X
  • ABC
  • 2002
  • ABC
  • 2002

Summary Frank Scott, a wealthy American, crashes his plane into the Caribbean. His two teenaged sons, Karl and David, survive, only to find themselves castaways on Dinotopia. Karl and David are constantly at odds, even as they struggle to adjust to life in their strange new world where talking dinosaurs live side by side in an uneasy alliance wi...

  • ABC
  • 2002
  • ABC
  • 2002
Dinotopia
Season 1
Season Premiere: 2002
Metascore Generally Unfavorable Based on 23 Critic Reviews
35
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary Frank Scott, a wealthy American, crashes his plane into the Caribbean. His two teenaged sons, Karl and David, survive, only to find themselves castaways on Dinotopia. Karl and David are constantly at odds, even as they struggle to adjust to life in their strange new world where talking dinosaurs live side by side in an uneasy alliance wi...

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Nov 5, 2002 • 43 m
Marooned
A band of marauding Outsiders discovers a lost T-Rex temple and in it an artifact that has the ability to cancel out the protective power of Sunstones. Meanwhile, Karl and his stubborn father concoct a risky new plan to leave the island.
Episode 2 • Nov 28, 2002 • 43 m
Making Good
Catrone, the leader of the gang that found the artifact, realizes that he can now control T-Rexes and goes mad with power. Only his deputy, Le Sage, stands up to him. Marion and David must rescue Karl and his father, then save Dinotopia.
Episode 3 • Dec 5, 2002 • 43 m
Handful of Dust
Karl and Marion need Le Sage's help to stop Cortez, an Outsider who kills Stegosauruses to perfect his rejuvenation potion. Romana, David's second in command, warns him that Portia, a young cadet he fancies, cheated on her flying test.
Episode 4 • 2002 • 43 m
Contact
Karl and David find a shipwrecked dog and a boat stocked with cans of cola, burgers and a working radio that fascinates Dinotopians. Karl learns that the crew is still lost at sea, so he tries contacting the rescue party over the radio.
Episode 5 • 2002 • 43 m
The Matriarch
A Chasmosaur egg from the hatchery has been replaced with a T-Rex egg. A distraught woman named Iridia claims an Outsider child did it. Le Sage denies it but refuses to cooperate any further. Matriarch Rosemary questions Iridia's story.
Episode 6 • 2002 • 43 m
The Big Fight
An Outsider named Alano bullies David, so he plans to fight him. David's dad, Frank, who misses watching sports, suggests that they set up an actual boxing match. Rosemary agrees, after Le Sage promises she won't rig the fight.
Episode 7 • 2002 • 43 m
Night of the Wartosa
Karl's date with Marion doesn't go well. A jolly conservationist named Lok shows him a rare and supposedly magical frog called Wartosa. In an attempt to change the outcome of the date, Karl kisses Wartosa and becomes stuck in a time loop.
Episode 8 • Jul 13, 2003 • 43 m
LeSage
A deadly virus spreads among the dinosaurs and the only cure is a plant called Jinca. Le Sage's men steal the cure, so Karl and Marion negotiate for its return. To make Marion jealous, Le Sage agrees, but only if Karl stays with her.
Episode 9 • Jul 20, 2003 • 43 m
Car Wars
Frank misses cars, so he builds one that runs on methane. It's a hit and everyone wants one, but the town bans them for making noise and polluting. To make his cars legal again, Frank joins the mayoral race but becomes corrupted by power.
Episode 10 • Jul 6, 2003 • 43 m
Lost and Found
Karl tries to prove that he can be a skybax rider just like David, only to crash land in T-Rex territory. A rescue party goes to war with T-Rexes to find him, but xenophobic locals who think they're alone on the island capture him first.
Episode 11 • Aug 3, 2003 • 43 m
The Cure: Part 1
Karl is bitten by a prehistoric mosquito and falls seriously ill. Since all islanders are immune to its bite, they have no cure. Hoping that modern hospital might help him, Rosemary reveals that there actually is a way off the island.
Episode 12 • Aug 10, 2003 • 43 m
The Cure: Part 2
David contacts the American hospital in Budapest, Hungary. Le Sage sells Karl's baby Chasmosaurus named 26 to the shady head of the local Museum of Natural History to finance her new life in civilization. But there's a catch to her plan.
Episode 13 • Aug 17, 2003 • 43 m
Crossroads
David must help his Pteranodon skybax. Karl and Frank prepare for their return home. Le Sage reveals her history with Rosemary to distraught Marion in an attempt to turn her into a hellraiser like herself. The show ends on a cliffhanger.

