''Dinosaur Train'' is a CGI-animated preschool musical television series aimed for preschoolers ages 3 to 6. Created by

Craig Bartlett Craig Michael Bartlett (born October 18, 1956) is an American animator, best known for writing, directing, creating and producing the Nickelodeon television series ''Hey Arnold!'' and the PBS Kids television series ''Dinosaur Train'' and '' Read ...

, who created Nickelodeon's ''

Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpar ...

'', the series features a curious young ''

Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...

'' named Buddy who, together with his adopted '' Pteranodon'' family, takes the Dinosaur Train to explore his time period, and have adventures with a variety of dinosaurs. It is co-produced by

The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...

in association with the

Infocomm Media Development Authority The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). History Following the passing of the Info-communications Media Development Authority Bill in Parliame ...

(formerly the Media Development Authority), Sparky Animation,

FableVision FableVision Studios is a media production studio located on the top floor of Boston Children's Museum in the city's Innovation District. FableVision designs and develops a wide array of educational media, including software, games and interactiv ...

Snee-Oosh, Inc. Craig Michael Bartlett (born October 18, 1956) is an American animator, best known for writing, directing, creating and producing the Nickelodeon television series ''Hey Arnold!'' and the PBS Kids television series ''Dinosaur Train'' and ''Read ...

Reel FX A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the en ...

, and Sea to Sky Entertainment. PBS Kids had ordered 11 more episodes, taking the total number of episodes to 100. A film based on the series from

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

and

Universal 1440 Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...

titled, ''Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island'' premiered on April 12, 2021.

Overview

The show is set in a whimsical prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes and oceans, all filled with dinosaur and other animal life, and connected by a train line known eponymously as the Dinosaur Train. This steam-engine train can be customized for dinosaurs of all kinds: windows accommodate the long-necked sauropods, there's plenty of headroom in the Observation Car for the larger

theropod Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally c ...

s, and the Aquacar is an aquarium for sea-going passengers. The train itself is run by ''

Troodon ''Troodon'' ( ; ''Troödon'' in older sources) is a wastebasket taxon and a dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like dinosaurs known definitively from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (about 77 mya). It includes at leas ...

s'', as the smartest dinosaurs in this fictional universe. The Dinosaur Train circles the whole world—it even crosses the 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 The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

, and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

time periods. The world of ''Dinosaur Train'' is seen through the eyes of Buddy the ''

Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...

''. In the show's main title song, we learn that 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 all dinosaur facts by the train's ''Troodon'' Conductor, Buddy learns that he is a ''Tyrannosaurus''. As an adopted kid in a mixed-species family, Buddy is curious about the differences between species and vows 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 co-produced and animated by Sparky Animation Studios in Singapore, with casting by Vidaspark and voice-overs recorded at Kozmic Sound in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. It premiered on Labor Day 2009 and airs daily on PBS Kids, and in various countries around the world. 40 half-hour episodes were ordered by PBS Kids for the 1st season. After that 49 additional episodes were made. 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.

Episodes

Voice cast

Main

* Phillip Corlett as Buddy

(seasons 1-2) * Sean Thomas as Buddy

(season 3) * Dayton Wall as Buddy

(season 4) * Chance Hurstfield as Buddy

(season 5) *

Claire Corlett Claire Margaret Corlett (born July 9, 1999) is a Canadian actress, known most notably for her nine years of voice work on the family fantasy/comedy animated television series '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'', for which she provided the ...

as Tiny Pteranodon, Polly

Polycotylus ''Polycotylus'' is a genus of plesiosaur within the family Polycotylidae. The type species is ''P. latippinis'' and was named by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1869. Eleven other species have been identified. The name means 'much- ...

Ian James Corlett Ian James Corlett (born August 29, 1962) is a Canadian voice actor, animator, and author. He is the creator of Studio B Productions' animated series ''Being Ian'' and ''Yvon of the Yukon''. One of his best-known animation roles was the first En ...

as Mr. Conductor, Adam

Adocus ''Adocus'' is an extinct genus of aquatic turtles belonging to the family Adocidae. ''Adocus'' was once considered to belong to the family Dermatemyidae. Description Species of the genus ''Adocus'' had flattened and smoothly contoured shells w ...

