There have been plenty of nostalgic comebacks in 2020, and it looks like that feeling is getting one last hurrah as 2021 gears up to take over. Jim Henson’s classic and surreal sitcom Dinosaurs is officially making its way to Disney+ in January.
Premiering on ABC in 1991, Dinosaurs shook up the familiar sitcom formula in ways that other subversive shows like Married… with Children only dreamed. Tackling issues like environmentalism, women’s rights, drug use, and even LGBTQ+ rights, the show was ahead of its time in both writing and scope. Audiences would let their guard down when they saw a show featuring anthropomorphic dinosaurs, only to have something completely unexpected sprung on them when, for instance, an episode uses anti-herbivore sentiment as a thinly-veiled metaphor for homophobia.
While Henson passed away a short while before the series began, it started as his idea, and eventually passed into the hands of his son, Brian Henson. The younger Henson, who felt overwhelmed at the time, managed to take the ideas his father had been developing since 1988 and run with them, creating a cult classic show far ahead of its time. Frankly, not too surprising from the bloodline that created The Muppets.
“The idea that we could tell these powerful, dark stories with heavy thematic undertones but do it in these goofy, ignorant, dinosaurs are so irresponsible that they will eventually bring about their own extinction, which was the gem of the idea,” Brian Henson said of the show. “That was the idea of it always. That was my dad’s idea before he died.” The elder Henson had apparently always planned for the show to tackle real issues while remaining entertaining, and the seemingly absurd concept of the series revolving around animatronic dinosaur characters made those ideas work.
Dinosaurs ran from 1991 to 1994, and it’s one of those shows where its relatively short time on the air may come as a surprise to fans. Even though this is a cult show of sorts, those who remember it will likely remember seeing it everywhere. That idea may come from a combination of the show’s syndication on The Disney Channel, as well as its impact. Even though other forms of media have pushed the envelope further and addressed ideas that have become increasingly relevant as the years go on, Dinosaurs will remain one of a kind, and it’s difficult to forget a show where prehistoric reptiles participate in a sex discrimination lawsuit.
Dinosaurs was available on Hulu for a time, and can be purchased on Amazon Prime. But for those willing to wait without spending any extra cash, the show will come to Disney+ on January 29, 2021.
Source: Collider
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