Dinosaur Train is an animated children's television series created by Craig Bartlett, who also created Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!. The series is centered on a young anthropomorphic orange Tyrannosaurus rex named Buddy who, together with a family of Pteranodons, takes the Dinosaur Train to explore the Mesozoic, and has adventures with a variety of dinosaurs. It is produced by The Jim Henson Company, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (formerly the Media Development Authority), Sparky Animation, FableVision, Snee-Oosh, Inc., and Tail Waggin' Productions in association with Reel FX and Sea to Sky Entertainment. A film based on the series for Universal Pictures and Universal 1440 Entertainment titled, Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island premiered on April 12, 2021.
A revival is currently in the works at the Jim Henson Company, alongside Sid the Science Kid.
Contents
Premise
The show is set in a whimsical prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes, and oceans, all filled with dinosaur and other prehistoric animal life, connected by a railroad served by an eponymous passenger train, the Dinosaur Train. Its passenger cars can accommodate dinosaurs of all kinds: windows accommodate long-necked sauropods, there is headroom in the Observation Car for the larger theropods, and the AquaCar is an aquarium for sea-going passengers. The train itself is run by Troodons, being one of the smartest dinosaurs in this fictional universe. The Dinosaur Train circles the whole world, crossing oceans and inland seas, with stops to visit undersea prehistoric animals. It can travel through the entire Mesozoic Era, the "Age of Dinosaurs", passing through magical Time Tunnels to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods.
The world of Dinosaur Train is seen through the eyes of Buddy the Tyrannosaurus rex. According to the show's main title song, Buddy was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon. He hatched at the same time as his Pteranodon siblings Tiny, Shiny, and Don. By traveling in the Dinosaur Train around the Mesozoic, supplied with dinosaur facts by the train's Troodon Conductor, Buddy learns that he is a Tyrannosaurus rex. As an adopted child in a mixed-species family, Buddy is curious about the differences between species and likes to learn about all the dinosaurs he can by riding the Dinosaur Train. The dinosaur species featured in the show are actual dinosaurs discovered by paleontologists.
Dinosaur Train is produced and animated by Sparky Animation in Singapore, with casting by Vidaspark and voice-overs recorded at Kozmic Sound in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It premiered on Labor Day 2009 and aired daily on PBS Kids, and in various countries around the world. 40 half-hour episodes were ordered by PBS Kids for the first season. After that, 49 additional episodes were made. As of September 2018, PBS Kids had ordered 11 more episodes, taking the total number of episodes to 100. Each episode is followed by a live-action segment featuring Dinosaur Train educational consultant and paleontologist Dr. Scott D. Sampson, who appears onscreen to explain the show's dinosaur curriculum in greater detail.
Voice cast
Main cast
Phillip Corlett as Buddy Tyrannosaurus (seasons 1–2)
Sean Thomas as Buddy Tyrannosaurus (season 3)
Dayton Wall as Buddy Tyrannosaurus (season 4)
Chance Hurstfield as Buddy Tyrannosaurus (season 5)
Claire Corlett as Tiny Pteranodon, Polly Polycotylus
Erika-Shaye Gair as Shiny Pteranodon, Annie Tyrannosaurus, Cory Corythosaurus
Alexander Matthew Marr as Don Pteranodon (seasons 1–2), Tank Triceratops (seasons 1–2), Quincy Quetzalcoatlus (Season 1)
Laura Marr as Don Pteranodon (seasons 3–5), Tank Triceratops (seasons 3–5), Quincy Quetzalcoatlus (Season 3)
Ian James Corlett as Mr. Conductor Troodon, Adam Adocus, Aidan Adocus, Alan Alamosaurus, Elliott Enantiornithine (in "Now with Feathers!"), Morris Stegosaurus, Mr. Argentinosaurus, Mr. Brachiosaurus, Mr. Corythosaurus, Mr. Daspletosaurus, Mr. Elasmosaurus, Pete Pachycephalosaurus, Quentin Qianzhousaurus, Stuart Stygimoloch, Travis Troodon, Triceratops, Troodon Official, Vincent Velociraptor, Teddy Pterodaustro, Frankie Fruitafossor, Troodon Waiter, Wan Wannanosaurus, Seabird, Nick Nyctosaurus, Trevor Troodon
Colin Murdock as Mr. Pteranodon, Announcer, Elliott Enantiornithine, Hank Ankylosaurus, Ralph Einiosaurus, Station Master, Stuart Styracosaurus, Ziggy Zhejiangopterus, Mr. Stygimoloch, Manny Megalosaurus, Otto Ophthalmosaurus, Xavier Xenotarsosaurus, Yang Yangchuanosaurus, Grandpa Pteranodon, Carson Carcharodontosaurus (Chef C), Gary Goniopholis, Crockett Cricket, Maurice Mammut
Ellen Kennedy as Mrs. Pteranodon, Mrs. Einiosaurus, Mrs. Elasmosaurus, Hattie Hadrosaurus, Patty Pachycephalosaurus, Grandma Pteranodon
Additional voices
Mark Acheson as Marvin Mosasaurus
Michael Adamthwaite as Jess Hesperornis, Reggie Raptorex
William Ainscough as Dennis Deinocheirus (Season 4)
Joshua Ballard as Ernie Einiosaurus