, Alan Alamosaurus, Elliott Enantiornithine (in "Now with Feathers!"), Morris

Stegosaurus ''Stegosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been fou ...

, Mr.

Argentinosaurus ''Argentinosaurus'' is a genus of giant sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Argentina. Although it is only known from fragmentary remains, ''Argentinosaurus'' is one of the largest known land animal ...

, Mr.

Daspletosaurus ''Daspletosaurus'' ( ; meaning "frightful lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that lived in Laramidia between about 79.5 and 74 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period. The genus ''Daspletosaurus'' contains three species ...

, Mr.

Elasmosaurus ''Elasmosaurus'' (;) is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 80.5million years ago. The first specimen was discovered in 1867 near Fort Wallace, Kansas, US, and was se ...

, Quentin

Qianzhousaurus ''Qianzhousaurus'' (meaning "Qianzhou lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. There is currently only one species named, the type species ''Qianzhousaurus sinensis'' which is a member ...

, Stuart

Stygimoloch ''Pachycephalosaurus'' (; meaning "thick-headed lizard", from Greek ''pachys-/'' "thick", ''kephale/'' "head" and ''sauros/'' "lizard") is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs. The type species, ''P. wyomingensis'', is the only known species ...

, Travis

Triceratops ''Triceratops'' ( ; ) is a genus of herbivorous chasmosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur that first appeared during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago in what is now North America. It is one ...

Official, Vincent

Velociraptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the p ...

, Teddy

Pterodaustro ''Pterodaustro'' is a genus of ctenochasmatid pterodactyloid pterosaur from South America. Its fossil remains dated back to the Early Cretaceous period, about 105 million years ago. The most distinctive characteristic that separates ''Pterodaus ...

, Frankie

Fruitafossor ''Fruitafossor'' was a termite-eating mammal endemic to North America during the Late Jurassic epoch (around 150 mya). The description is based on a complete skeleton of a chipmunk-sized animal. It was discovered on March 31, 2005, in Fruita, ...

Waiter * Erika-Shaye Gair as Shiny Pteranodon, Annie

, Cory

Corythosaurus ''Corythosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of hadrosaurid "duck-billed" dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 77–75.7 million years ago. It lived in what is now North America. Its name means "helmet lizard", derived from Greek κόρυ� ...

* Ellen Kennedy as Mrs. Pteranodon, Mrs.

Einiosaurus ''Einiosaurus'' is a genus of herbivorous centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian stage) of northwestern Montana. The name means 'buffalo lizard', in a combination of Blackfeet Indian ''eini'' and Latinized Ancie ...

, Mrs.

, Grandma Pteranodon * Alexander Matthew Marr as Don Pteranodon (seasons 1-2), Tank

* Laura Marr as Don Pteranodon (seasons 3-5), Quincy Quetzalcoatlus * Colin Murdock as Mr. Pteranodon, Announcer, Elliott Enantiornithine, Hank

Ankylosaurus ''Ankylosaurus'' is a genus of armored dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the Cretaceous Period, about 68–66 million years ago, in western North America, making it among the last of the n ...

, Ralph

, Station Master, Stuart Styracosaurus, Ziggy Zhejiangopterus, Carson

Carcharodontosaurus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of large carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous in Northern Africa. The genus ''Carcharodontosaurus'' is named after the shark genus '' Carc ...

, Grandpa Pteranodon, Gary

Goniopholis ''Goniopholis'' (meaning "angled scale") is an extinct genus of goniopholidid crocodyliform that lived in Europe and Africa during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Being semi-aquatic it is very similar to modern crocodiles. It ranged from ...

