Dinosaurs (TV series)

Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 26, 1991, to July 20, 1994. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Productions in association with Walt Disney Television. The characters were designed by Henson team member Kirk Thatcher.

Origins and development

News stories written at the time of the show's premiere highlighted Dinosaurs' connection to Jim Henson, who had died the year before. Henson conceived the show in 1988, according to an article in The New York Times, adding he wanted it to be a sitcom, but about a family of dinosaurs. Until the success of The Simpsons, according to Alex Rockwell, a vice president of the Henson organization, "people thought it was a crazy idea."
In the late 1980s, Henson worked with William Stout, a fantasy artist, illustrator and designer, on a feature film starring animatronic dinosaurs with the working title of The Natural History Project; a 1993 article in The New Yorker said that Henson continued to work on a dinosaur project until the "last months of his life."
The television division of The Walt Disney Company began working on the series in 1990 for CBS before the series landed on ABC, which Disney eventually acquired.
Rafael Montemayor Aguiton of Vulture wrote that upon premiere the show "was a hit", and Michael Jacobs stated that this was why the network did not interfere much in the production.
Aguiton wrote that ratings suffered from the show being moved to different time slots on the network. The animatronics made the show relatively expensive, with cast member Stuart Pankin recalling that "I heard it was the most expensive half-hour TV show, at least at that point" and that this contributed to the cancellation.

Plot

Dinosaurs is initially set in 60,000,000 BC in Pangaea. The show centers on the Sinclair family: Earl Sneed Sinclair, Fran Sinclair, their three children and Fran's mother, Ethyl.
Earl's job is to push over trees for the Wesayso Corporation with his friend and coworker Roy Hess, where they work under the supervision of their boss, Bradley P. Richfield.

Characters

The focus of the show's plot is the Sinclair family: Earl, Fran, Robbie, Charlene, Baby, and Ethyl. The family name is a reference to the Sinclair Oil Corporation, which had prominently featured a dinosaur as its logo and mascot for decades, under the belief that petroleum deposits were formed during the age of the dinosaurs. Other character and family names throughout the series often referred to rival petroleum companies or petroleum products. For example: Phillips, Hess, B.P., Richfield, and Ethyl, among others.

Main characters

Supporting characters

Other characters

The following characters are not in the Unisaurs category below:

