IT’S JUST LIKE WATCHING THE

So says Sir David Attenborough, narrator of new series Prehistoric Planet which brings the dinosaurs back to life by pairing scientific detail with stunning special effects

It’s not a jaws-and-claws show. It’s about the world that existed – Planet Earth, 66 million years ago

in the series are those that show mating displays, including an airborne battle between great winged Barbaridactylus pterosaurs for the affections of females waiting below. When it comes to T-rex love, their snouts are thought to have been packed with nerve endings, making them as sensitive as a dog’s nose. Scientists believe they rubbed muzzles as a sign of affection during courtship. ‘These animals were not blank boxes,’ says Mike. ‘They were characters. They made decisions.’

Generations of children have wondered why Tyrannosauruses had such short forearms. Prehistoric

Planet provides an answer, taking inspiration from birds, the evolutionary descendants of dinosaurs. Many bird species use their brightly coloured wings in mating displays. It seems likely that Tyrannosauruses did the same. The clue is that those forearms have ball-and-socket joints in the shoulders, allowing them to twist and waggle. Lurid scaly blue skin inside their wrists and elbows made for a dramatic sight when they flashed it in a mating dance.

Another dramatic discovery based on bone structure enables the team to show how sauropods, the largest dinosaurs of all, stood on their hind legs to battle for dominance. These long-necked behemoths, such as the diplodocus, had reinforced pelvises. Scientists think this enabled them to take their weight when they reared up. Fossil evidence shows some suffered scars to their necks, caused by the teeth of a rival raking at them.

To make the show as realistic as possible, Mike insisted on framing every shot as if it was any other wildlife film. ‘With CGI, the camera could fly between the legs of a T-rex or hover by its open jaws. But that looks wrong. A real-life wildlife cameraman couldn’t do that. He’d be eaten. We wanted every shot to look like it was filmed in the wild.’

Apple execs are insistent that no one can disclose the technical secrets of how the dinosaurs were created until after the series has

aired. But producer Tim Walker reveals that every creature was designed from the skeleton outwards, with layers of muscle and flesh added at each stage. ‘This is a magic trick,’ he laughs. ‘I wish I’d felt this excited about learning when I was in school. Everything in this series makes me want to find out more.’

The five episodes take us to forests, freshwaters, deserts, coasts and icescapes. The backdrops are real, filmed around the world, so CGI animators could drop their creations into real landscapes.

The result is a show unlike anything seen before. Mike admits the most nerve-racking thing was showing the initial edit to Sir David – his approval is priceless. ‘These are not monsters. They are extraordinary animals with complex behaviours,’ Sir David said. ‘I don’t know how you could have done it any better.’ The great man’s reaction was everything Mike hoped for.