Additional voices

Mark Acheson Mark Acheson (born September 19, 1957) is a Canadian voice, film and television actor. Career Acheson began studying acting at Langara College’s Studio 58 at the age of 15. He is a founding member of Janus Theatre and appeared on stage for eigh ...

as Marvin

Mosasaurus ''Mosasaurus'' (; "lizard of the Meuse River") is the type genus (defining example) of the mosasaurs, an extinct group of aquatic squamate reptiles. It lived from about 82 to 66 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian sta ...

Michael Adamthwaite Michael David Adamthwaite (born September 1, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He is credited with providing the voice for many characters in various anime series. He is also known for portraying the Jaffa Herak in the science fiction television series ...

as Jess

Hesperornis ''Hesperornis'' (meaning "western bird") is a genus of cormorant-like bird that spanned the first half of the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (83.5–78 mya). One of the lesser-known discoveries of the paleontologist O. C. Marsh i ...

, Reggie

Raptorex ''Raptorex'' is a dubious genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur. Its fossil remains consist of a single juvenile specimen probably uncovered in Mongolia, or possibly northeastern China. The type species is ''R. kriegsteini'', described in 2009 by Se ...

Ashleigh Ball Ashleigh Adele Ball (born March 31, 1983) is a Canadian voice actress and musician, known for performing with the rock band Hey Ocean!, as well as voicing characters in several toyetic movies and television series, notably the ''Barbie'' film ...

as Arnie

, Crystal

Cryolophosaurus ''Cryolophosaurus'' ( or ; "CRY-oh-loaf-oh-SAWR-us") is a genus of large theropod dinosaur known from only a single species ''Cryolophosaurus ellioti'', from the early Jurassic of Antarctica. It was one of the largest theropods of the Early Jura ...

, Gilbert

, Lorraine

Lambeosaurus ''Lambeosaurus'' ( , meaning " Lambe's lizard") is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that lived about 75 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous period (Campanian stage) of North America. This bipedal/quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaur is k ...

Maiasaura ''Maiasaura'' (from the Greek ''μαῖα'', meaning "good mother" and ''σαύρα'', the feminine form of ''saurus'', meaning "reptile") is a large herbivorous saurolophine hadrosaurid ("duck-billed") dinosaur genus that lived in the area cur ...

Mom, Millie

, Mrs.

Therizinosaurus ''Therizinosaurus'' (; meaning 'scythe lizard') is a genus of very large therizinosaurid that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now the Nemegt Formation around 70 million years ago. It contains a single species, ''Theriz ...

, Oren

Ornithomimus ''Ornithomimus'' (; "bird mimic") is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America. ''Ornithomimus'' was a swift bipedal theropod which fossil evidence indicates was covered in feathers, equippe ...

, Reba

Rhabdodon ''Rhabdodon'' (meaning "fluted tooth") is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived in Europe approximately 70-66 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous. It is similar in build to a very robust " hypsilophodont" (non-iguanodont ornithopod), tho ...

, Gwendolyn

Glyptops ''Glyptops'' (Greek for "grooved face") is an extinct genus of pleurosternid freshwater turtle known from the Late Jurassic of North America. Taxonomy The type species, ''Glyptops plicatulus'', was first described as ''Compsemys plicatulus'' by ...

* William Ainscough as Dennis Deinocheirus *

Kathleen Barr Kathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for voicing Marie Kanker and Kevin in ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'' and Trixie Lulamoon and Queen Chrysalis in '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''. She also voiced Henri Richard Maurice D ...

as Angela Avisaurus (in "T. Rex Migration"), Dolores

, Erma

Eoraptor ''Eoraptor'' () is a genus of small, lightly built, basal sauropodomorph. One of the earliest-known dinosaurs, it lived approximately 231 to 228 million years ago, during the Late Triassic in Western Gondwana, in the region that is now northwes ...

, Fanny

Fabrosaurus ''Fabrosaurus'' ( ) is an extinct genus of ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic during the Hettangian to Sinemurian stages 199 - 189 mya.Ginsburg, L., (1964), "Decouverte d’un Scelidosaurien (Dinosaure ornithischien) ...