Character	Voice	Body	Face/Head	Species	Comments
Gary	Steve Landesberg	N/A	N/A	Dilophosaurus	Gary is a 50 ft. dinosaur whose feet can only be seen. He appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "High Noon". He takes a romantic interest in Fran, and challenges Earl for her. Gary has been classified as a Dilophosaurus. Dilophosaurus was actually smaller than Megalosaurus in reality.
Blarney	Steve Whitmire	Steve Whitmire	Steve Whitmire	Deinonychus	Blarney is a red Deinonychus hand-puppet character on Dinosaurs, intended as a spoof of Barney the Dinosaur. He appeared in Dinosaur TV segments in two fourth-season episodes – "Terrible Twos" and "Into the Woods". Blarney is adored by young children, but is less popular with older viewers. He appears on videotapes released as part of the Blarney Home Video Library. Parents who order will "get a new video delivered to their child every hour for the next decade". Titles spoof not only the Barney franchise, but other commercials for mail-order videos, from fitness and health tapes to bridge, computers, and semi-religious quests.
Henri Poupon	Tim Curry	Allan Trautman	N/A	Archaeopteryx	Henri Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". Henri is the father of Francois Poupon and husband of Simone Poupon. The Poupons are a family of birds who come from an unnamed country, clearly based on France, that is outside of Pangea. Henri is irritated by exchange student Charlene Sinclair. He is disappointed by the consumption of his own son, but feels that a big screen TV would help the healing process.
Simone Poupon	Julianne Buescher	Julianne Buescher	N/A	Archaeopteryx	Simone Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". She is the wife of Henri and the mother of Francois.
Francois Poupon	Bruce Lanoil	Bruce Lanoil	N/A	Archaeopteryx	Francois Poupon is an Archaeopteryx that appeared in the episode "Getting to Know You". He is the son of Henri Poupon and Simone Poupon. Francois was eaten by Baby Sinclair.
Decker	Thom Sharp	Pons Maar	Rickey Boyd	Glyptodon	Decker is a Glyptodon that appeared in the episode "Monster Under the Bed". When thought to be the titular monster that has been lurking under Baby Sinclair's bed, it turns out that he was lurking under their house which they built over his house when he captured him, Charlene, and Robbie. Decker did mention that he had to get a permit to do some tunnel digging. When Earl and Fran find out about the situation that ended up involving the police and a broadcast from Howard Handupme that covered the hostage situation, Baby Sinclair suggested that they move the Sinclair house off of Decker's house. Everyone accepted that idea after Howard Handupme did a consultation with someone as it is moved a short distance away from where Decker's house is.
Georgie	Allan Trautman, Edward Asner	Jack Tate	Allan Trautman	European hippopotamus	Georgie is a dinosaur dressed as a full bodied European hippopotamus. He is a children's TV icon and host of "The Georgie Show" who appeared in the Dinosaurs episode "Georgie Must Die." He appears as kind-hearted. Georgie is actually a megalomaniac planning to take over the world through his financial empire and the devotion of the dinosaur children. After Earl was arrested for impersonating Georgie, Fran invited Georgie down to the police department to clear things up where he showed off his bad side when alone with Earl while stating that he was not pleased with Earl posing as him and reveals his evil plans to take over the minds of children. Later that night, Earl learned about his motives from Jean-Claude and Brigitte upon them springing Earl from the police department. Earl later fought Georgie on his television show and ended up defeating him while Roy operates as "Uncle Roy" and leads the audience into singing along to "Brick House" until Georgie is done dealing with his "evil twin". During the credits on the DNN Pre-Prime News, Howard Handupme reported about the resulting fallout caused by last week's melee on "The Georgie Show" that sparked a Justice Department investigation on the Georgie empire leading to the arrest of Georgie himself on the charges of tax evasion and racketeering. It was also mentioned by Handupme that Earl was pardoned of all criminal charges by the Chief Elder who is also a parent, presented Earl with the Key to the City, and thanking Earl for in his words "giving that chuckling carpet bag the well-deserved shot in the chops". Like Blarney, Georgie is also a parody of Barney.

Unisaurs

Outside of the recurring characters, there are a group of dinosaur characters called Unisaurs. They are customizable dinosaur characters. Some of the Unisaurs are Full-Bodied while the others are hand-puppets. They come in different types.
The following are the Full-Bodied Unisaurs:

