A BELOVED BBC show is returning to screens after more than two decades.
The popular programme originally aired on the Beeb in 1999 and is making a comeback after 25 years.
A brand new six-part series of Walking with Dinosaurs will allow viewers to explore the era of the extinct creatures.
Meanwhile, each episode of the reimagined show will “tell the dramatic story of an individual dinosaur”, according to the BBC.
As with its 90s counterpart, the new version will also use animation and visual effects to bring the prehistoric creatures to life.
From there, the show will create a drama centred on their lives based on scientific evidence.
The original series’ popularity spawned a franchise which also includes Walking with Beasts, Walking with Cavemen, Sea Monsters, and Walking with Monsters.
Some of the dinosaurs featured include the Spinosaurus, which had been the largest carnivorous dinosaur to ever walk the earth.
BBC Studios will work with PBS, co-produced with ZDF and France Télévisions, to recreate the adored educational show which received two Baftas and three Emmy awards.
Jack Bootle, the Beeb’s Head of Commissioning for Specialist Factual, said: “A whole new generation of viewers is about to fall in love with Walking with Dinosaurs.
“The original series was one of the most exciting factual shows of all time, and this reinvention builds on that amazing legacy.
“Each episode is underpinned by the very latest science but is also filled with drama – making this a series for both dino lovers and people who just want to be told a great story.”
Fans were delighted about the programme’s return, as one said on X: “10-year-old me is screaming (35-year-old me is also screaming).”
Another user added: “I am so excited for this. Walking with dinosaurs was one of those shows I would watch on repeat forever.
“It really got me hooked on dinosaurs for good.”
What is Walking with Dinosaurs?
Walking with Dinosaurs originally aired in 1999, but is soon set for a comeback. Here is what you need to know about the programme.
- BBC and American broadcaster PBS have announced a reinvention of Walking with Dinosaurs.
- The original Walking with Dinosaurs was a six-part nature documentary aired on the BBC with narration from Sir Kenneth Branagh.
- Inspired by the film Jurassic Park, the programme combined CGI and animatronics with live action footage to recreate extinct species.
- Walking with Dinosaurs received critical acclaim, including two Baftas, three Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.
- It was also the most expensive documentary series per minute ever made, with a cost of £37,654 per minute to produce.
- The show’s success spawned follow-ups including Walking with Beasts, Walking with Cavemen and Walking with Monsters.
A third person said: “Oh I loved this – can’t wait to meet the new dinos and all the new evidence of how Dinos looked.
“This is what the BBC is so good at.”
Additionally, a fourth X user shared their emotional reaction to the show being brought back, as they wrote: “I’m actually close to tears walking with dinosaurs means so much to me.
“I’m thrilled a new generation will be able to sit in wonder in front of their screens and be educated and awed like I was.”
A release date for the new Walking with Dinosaurs is yet to be confirmed.
Episodes of the original programme are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.