, Jacqueline

Jaxartosaurus ''Jaxartosaurus'' (meaning "Jaxartes lizard" after the early name of the Syr Darya) is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur similar to ''Corythosaurus'' which lived during the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils were found in Kazakhstan. Description ''Jaxar ...

, Laura

Giganotosaurus ''Giganotosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina, during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 99.6 to 95 million years ago. The holotype specimen was discovered in th ...

, Mrs.

, Ned

Brachiosaurus ''Brachiosaurus'' () is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic, about 154to 150million years ago. It was first described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 from fossils found in th ...

, Ollie

, Pauline

Proganochelys ''Proganochelys'' is an extinct, primitive stem-turtle that has been hypothesized to be the sister taxon to all other turtles creating a monophyletic group, the ''Casichelydia''. ''Proganochelys'' was named by Georg Baur in 1887 as the oldest tur ...

, Peggy

Peteinosaurus ''Peteinosaurus'' ( ; meaning "winged lizard") was a prehistoric genus of pterosaur. It lived in the late Triassic period in the late Norian age (about 221 to 210 million years ago), and at a wingspan of around , was one of the smallest and earli ...

, Trudy

, Tuck

, Velma ''

'',

Mom, Remy

Rhamphorhynchus ''Rhamphorhynchus'' (, from Ancient Greek ''rhamphos'' meaning "beak" and ''rhynchus'' meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such ...

, Effie

Effigia ''Effigia'' was an Extinction, extinct genus of Shuvosauridae, shuvosaurid known from the Late Triassic of New Mexico, south-western USA. With a bipedal stance, long neck, and a toothless beaked skull, ''Effigia'' and other shuvosaurids bore a re ...

, Paulette

as Spider * Adam Behr as Kenny

Kentrosaurus ''Kentrosaurus'' ( ; ) is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic in Lindi Region of Tanzania. The type species is ''K. aethiopicus'', named and described by German palaeontologist Edwin Hennig in 1915. Often thought to be a " pri ...

Nicole Bouma Nicole Bouma (born April 24, 1981) is a Canadian voice actress who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is best known as the voice of Mint Blancmanche from the ''Galaxy Angel'' series, Blossom from ''Powerpuff Girls ...

as Soren

Saurornitholestes ''Saurornitholestes'' ("lizard-bird thief") is a genus of carnivorous dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Canada (Alberta) and the United States (Montana, New Mexico, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina). Two spec ...

* Jason Bryden as Tommy

Ptilodus ''Ptilodus'' (meaning "soft-haired") is a genus of mammals from the extinct order of Multituberculata, and lived during the Paleocene in North America. ''Ptilodus'' was a relatively large multituberculate of in length, which is about the same s ...

* Jim Byrnes as Percy Paramacellodus *

Natasha Calis Natasha Calis (born 27 March 1999) is a Canadian actress known best for her role in the 2012 supernatural horror film ''The Possession'', where she plays the role of Emily Brenek, a possessed girl, as well as her role as Claire McDeere in the 20 ...

as Leslie

Lesothosaurus ''Lesothosaurus'' is a Monotypic taxon, monospecific genus of ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic in what is now South Africa and Lesotho. It was named by paleontologist Peter Galton in 1978, the name meaning "lizard from L ...

, Maisie

* Adrienne Carter as Kiera

Chirostenotes ''Chirostenotes'' ( ; named from Greek 'narrow-handed') is a genus of oviraptorosaurian dinosaur from the late Cretaceous (about 76.5 million years ago) of Alberta, Canada. The type species is ''Chirostenotes pergracilis''. History of discover ...

Garry Chalk Garry Chalk is a British-born Canadian actor. He has provided the voices for Optimus Primal of '' Beast Wars: Transformers'' and ''Beast Machines'', as well as Optimus Prime in the anime English dubs of '' Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformer ...

as Marco

Megaraptor ''Megaraptor'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in the ages of the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been discovered in the Patagonian Portezuelo Formation of Argentina, South America. Initially thought to have been a giant dr ...

