''Dinosaur Train'' is a CGI-animated preschool musical television series aimed for preschoolers ages 3 to 6. Created by Craig Bartlett, 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 ''Pteranodon'' (); from Ancient Greek (''pteron'', "wing") and (''anodon'', "toothless") is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with ''P. longiceps'' having a wingspan of . They lived during the late Cr ...

'' 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 (formerly the

Media Development Authority The Media Development Authority (abbreviation: MDA) was a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). History MDA was formed on 1 January 2003 by the merger of Singapore Broadcastin ...

), 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 interactive ...

, Snee-Oosh, Inc., Reel FX, 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 Americ ...

and Universal 1440 Entertainment 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

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', ' lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their ...

s, 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 '' Troodons'', 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 Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretace ...

, the "Age of Dinosaurs", passing through magical Time Tunnels to the

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest per ...

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 theropoda, 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. ''Tyrannosa ...

''. In the show's main title song, we learn that Buddy was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. ''

''. 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 most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

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, for ...

, 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 PBS Kids is the brand for most of the children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) in the United States. Some public television children's programs are not produced by PBS member stations or transmitted by PBS. Inste ...

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

, 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 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 ...

, Alan

Alamosaurus ''Alamosaurus'' (; meaning "Ojo Alamo lizard") is a genus of opisthocoelicaudiine titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs, containing a single known species, ''Alamosaurus sanjuanensis'', from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now southern North A ...

, Elliott

Enantiornithine The Enantiornithes, also known as enantiornithines or enantiornitheans in literature, are a group of extinct avialans ("birds" in the broad sense), the most abundant and diverse group known from the Mesozoic era. Almost all retained teeth and cla ...

(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, 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 spec ...

, 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 s ...

, 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 o ...

, Stuart Stygimoloch, Travis Troodon,

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 ...

, Troodon 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 th ...

, Teddy Pterodaustro, 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, ...

, Troodon Waiter * Erika-Shaye Gair as Shiny

, 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.

, 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 Anc ...

, Mrs.

, Grandma

* Alexander Matthew Marr as Don

(seasons 1-2), Tank

* Laura Marr as Don

(seasons 3-5), Quincy

Quetzalcoatlus ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is a genus of pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous period of North America (Maastrichtian stage); its members were among the largest known flying animals of all time. ''Quetzalcoatlus'' is a member of the Azhdarchidae, ...

* Colin Murdock as Mr.

, Announcer, Elliott

, 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 th ...

, Ralph

, Station Master, Stuart

Styracosaurus ''Styracosaurus'' ( ; meaning "spiked lizard" from the Ancient Greek / "spike at the butt-end of a spear-shaft" and / "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Campanian stage), about 75.5 to 74.5 ...

, Ziggy

Zhejiangopterus ''Zhejiangopterus'' is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur known from one species, which lived in China during the late Cretaceous Period. The genus was named in 1994 by Chinese paleontologists Cai Zhengquan and Wei Feng. The type species is ''Zh ...

, Carson Carcharodontosaurus, Grandpa

, 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 fr ...

Additional voices

* Mark Acheson 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 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 * Ashleigh Ball as Arnie Argentinosaurus, Crystal Cryolophosaurus, Gilbert Troodon, Lorraine Lambeosaurus, Maiasaura Mom, Millie Maiasaura, 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, Reba Rhabdodon, 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 ''Deinocheirus'' ( ) is a genus of large ornithomimosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous around 70 million years ago. In 1965, a pair of large arms, shoulder girdles, and a few other bones of a new dinosaur were first discovered in the N ...

* Kathleen Barr as Angela

Avisaurus ''Avisaurus'' (meaning "bird lizard") is a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Discovery ''Avisaurus archibaldi'' was discovered in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of North America (Maastrichtian, f ...

(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 northw ...

, 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) da ...

, Jacqueline Jaxartosaurus, Laura Giganotosaurus, Mrs.

, Mrs. Ornithomimus, 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 Species description, described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 in pal ...

, Ollie Ornithomimus, Pauline Proganochelys, Peggy Peteinosaurus, Trudy

, Tuck

, Velma ''

'',

Mom, Remy Rhamphorhynchus, Effie Effigia, Paulette

* Craig Bartlett as Spider * Adam Behr as Kenny Kentrosaurus *

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 Gir ...

as Soren Saurornitholestes * Jason Bryden as Tommy Ptilodus * 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, Maisie

* Adrienne Carter as Kiera Chirostenotes * Garry Chalk as Marco Megaraptor *

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

* Allison Cohen as Carla

Cretoxyrhina ''Cretoxyrhina'' (; meaning 'Cretaceous sharp-nose') is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark that lived about 107 to 73 million years ago during the late Albian to late Campanian of the Late Cretaceous. The type species, ''C. mantelli'', is ...