Character	Species	Comments
Longsnout	Dryptosaurus	A generic green Dryptosaurus. This Unisaur was used for: Ansel from the episode "Driving Miss Ethyl". His face was performed by Julianne Buescher, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean. The Babysitter from the episode "Terrible Twos". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by John Glover. Buddy Glimmer from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was provided by David Greenaway, his body performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray. The Devil from the episode "Life in the Faust Lane". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry. Dr. Ficus from the episode "Germ Warfare". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Charles Kimbrough. Ed from the episode "Scent of a Reptile". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice provided by Thom Sharp. Mel Luster from the episode "The Mating Dance". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Richard Portnow. Stu Boomird from the episode "Network Genius". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander. Ty Warner from the episode "Swamp Music". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Jon Polito. Walter Sternhagen from the episode "The Discovery". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Pons Maar, and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp.
Needlenose	Troodon	A tall dinosaur resembling a Troodon with an elongated snout. In addition to being used for Mr. Pulman and Ralph Needlenose, this Unisaur was used for: The Doctor from the episode "Golden Child". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray. Dr. Herder from "Terrible Twos". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Tom Fisher, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean. Glenda Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Mimi Kennedy. Heather Worthington from the episode "A Slave to Fashion". Her face was performed by Terri Hardin, her body was performed by Tom Fisher, and her voice was provided by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Spikeback	Ceratosaurus	A bulky Ceratosaurus with a striped back, striped tail, and a nose horn. In addition to being used for Gus Spikeback, this Unisaur was used for: Al "Sexual" Harris from the episode "What "Sexual" Harris Meant". His face performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and voice provided by Jason Alexander. Andre from the episode "Leader of the Pack". His face was performed by Mak Wilson, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray. Bob the DMV Worker from the episode "Unmarried...With Children". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by David Wohl. Dolf from the episode "Steroids to Heaven". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Sam McMurray. Frau Woodhouse from the episode "Terrible Twos". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Jack Tate, and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher. Gus Molehill from the episode "Switched at Birth". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander. Hank Hibler from the episode "Charlene and her Amazing Humans". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jeffrey Tambor. The Job Wizard from the episode "Career Opportunities." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander. Ray Gherkin from the episode "Scent of a Reptile". His face was performed by Rickey Boyd, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Glenn Shadix. Richard from the episode "Refrigerator Day". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp. Shelly from the episode "Dirty Dancin'". Her face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, her body was performed by Jack Tate, and her voice was provided by Conchata Ferrell.
Turtlepuss	Psittacosaurus	A brown turtle-headed Psittacosaurus that was used as Earl's co-worker Sid Turtlepuss. This Unisaur was also used for: Crazy Lou from the episode "Leader of the Pack". His face was performed by Julianne Buescher, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Ken Hudson Campbell. The Clerk from the episode "The Son Also Rises". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jody St. Michael, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo. The Dinosaur Chief from the episode "Hurling Day". His face was performed by Kevin Clash, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice provided by Harold Gould. The Folk Singer from the episode "I Never Ate My Father". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Steven Banks. Frank from the episode "Fran Live". His body was performed by Michelan Sisti and his voice was provided by Thom Sharp. General H. Norman Conquest from the episode "Nuts to War". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander. Hank from the episode "Life in the Faust Lane". His face is performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean. The Insurance Agent from the episode "Family Challenge". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Peter Bonerz. Jean-Claude from the episode "Georgie Must Die". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Tim Curry. Mr. Myman from the episode "Out of the Frying Pan". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Leif Tilden, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean. The Muse from the episode "Charlene's Flat World". His face was performed by John Kennedy, his body was performed by Jack Tate, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo. Officer Bettelheim from the episode "License to Parent". His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and voice was provided by Michael McKean. The Odd Job Dinosaur from the episode "How to Pick Up Girls". Police Chief Parish from the episode "Monster Under the Bed". His face was performed by Rickey Boyd, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Michael McKean. Ted Hardshell from the episode "Network Genius". His face was performed by Allan Trautman, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Robert Picardo. UFO Host from the episode "We Are Not Alone". His face was performed by Bruce Lanoil, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Jason Alexander. Zabar from the episode "Germ Warfare." His face was performed by David Greenaway, his body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and his voice was provided by Dan Castellaneta.
Unnamed Female Unisaur Class	Corythosaurus	A female Corythosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like crest, and lighter-hued skin that was often used for Mindy. This Unisaur was also used for: Caroline Foxworth from the episodes "How to Pick Up Girls" and "Steroids to Heaven". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice was provided by Julianne Buescher. Sally from the episode "Out of the Frying Pan". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice was provided by Suzie Plakson. Thighs of Thunder from the episode "The Discovery". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Star Townsend, and her voice provided by Suzie Plakson. Wendy Richfield from the episode "Hungry for Love". Her face was performed by Julianne Buescher, her body was performed by Michelan Sisti, and her voice was provided by Wendie Jo Sperber.
Unnamed Female Light Green Unisaur	Dryosaurus	A female Dryosaurus with a short snout, eyelashes, hair-like three crest.