Shannon Chan-Kent Shannon Chan-Kent (born September 23, 1988) is a Canadian voice and stage actress. She is known for her roles as Silver Spoon and Smolder and the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', Misa Amane in the English ...

as Allie Alamosaurus * Allison Cohen as Carla Cretoxyrhina * Dylan Sloane Cowan as Rodney

Michelle Creber Michelle Nicole Creber (born September 7, 1999) is a Canadian actress and singer who is best known as the voice of Apple Bloom (and the singing voice of Sweetie Belle until 2013) in the TV series '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic''. Biog ...

as Michelle

* Brenda Crichlow as Denise

Diplodocus ''Diplodocus'' (, , or ) was a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a neo-Latin term derived from Greek δι� ...

* Deb Demille as Deanna

Deinosuchus ''Deinosuchus'' () is an extinct genus of alligatoroid crocodilian, related to modern alligators and caimans, that lived 82 to 73 million years ago (Ma), during the late Cretaceous period. The name translates as "terrible crocodile" and i ...

Trevor Devall Trevor Devall (born November 10, 1972) is a Canadian-American voice actor and podcaster. He worked for various other studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for years, before he relocated to Los Angeles, California, US in 2013. Early life ...

as Boris

, Bucky

Masiakasaurus ''Masiakasaurus'' is a genus of small predatory noasaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Malagasy, ''masiaka'' means "vicious"; thus, the genus name means "vicious lizard". The type species, ''Masiakasaurus knopfl ...

, Mr. ''

Deinonychus ''Deinonychus'' ( ; ) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur with one described species, ''Deinonychus antirrhopus''. This species, which could grow up to long, lived during the early Cretaceous Period, about 115–108 million y ...

'', Thurston

, Peng

Protopteryx ''Protopteryx'' is an extinct bird and the most basal enantiornithean, from the Cretaceous period.Zhou, Zhonghe. (2002). "A new and primitive enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of China." ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'', 22(1): ...

* Michael Dobson as Old

Spinosaurus ''Spinosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what now is North Africa during the Cenomanian to upper Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous period, about 99 to 93.5 million years ago. The genus was known first f ...

Brian Drummond Brian Drummond (born August 10, 1969) is a Canadian voice actor. He formerly served on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. Usually working in Vancouver, h ...

as Alvin

Allosaurus ''Allosaurus'' () is a genus of large carnosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 145 million years ago during the Late Jurassic epoch ( Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian). The name "''Allosaurus''" means "different lizard" alludin ...

, Apollo

Apatosaurus ''Apatosaurus'' (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, ''A. ajax'', in 1877, ...

, Albert Albanerpeton, Eugene

Euoplocephalus ''Euoplocephalus'' ( ) is a genus of very large, herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs, living during the Late Cretaceous of Canada. It has only one named species, ''Euoplocephalus tutus''. The first fossil of ''Euoplocephalus'' was found in 1897 i ...

, Larry

, Mr. Quetzalcoatlus, Mr.

, Quinn Qantassaurus, Sammy the Slug, Ulysses

Utahraptor ''Utahraptor'' (meaning "Utah's thief") is a genus of large dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America during the Early Cretaceous period. It was a heavy-built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore. It contains a single species, ''Utah ...

, Zhuang

Zigongosaurus ''Zigongosaurus'' (meaning "Zigong lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic-Late Jurassic-age Shaximiao Formation of Zigong, Sichuan, China. Because of incomplete knowledge of Jurassic Chinese sauropods, it has been har ...

, Trevor

* Brynna Drummond as Daphne

* Mitchell Duffield as Mookie

* Alex Ferris as Paulie

Pliosaurus ''Pliosaurus'' (meaning 'more lizard') is an extinct genus of thalassophonean pliosaurid known from the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages (Late Jurassic) of Europe and South America. Their diet would have included fish, cephalopods, and marin ...