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable Based on 23 Critic Reviews
35
13% Positive
3 Reviews
22% Mixed
5 Reviews
65% Negative
15 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable Based on 23 Critic Reviews
35
13% Positive
3 Reviews
22% Mixed
5 Reviews
65% Negative
15 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
70
Jul 18, 2014
Dinotopia sucked as a sweeping miniseries; it works much better as an hourly adventure. [23 Nov 2002]
FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 18, 2014
If "Dinotopia" doesn't come up with something else for our heroes to do other than rescue gentle folk from mean dinosaurs, the show is going to get repetitious fast. [28 Nov 2002]
By Tom Long FULL REVIEW
40
Jul 18, 2014
Like the miniseries, the weekly series has cool computer-generated dinosaurs, nifty animatronic dinosaurs and some terrific sets. But Robert Halmi Sr.'s dream of reinventing -- or at least reinvigorating -- the family-show genre stumbles over the printed word.
By John Levesque FULL REVIEW
30
Jul 18, 2014
The wondrousness of the art direction and the oomph in the computer-generated illusions can hold one's attention just so long. Then the pitiful plodding plotlessness of the thing becomes all too painfully apparent. What we're left with is essentially "Dinotopia, the Bore." [28 Nov 2002]
By Tom Shales FULL REVIEW
30
Jul 18, 2014
The hourly version doesn’t pack much of a punch. ... For all of its visual goodies — the Halmis have revved up the special f/x motor — there’s a definite soul mislaid.
FULL REVIEW
25
Jul 18, 2014
The acting and special effects are equally unconvincing. The human beings in the story don't look remotely real, and the dinosaurs can't act. [27 Nov 2002]
By David Bianculli FULL REVIEW
0
Jul 18, 2014
This is the modern-day granddaddy of turkeys.
By Tim Goodman FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Related Shows

Samurai Jack

93
Universal Acclaim

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

91
Universal Acclaim

Battlestar Galactica (2003)

89
Universal Acclaim

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock

89
Universal Acclaim

The Baby-Sitters Club (2020)

87
Universal Acclaim

Game of Thrones

86
Universal Acclaim

The Pacific

86
Universal Acclaim

Harley Quinn

86
Universal Acclaim

Shogun (2024)

85
Universal Acclaim

Rick & Morty

85
Universal Acclaim

The Last of Us

84
Universal Acclaim

Lost

84
Universal Acclaim

X-Men '97

82
Universal Acclaim

The Midnight Gospel

82
Universal Acclaim

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

82
Universal Acclaim

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

82
Universal Acclaim

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

82
Universal Acclaim

Star Wars: Visions

81
Universal Acclaim

Toy Story That Time Forgot

81
Universal Acclaim

The Legend of Vox Machina

81
Universal Acclaim

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)

81
Universal Acclaim

Station Eleven

81
Universal Acclaim

Related News

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Amazon's Prime Video, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Netflix, updated frequently. You can also find a list of titles leaving Netflix this month.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Hulu, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Disney's streaming service, updated frequently.

  • tv show
April TV Preview (2024)

April TV Preview (2024)

Jason Dietz

The month ahead will bring a series adaptation of the videogame Fallout plus Netflix newcomer Ripley, Park Chan-wook's miniseries The Sympathizer, a sequel to Emmy winner The Jinx, Idris Elba's weirdest project to date, and more.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Find a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added to Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime, plus a list of titles coming soon to the streaming services.

  • tv show