Like Planet Earth or Life

[Metallisuchus]

I'd love a series that features a different species (note that I said 'species', not 'genus') with each episode, which provides an in-depth look at everything currently known about the species along with speculation/theories.

But if it's not a series - I'd love to see an evolution of aves and what we know about the K/T Boundary survivors. Did modern birds all evolve from a single species that survived the great extinction? That kinda thing.

[Gwangi]

But if it's not a series - I'd love to see an evolution of aves and what we know about the K/T Boundary survivors. Did modern birds all evolve from a single species that survived the great extinction? That kinda thing.

At the risk of hijacking this thread many modern birds were already evolving their separate ways during the Cretaceous. Some were already established including waterfowl and pelecaniformes. A lot of birds did go extinct as well though.

[Metallisuchus]

But if it's not a series - I'd love to see an evolution of aves and what we know about the K/T Boundary survivors. Did modern birds all evolve from a single species that survived the great extinction? That kinda thing.

At the risk of hijacking this thread many modern birds were already evolving their separate ways during the Cretaceous. Some were already established including waterfowl and pelecaniformes. A lot of birds did go extinct as well though.

Yeah I knew that several existed, just never knew which ones/how many made it through the K/T. Would be a good topic regardless though, I think.

[Balaur]

But if it's not a series - I'd love to see an evolution of aves and what we know about the K/T Boundary survivors. Did modern birds all evolve from a single species that survived the great extinction? That kinda thing.

At the risk of hijacking this thread many modern birds were already evolving their separate ways during the Cretaceous. Some were already established including waterfowl and pelecaniformes. A lot of birds did go extinct as well though.

Yeah I knew that several existed, just never knew which ones/how many made it through the K/T. Would be a good topic regardless though, I think.

Anything over 25 kilograms in land went extinct from the KPg Event, because there wasn't enough food for creatures that are bigger. Also, the reason why I said KPg is because the name was been changed to Cretaceous-Paleogene event.

Oops, I'm getting off topic. 

[Horridus]

Planet Dinosaur Mk 2 would do for me. Planet Dinosaur was a step in the right direction in that it incorporated actual fossil evidence(!!!!!11!) without breaking away to a talking head. But the dinosaurs weren't quite there on the whole. An improved PD would be great.

[Balaur]

Planet Dinosaur Mk 2 would do for me. Planet Dinosaur was a step in the right direction in that incorporated actual fossil evidence(!!!!!11!) without breaking away to a talking head. But the dinosaurs weren't quite there on the whole. An improved PD would be great.

Agreed.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Maybe we could have a documentary starring Jack Horner and he could explain how Tyrannosaurus as it got hungry began to scavenge until its skull changed making it a Pachycephalosaur, so that it could then evolve into a Tricerasaurus. (A torosaurus with triceratops stuff)sorta kind maybe?

[Takama]

LOL

[Balaur]

Maybe we could have a documentary starring Jack Horner and he could explain how Tyrannosaurus as it got hungry began to scavenge until its skull changed making it a Pachycephalosaur, so that it could then evolve into a Tricerasaurus. (A torosaurus with triceratops stuff)sorta kind maybe?

Ha!