Andrew Francis Andrew Michael Scott Francis is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in many television shows and films including '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' as Shining Armor, '' MegaMan NT Warrior'' as MegaMan.EXE, '' Hero 108'' as Lin Chung, '' L ...

as Patrick Pachycephalosaurus * Alberto Gishi as Mitch Michelinoceras * Nico Gishi as Leroy

, Max Michelinoceras * Gordon Grice as Derek ''

'', Elmer

* Olivia Hamilton as Lily

* Phil Hayes as Chung

Confuciusornis ''Confuciusornis'' is a genus of basal crow-sized avialan from the Early Cretaceous Period of the Yixian and Jiufotang Formations of China, dating from 125 to 120 million years ago. Like modern birds, ''Confuciusornis'' had a toothless beak, b ...

, King

Maryke Hendrikse Marÿke Hendrikse ( ; born February 23, 1979) is a Bahamian–born Canadian voice actress who works primarily for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has played several roles in anime, most notably Revy in '' Black Lagoon'' ...

as Penelope

Protoceratops ''Protoceratops'' (; ) is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. The genus ''Protoceratops'' includes two species: ''P. andrewsi'' and the larger ''P. hellenik ...

* Ryan Hirakida as Dylan

Dilophosaurus ''Dilophosaurus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaurs that lived in what is now North America during the Early Jurassic, about 193 million years ago. Three skeletons were discovered in northern Arizona in 1940, and the two best preserve ...

Alessandro Juliani Alessandro Juliani (born July 6) is a Canadian actor and singer. He is notable for playing the roles of Tactical Officer Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on the Sci-Fi Channel television program ''Battlestar Galactica'', Emil Hamilton in ''Smallville'', Jac ...

as Martin

Amargasaurus ''Amargasaurus'' (; "La Amarga lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous epoch (129.4–122.46 mya) of what is now Argentina. The only known skeleton was discovered in 1984 and is virtually complete, including a ...

Diana Kaarina Diana Kaarina (born March 17, 1975) is a Canadian voice and stage actress based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Career Kaarina was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Richmond, British Columbia. She got her start with Theatre Under ...

as Tricia

(first voice) * James Kirk as Perry Parasaurolophus, Rick

Oryctodromeus ''Oryctodromeus'' (meaning "digging runner") was a genus of small orodromine thescelosaurid dinosaur. Fossils are known from the Late Cretaceous Blackleaf Formation of southwestern Montana and the Wayan Formation of southeastern Idaho, USA, bot ...

, Nick

Andrea Libman Andrea Eva Libman (born July 19, 1984) is a Canadian actress whose most popular on-screen appearances are in ''Little Women'', '' Andre'', and a guest role on ''The X-Files''. She is also known for providing voice acting in various animated show ...

as Pamela Pachycephalosaurus * Alan Marriott as Henry Hermit Crab, Herbie Hermit Crab, Iggy

Iguanodon ''Iguanodon'' ( ; meaning ' iguana-tooth'), named in 1825, is a genus of iguanodontian dinosaur. While many species have been classified in the genus ''Iguanodon'', dating from the late Jurassic Period to the early Cretaceous Period of Asia, ...

, Mayor

Kosmoceratops ''Kosmoceratops'' () is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur that lived in North America about 76–75.9 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. Specimens were discovered in Utah in the Kaiparowits Formation of the Grand Staircase–Es ...

, Deon Dimetrodon, Hap

Haplocheirus ''Haplocheirus'' is a genus of theropod dinosaur. Upon its description, it was considered the oldest alvarezsauroid, predating all other members by about 63 million years. This has subsequently been questioned. A 2019 study considered ''Haploc ...

Erin Mathews Erin Mathews (born May 28, 1977) is a Canadian voice actress Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbi ...

as Judy

Jeholornis ''Jeholornis'' (meaning "Jehol bird") is a genus of avialans that lived between approximately 122 and 120 million years ago during the early Cretaceous Period in China. Fossil ''Jeholornis'' were first discovered in the Jiufotang Formation in ...