* Dylan Sloane Cowan as Rodney Raptorex *

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 Maiasaura * 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 δ ...

* 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 li ...

as Boris

, Bucky Masiakasaurus, Mr. '' Deinonychus'', Thurston Troodon, 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 * Brian Drummond 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 1 ...

, Albert

Albanerpeton ''Albanerpeton'' is an extinct genus of salamander-like lissamphibian found in North America and Europe, first appearing in Cretaceous-aged strata. There are eight described members of the genus, and one undiagnosed species from the Paskapoo F ...

, 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 1 ...

, Larry Lambeosaurus, Mr.

, 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, ''Utahrap ...

, Zhuang Zigongosaurus, Trevor

* Brynna Drummond as Daphne

* Mitchell Duffield as Mookie Maiasaura *

Alex Ferris Alexander Ferris (born April 23, 1997) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Billy Gornicke in the road film '' RV'' (2006), Victor Newton in the thriller film '' The Invisible'' (2007), Young Henry DeTamble in the drama film ''The Ti ...

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 marine ...

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 ''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 specie ...

* Alberto Gishi as Mitch

Michelinoceras ''Michelinoceras'' is the oldest known genus of the Michelinocerida, more commonly known as the Orthocerida, characterized by long, slender, nearly cylindrical orthocones with a circular cross section, long camerae, very long body chambers, and ...

* Nico Gishi as Leroy Lambeosaurus, Max

* Gordon Grice as Derek '' Deinonychus'', Elmer

* Olivia Hamilton as Lily Lambeosaurus * Phil Hayes as Chung Confuciusornis, King Cryolophosaurus *

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 * Ryan Hirakida as Dylan Dilophosaurus *

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 *

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 Und ...

as Tricia Troodon (first voice) * James Kirk as Perry

Parasaurolophus ''Parasaurolophus'' (; meaning "near crested lizard" in reference to ''Saurolophus)'' is a genus of herbivorous hadrosaurid ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous Period, abo ...

, 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, bo ...

, Nick

* Andrea Libman as Pamela

* 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, Deon

Dimetrodon ''Dimetrodon'' ( or ,) meaning "two measures of teeth,” is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian), around 295–272 million years ago (Mya). It is a member of the family Sphenacodont ...

, Hap Haplocheirus *

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, Stacie

, Vera ''

'' * Donnie McNeil as Devlin Dilophosaurus * Jason Michas as Henry Hermit Crab * Bill Mondy 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 *

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 Peteinosaurus *

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 * Joseph Purdy as Mr. Disclaimer * Kelly Sheridan as Olivia Oviraptor * Valin Shinyei as Sonny Sauroposeidon * Rebecca Shoichet as Tricia Troodon (second voice), Kiera Chirostenotes, Cassie

Castorocauda ''Castorocauda'' is an extinct, semi-aquatic, superficially otter-like genus of docodont mammaliaforms with one species, ''C. lutrasimilis''. It is part of the Yanliao Biota, found in the Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China dating to the M ...

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

, Arlene

Archaeopteryx ''Archaeopteryx'' (; ), sometimes referred to by its German name, "" ( ''Primeval Bird''), is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek (''archaīos''), meaning "ancient", and (''ptéryx''), meaning "feather" ...

, Cindy Cimolestes, Gabby

Gallimimus ''Gallimimus'' ( ) is a genus of Theropoda, theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about seventy mya (unit), million years ago (mya). Several fossils in various stages of growth ...

, Keenan Chirostenotes, 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. ...

, Minnie

, Mom

Archelon ''Archelon'' is an extinct marine turtle from the Late Cretaceous, and is the largest turtle ever to have been documented, with the biggest specimen measuring from head to tail and in body mass. It is known only from the Dakota Pierre Sha ...

, Mrs. Conductor, Mrs. '' Deinonychus'', Patricia Palaeobatrachus, Rita Raptorex, Sana

Sanajeh ''Sanajeh'' (meaning "ancient gape" in Sanskrit) is a genus of late Cretaceous madtsoiid snake from western India. A fossil described in 2010 from the Lameta Formation was found coiled around an egg and an adjacent skeleton of a 50 cm (19 i ...

, Selma Cimolestes, Shirley Stygimoloch, Sonja

, Spiky Stygimoloch, Stella Sea Star, Stephie

, Troodon Mom *

Chantal Strand Chantal Strand (born October 15, 1987) is a Canadian voice and stage actress as well as former stunt performer known for her vocal roles in animation, anime and video games. Her vocal role credits include those for little female human character ...

as Valerie ''

'' * Lee Tockar as Crab, Craig

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 in ...

as Ella

* Chiara Zanni 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 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 research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

in 1993 and, is the CEO for Science World at TELUS World of Science 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 Cryolophosaurus and Mayor Kosmoceratops 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'' 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, Craig Bartlett announced an 85-minute musical film based on the series on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

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

References

External links