• Network: BBC America
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 10, 2007
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
Metascore
73 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. 80
    With its campy humor, poignant drama and potent scares, Primeval will appeal equally to adults and children.
  2. 80
    Though it's kid-friendly, there are things for adults to enjoy. Henshall is a quietly appealing actor, the pace is crackling and the dialogue has its share of witty asides.
  3. Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    80
    Primeval mixes elements of "Jurassic Park" and "Stargate," rarely taking itself seriously while also warning of the consequences of not confronting these threats to mankind.
  4. Dinosaurs are certainly alive and well in Primeval, a crackling-good new BBC America sci-fi series thriller that's packed with vivid CGI prehistoric predators galore and a story line that's almost plausible.
  5. It's a rollicking adventure with decent special effects and better stories and character development than, say, Sci Fi Channel's "Eureka."
  6. The camp factor churned out is fairly high, and with Primeval, a new series starting Saturday on BBC America, it climbs up Big Ben and right on over the top of the London Eye.
  7. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    70
    The soapy elements are generally a rollicking snooze, and in the premiere, one worries that too many of the dinosaurs will resemble those in "Land of the Lost," stampeding around but never really doing much. Yet the investigation surrounding the anomalies--and Cutter's personal story--does thicken as the series progresses, and many of the computer-animated visuals are striking, especially given the TV budget.
  8. Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    63
    This show could evolve into something more interesting than a guilty pleasure.
  9. Almost from the get-go there's far more galumphing than trotting going on, and not all of it done by prehistoric feet. Things pick up in the third episode and there are dodos in the fourth, but it's not enough, no, not nearly enough.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. MungoS.
    4
    even for sci-fi this is unbelievable. Why do so few critters come through to modern times? Why is the dialogn, especially from Douglas Henshall so dry & boring? Why isn't the blonde in more scenes ? Full Review »
  2. Having watched Series 1-5, I can say that Primeval is a really gripping show to watch. Rarely predictable, there are many twists and turns in the plot to keep the viewer satisfied. The special effects weren't too good in Series 1, but gradually got better, and Series 3 onwards all keep a satisfying level of visual effects. Hopefully, we'll get a Series 6, because I really want this to continue. Full Review »
  3. This is my favorite TV Show, and if you know anything about me you'll know why. The show also succeeds where many other dinosaur/monster media fails. Generally, most shows and movies that involve dinosaurs or monsters tend to either tell a human story, with the creatures acting as nothing but mere background props, or a continuous chase scene with all action and no character development. Primeval strikes an impeccable balance between these two unappealing extremes to create an appealing medium - one that I haven't seen since Jurassic Park. It tells a human story, and the characters develop realistically, but the dinosaurs and the action are all there too, crouching in wait to spring upon the viewer like a Velociraptor. Full Review »