, Stacie Styracosaurus, Vera ''

'' * Donnie McNeil as Devlin

* Jason Michas as Henry Hermit Crab *

Bill Mondy Bill Mondy, sometimes credited as Bill Monday, is an American film and television actor. Career He is best known for his appearances in '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (in the episode " Armageddon Game") and '' The Dead Zone''. He also made gu ...

as Jack

Peter New Peter New is a Canadian actor and screenwriter, best known for his roles as Big McIntosh in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' and Sunil Nevla in '' Littlest Pet Shop''. In 2007, New's script "The Bar" won the first annual Hot Shot Shorts ...

as Sydney

Sinovenator ''Sinovenator'' (meaning "Chinese hunter") is a genus of troodontid dinosaur from China. It is from the early Cretaceous Period. Discovery and naming Two specimens of a troodontid were described in 2002. They are both housed in the Institu ...

Nicole Oliver Nicole Lyn Oliver (born February 22, 1970) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Princess Celestia and Cheerilee in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' and Zoe Trent in '' Littlest Pet Shop''. Early life Oliver was born ...

as Brenda

, Mrs.

* Cedric Payne as Petey

Adrian Petriw Adrian Roman Petriw (born August 5, 1987) is a Canadian television, film and voice actor. He is best known for his voice role of Tony Stark / Iron Man in the television series '' Iron Man: Armored Adventures'', Commander Gren in ''The Dragon Pri ...

as Vlad

Volaticotherium ''Volaticotherium antiquum'' (meaning "ancient gliding beast") is an extinct, gliding, insectivorous mammal that lived in Asia during the Jurassic period, around 164 mya. It is the only member of the genus ''Volaticotherium''. The discovery of ...

* Joseph Purdy as Mr. Disclaimer *

Kelly Sheridan Kelly Sheridan is a Canadian voice actress best known for being the voice for Barbie in the ''Barbie'' film series from 2001 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2015. She had also voiced in numerous animations and English-language dubs of Japanese animati ...

as Olivia

Oviraptor ''Oviraptor'' (; ) is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. The first remains were collected from the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia in 1923 during a paleontological expedition led by Roy Chapma ...

* Valin Shinyei as Sonny

Sauroposeidon ''Sauroposeidon'' ( ; meaning "lizard earthquake god", after the Greek god Poseidon) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur known from several incomplete specimens including a bone bed and fossilized trackways that have been found in the U.S. states of ...

Rebecca Shoichet Rebecca Shoichet ( ; born February 16, 1975) is a Canadian voice actress and singer who has voiced in English dubs of Japanese anime and other shows for Ocean Productions in Vancouver. She took over Saffron Henderson's role of Sota Higurashi i ...

as Tricia

(second voice), Kiera

, Cassie Castorocauda *

Tabitha St. Germain Tabitha St. Germain, formerly known as Paulina Gillis Germain and also known as Tabitha or Kitanou St. Germain, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is known for a variety of roles across many different shows. She has been actively doing voi ...

as Angela Avisaurus, Arlene Archaeopteryx, Cindy

Cimolestes ''Cimolestes'' (from Ancient Greek , 'chalk robber') is a genus of early eutherians with a full complement of teeth adapted for eating insects and other small animals. Paleontologists have disagreed on its relationship to other mammals, in part b ...

, Gabby Gallimimus, Keenan

, Computer Voice, Mikey

Microraptor ''Microraptor'' (Greek, μικρός, ''mīkros'': "small"; Latin, ''raptor'': "one who seizes") is a genus of small, four-winged dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. Numerous well-preserved fossil specimens have been recovered from Liaoning, China. They ...

, Minnie

, Mom Archelon, Mrs. Conductor, Mrs. ''

'', Patricia

Palaeobatrachus ''Palaeobatrachus'' (meaning "ancient frog" in Greek) is an extinct genus of frogs from Europe that existed from the middle Eocene to the middle Pleistocene ( Ionian Stage) (621-568,000 years ago), spanning almost 50 million years. They were oblig ...

, Rita

, Sana

Sanajeh ''Sanajeh'' (meaning "ancient gape" in Sanskrit) is a genus of late Cretaceous Madtsoiidae, madtsoiid snake from western India. A fossil described in 2010 in paleontology, 2010 from the Lameta Formation was found coiled around an egg and an adjac ...

