Dinosaurs (1991)

Dinosaurs (1991) is a family comedy with a fantasy twist: a working-class stone‑age family of animatronic dinosaurs lives in a modern, consumerized world complete with televisions, refrigerators and corporate jobs — while humans appear only as cavemen, treated like pets or wild animals. Created by Jim Henson for Disney, the show mixes broad family humor with sharp social satire. You follow the Sinclair family: Earl Sinclair, an overworked tree‑pusher for the Wesayso Development Corp., his patient wife Fran, teenage children Charlene and Robbie, cantankerous Grandma Ethyl, and the pint‑sized tyrant Baby Sinclair, who actually runs the household. Episodic stories center on typical family issues — work, school, marriage and sibling rivalry — but tilt them into prehistoric settings and use them to lampoon modern corporate greed, environmental short‑sightedness and cultural trends. Watching Dinosaurs delivers a mix of slapstick and heartfelt family moments, lively puppet/animatronic performances, and surprisingly pointed topical commentary. Episodes are often funny and accessible for kids, yet include satire and darker themes that resonate with adult viewers. Visually the show leans on elaborate creature suits and setpieces rather than animation, giving it a distinctive, tactile look and physical comedy. If you watch Dinosaurs, expect quick, gag‑driven humor around family life, recurring social critiques aimed at corporations and consumer culture, and a warm-but-edgy tone that balances silly moments with thought‑provoking ideas — a show that works as both light family entertainment and a surprisingly sharp social fable.

Actors: Stuart Pankin, Jessica Walter, Jason Willinger

Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

7.5 /10 7.5 /10