Ashleigh Ball as Arnie Argentinosaurus, Baby Archelon, Crystal Cryolophosaurus, Gilbert Troodon, Lorraine Lambeosaurus, Maiasaura Mom, Millie Maiasaura, Mrs. Therizinosaurus, Oren Ornithomimus, Reba Rhabdodon, Gwendolyn Glyptops, Lily Lambeosaurus (Season 4), Grandma Chelsea Changyuraptor, Carla Crayfish
Kathleen Barr as Angela Avisaurus, Dolores Tyrannosaurus, Erma Eoraptor, Fanny Fabrosaurus, Jacqueline Jaxartosaurus, Laura Giganotosaurus, Mrs. Corythosaurus, Mrs. Ornithomimus, Ned Brachiosaurus, Ollie Ornithomimus, Pauline Proganochelys, Peggy Peteinosaurus, Selma Cimolestes, Trudy Triceratops, Tuck Triceratops, Velma Velociraptor, Velociraptor Mom, Remy Rhamphorhynchus, Effie Effigia, Paulette Polycotylus, Nelly Nemicolopterus, Goldie Globidens, Queen Regina Regaliceratops, Styracosaurus Courtier
Craig Bartlett as Spider
Adam Behr as Kenny Kentrosaurus
Zen Blocka as Dennis Deinocheirus (Season 5)
Nicole Bouma as Soren Saurornitholestes
Jason Bryden as Tommy Ptilodus
Jim Byrnes as Percy Paramacellodus
Natasha Calis as Leslie Lesothosaurus, Maisie Mosasaurus
Adrienne Carter as Kiera Chirostenotes (season 2)
Garry Chalk as Marco Megaraptor
UK voice cast
The UK dub only aired the first two seasons on Nick Jr. in the UK and Ireland from 2012 to 2015.
Alex Starke as Buddy Tyrannosaurus
Sophia Andrews as Tiny Pteranodon
Isobel Doran as Shiny Pteranodon
Jack Graham as Don Pteranodon
Christina Denham as Mrs. Pteranodon
Hugo Chandor as Mr. Pteranodon
Keir Stewart as Mr. Conductor and King Cryolophosaurus
Joe Mills as Old Spinosaurus, Mayor Kosmoceratops and Vlad Volaticotherium
Production
Development
In early 2008, after the successful first run of Hey Arnold! on Nickelodeon, Craig Bartlett decided to create another children series, this one set during the era of the dinosaurs, including the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Bartlett conceived the idea for the show, drew the main characters, and wrote a pilot script. Bartlett said he got the idea of the show after he saw one of his kids put a toy dinosaur in a toy train.
Episode segments
Time for a Tiny Ditty – Tiny either tries singing about something she learned on the show or about her favorite dish (fish).
Buddy has a Hypothesis – Children learn from Buddy and Tiny what a hypothesis means.
Dr. Scott the Paleontologist – Scott Sampson is a paleontologist who appears on the show to teach children about the dinosaurs which have appeared in each episode, and how dinosaurs compare to present-day animals (including humans). He received his PhD in zoology from the University of Toronto in 1993 and, as of August 2019, is the CEO for Science World at TELUS World of Science in Vancouver, BC.
Songs
"Theme Song" – The opening theme, which is about a mom named Mrs. Pteranodon and her children, including a T. Rex whose egg landed in her nest, revealed to be written by King in his debut episode.
"Hungry Hungry Herbivore" – An adult Brachiosaurus (judging by his deep voice) shows up to sing a song about how herbivores love to eat green food.
"I'm a T-Rex" – Buddy sings that he finally realizes that he is T-Rex, and sings about living in the Cretaceous Forest.
"Dinosaurs A-Z" – Mr. Conductor sings the Dinosaur Alphabet that his mother taught him. A later version of the song is sung by Buddy and Tiny, keeping track of the twenty-six different dinosaur species in the song to pick up on the train for a picnic at Troodon Town.
"Cryolophosaurus Crests" – King sings about his crest.
"My Tiny Place" – Tiny sings about her "Tiny Place", which is actually her hideout in the form of a small hole in a tree. She sometimes shares it with Cindy Cimolestes.
"Nice to Meet You (My Name is Tiny)" – Tiny's song she sings to Leslie to tell her how she can talk to other dinosaurs without getting scared.
"All Aboard" – The original theme song before the official Dinosaur Train theme song.
"Tiny Loves Fish" – Tiny sings a song about how she loves fish.
"I Love Trains" – Mr. Conductor sings about his love for trains.
"I'll Always Be Your Mom" – Mrs. Pteranodon sings to her kids on how much she loves them.
"Dinosaur Feet" – Daphne Daspletosaurus and the gang sings about their great big stomping dinosaur feet.
Reception
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media rated the show four stars out of five, stating that "Young dinos travels teach kids about science and diversity."
Home media
DVDs of the series from PBS Distribution were produced from 2010 to 2019. It also became part of PBS Kids compilation DVDs until 2021, when Elinor Wonders Why took over.
StudioCanal UK and StudioCanal Germany released the series on DVD in their respective countries.
In other media
Live show
A live show, "Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure", toured the United States and Canada from September 2013 to June 2014.
Film
In July 2020, Craig Bartlett announced an 85-minute musical film based on the series on Instagram.
The film, titled Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island, premiered on April 12, 2021, serving as the series finale.