, Selma

, Shirley

, Sonja Styracosaurus, Spiky

, Stella Sea Star, Stephie Styracosaurus,

Mom * Chantal Strand as Valerie ''

'' *

Lee Tockar Lee William Tockar (born 1969) is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter ...

as Crab, Craig Cretoxyrhina *

Kira Tozer Kira Tozer (born December 6, 1984) is a Canadian voice actress for cartoons, anime and video games. Her major roles include Minka Mark on ''Littlest Pet Shop'' and Kagome Higurashi in the 2012 anime, '' Inuyasha: The Final Act''. She married i ...

as Ella

Chiara Zanni Chiara Zanni (; born July 19, 1978) is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is known for her roles as Amy Ryan on The N series '' About a Girl'' and Maggie Buckman on the CBC series '' Edgemont''. She is also known for her voice-work as Hahli i ...

as Shoshana

Shonisaurus ''Shonisaurus'' is a very large genus of ichthyosaur. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the marine reptile have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian age of the late Triassic period, ...

Production

Development

In early 2008, after the successful first run of ''Hey Arnold!'' on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

, 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 Scott Donald Sampson (born April 22, 1961) is a Canadian paleontologist and science communicator. Sampson is currently the Executive Director of California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California. He was previously Vice President of Res ...

is a

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

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

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

s). He received his PhD in zoology from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

in 1993 and, is the CEO for

Science World at TELUS World of Science Science World is a science centre run by a not-for-profit organization called ASTC Science World Society in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the end of False Creek and features many permanent interactive exhibits and displa ...

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. * "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" – The 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. * "Sleep Little Dinosaur" – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Mrs. Pteranodon and Tank Triceratops sing Tank's lullaby that his mom sings to him every night. * "I Learned a New Way to Improvise" – Shiny sings in a concert with Buddy, Tiny, Don, Cory Corythosaurus and Cory's cousin, Perry. * "Ecosystem" – Mr. Conductor sings about living in an ecosystem. * "Get into Nature Song" – Song about the Nature Trackers club and getting into nature. * "That's Not a Dinosaur" – Tiny and the gang sings about how not every animal in the Mesozoic Era is or is not a dinosaur. * "No Place Like Our Nest" – The Pteranodon family sings about how their nest is the only home for them. * "The Biggest Dinosaurs" – Over several episodes the Pteranodon family go on trips to see the biggest sauropods, and this song is specific to those episodes. * "The Prettiest Pteranodon" – Mr. Pteranodon sing it to his wife while on a date night. * "Taking the Zepplin Home" – Mr. Conductor, Thurston, Mr. Pteranodon and Larry sing as they fly home to Pteranodon Terrace. * "What's at the Center of the Earth?" – The Pteranodon Family, Mr. Conductor, and Gilbert sing about the center of the earth as they venture in it. * "The Dinosaur Train Zeppelin" – The Pteranodon Family and Mr. Conductor sing as they travel in the zeppelin. * "Laramidia (The Dinosaur Big City)" – All the dinosaurs get together and sing about Laramidia, also known as the Dinosaur Big City. In the first version, the Pteranodon Family and Mr. Conductor sing the song. In the second version, King

and Mayor

sing the song.

Live show

A live show, "Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure", toured the United States and Canada from October 2013 to March 2014.

Home video

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 ''Elinor Wonders Why'' is an animated television series created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson. The show premiered on September 7, 2020, on PBS Kids. Plot The exploration-themed show encourages children to follow their curiosity, ask questi ...

'' took over.

StudioCanal UK StudioCanal Limited, operating as StudioCanal (formerly Optimum Releasing), is the official branch of StudioCanal in the British Isles. The company releases many films, including foreign, anime (mostly Studio Ghibli), independent, art, Britis ...

and StudioCanal Germany released the series on DVD in their respective countries.

Film

In July 2020,

announced an 85-minute musical film based on the series on Instagram. The film, titled ''Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island'', premiered on April 12, 2021.

References

External links