Chased by Dinosaurs

Thanks to Netflix Instant Viewing, I am streaming the BBC series Chased by Dinosaurs to my television through my Nintendo Wii. I’m probably the rare media scholar who does not have cable television installed in my home, but I find there’s so much to watch online and now through Netflix that I’ve never missed commercial tv. Tangents aside Chased by Dinosaurs, the 2003 follow-up to Walking with Dinosaurs stars veteran BBC documentarian and naturalist Nigel Marvin, who plays a host who travels back in time to introduce viewer to the world of dinosaurs. Marvin’s interaction with digitally animated creatures is stunningly realistic and usefully illustrates how wildlife films construct nature. I am particularly interested in the episodes on underwater creatures thats combine live-action footage of the cast swimming with animated dinosharks.

A bit of research turned up some reading that offers keen insights into reading Chased by Dinosaurs, for example, Karen D. Scott and Anne M. White’s “Unnatural History? Deconstructing the Walking with Dinosaurs Phenomenon” appeared in MEDIA CULTURE SOCIETY, May 2003 vol. 25 no. 3 315-332. Marvin’s character recalls Steve Irwin, who is discussed at length by Mark Berrettini in his essay Danger! Danger! Danger!’ or When Animals Might Attack: Adventure Activism and Wildlife Film and Television” in SCOPE, vol. 1 (2004).