Walking with Beasts
Encyclopedia
Walking with Beasts is a 2001 six-part television
documentary
miniseries
, produced by the BBC
in the United Kingdom
, narrated by Kenneth Branagh
. In North America
it has been retitled Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, and the original Discovery Channel
broadcast was narrated by Stockard Channing
. Like its predecessor, Walking with Dinosaurs
, it recreates life
in the Cenozoic
by using a combination of both computer-generated imagery
and animatronics
. However, the Palaeocene and Miocene
periods were not included. Also like its predecessor, it was re-edited and re-narrated as a "second season" of Prehistoric Planet
for the Discovery Kids
lineup. Some of the concepts it illustrates are the evolution of whales, the evolution of horses
, and the evolution of humans
.
to accompany the first screening of the series in 2001. Unlike Walking with Dinosaurs
, this book is more accurate in describing each episode, and there are no interesting setting changes. On the other hand, as with Walking with Dinosaurs, the written version of Walking With Beasts elaborated on the background for each story, went further in explaining the science on which much of the program as based, and included descriptions of several animals not identified or featured in the series.
, for Outstanding Animated Program
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, narrated by Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
it has been retitled Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, and the original Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
broadcast was narrated by Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
. Like its predecessor, Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs is a six-part documentary television miniseries that was produced by BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the United Kingdom, in 1999. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Branagh's voice replaced with that...
, it recreates life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
in the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
by using a combination of both computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
and animatronics
Animatronics
Animatronics is the use of mechatronics to create machines which seem animate rather than robotic. Animatronic creations include animals , plants and even mythical creatures...
. However, the Palaeocene and Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
periods were not included. Also like its predecessor, it was re-edited and re-narrated as a "second season" of Prehistoric Planet
Prehistoric Planet
Prehistoric Planet is a re-version of the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Beasts series, done by Discovery Channel and NBC for the Discovery Kids network...
for the Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids is an American website owned by Discovery Communications, Inc. created for children. Until October 10, 2010, it was an American digital cable specialty channel, owned by Discovery Communications with television programming for education of children. It was launched in October 1996...
lineup. Some of the concepts it illustrates are the evolution of whales, the evolution of horses
Evolution of the horse
The evolution of the horse pertains to the phylogenetic ancestry of the modern horse from the small dog-sized, forest-dwelling Hyracotherium over geologic time scales...
, and the evolution of humans
Human evolution
Human evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
.
Companion book
A companion book was written by Tim HainesTim Haines
Tim Haines is a screenwriter, producer and director who is best known for his work on the BBC popular science shows Walking with Dinosaurs, Walking with Beasts, and Walking with Monsters...
to accompany the first screening of the series in 2001. Unlike Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs
Walking with Dinosaurs is a six-part documentary television miniseries that was produced by BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the United Kingdom, in 1999. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Branagh's voice replaced with that...
, this book is more accurate in describing each episode, and there are no interesting setting changes. On the other hand, as with Walking with Dinosaurs, the written version of Walking With Beasts elaborated on the background for each story, went further in explaining the science on which much of the program as based, and included descriptions of several animals not identified or featured in the series.
- In the beginning of the episode "New Dawn", the female GastornisGastornisGastornis is an extinct genus of large flightless bird that lived during the late Paleocene and Eocene epochs of the Cenozoic. It was named in 1855, after Gaston Planté, who had discovered the first fossils in Argile Plastique formation deposits at Meudon near Paris...
tries to capture a LeptictidiumLeptictidiumLeptictidium is an extinct genus of small mammals; together with macropods and humans, they are the only known completely bipedal mammals. Comprising five species, they resembled today's elephant shrews...
after the small animal confronted another one of its kind; in the book, the Gastornis attack comes later during the day, when the Leptictidium is out with its young instead – there's no confrontation between the two Leptictidium. - In the book, the AmbulocetusAmbulocetusAmbulocetus was an early cetacean that could walk as well as swim. It lived during early Eocene some 50-49 million years ago. It is a transitional fossil that shows how whales evolved from land-living mammals. The Ambulocetus fossils were found in Pakistan by anthropologist Johannes Thewissen...
co-exists more or less peacefully with the crocodileCrocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, even getting into a tug-of-war over an animal it had killed. In the TV program, there is no confrontation with the crocodiles; in fact, the crocodile that the Ambulocetus swam up to got quickly away from the animal. - In the tv program, the antAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
attack does not bother the grazing PropalaeotheriumPropalaeotheriumPropalaeotherium was an early genus of perissodactyl ancestral to the horse endemic to Europe and Asia during the Middle Eocene.Its name means "before Palaeotherium", as it is the ancestor of Palaeotherium, another relative of early horses...
. In the book, the Propalaeotherium are some of the first creatures to escape from the ant swarm; also, unlike the TV program, some ants do bite a young Leptictidium in the book, only to be eaten by the Leptictidium mother. - In the book, after the Gastornis captured and ate one of the Propalaeotherium, it returns to its nest and gets bitten by the ants as well, unlike the program, where it doesn't occur. Also, some of the flying ants (absent from the tv program) get eaten by the GodinotiaGodinotiaGodinotia is an extinct genus of lemur-like prosimians belonging to the Adapidae family. It lived during the Eocene epoch , and its fossils have been found in the Messel Pit, Germany, showing that it already exhibited hominid features that would help make the primates such a successful group...
during the night, and the animal captured by the Ambulocetus during the night is a creodont, rather than a CynodictisCynodictisCynodictis, is a member of extinct terrestrial carnivores belonging to the family Amphicyonidae, suborder Caniformia, and which inhabited Euroasia and Asia from the Late Eocene subepoch to the Early Oligocene subepoch living from 37.2—28.4 Ma, existing for approximately .Cynodictis was one of the...
.
- In the episode "Whale Killer", the DorudonDorudonDorudon was a genus of ancient cetacean that lived alongside Basilosaurus 41 to 33 million years ago, in the Eocene. They were about five meters long and were most likely carnivorous, feeding on small fish and mollusks. Dorudontines lived in warm seas around the world...
mob the female BasilosaurusBasilosaurusBasilosaurus is a genus of cetacean that lived from in the Late Eocene. Its fossilized remains were first discovered in the southern United States . The American fossils were initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -"saurus", but later found to be a marine mammal...
near the end of the episode, while in the book, they do it in the beginning of the chapter. Consequently, the Basilosaurus mating takes place not in the beginning of the book chapter, as it took place in the program, but later on, after the Dorudon encounter. - In the book, the Andrewsarchus manage to successfully steal the dead EmbolotheriumEmbolotheriumEmbolotherium is an extinct genus of brontothere that lived in Mongolia during the late Eocene period. It is most easily recognized by a large bony protuberance emanating from the anterior end of the skull...
calf, while in the program, the mother manages to keep them away from its dead offspring. Also, it takes place before the Basilosaurus comes to the mangroveMangroveMangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s, rather than later, as in the TV program. Plus, the encounter of a solitary Andrewsarchus with the sea turtleSea turtleSea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s comes after the encounter with the Embolotherium, while in the TV program, it was in reverse. - In the book, before coming to the mangroves, the Basilosaurus encounters some IsurusIsurusIsurus is a genus of mackerel sharks in the family Lamnidae, commonly known as the mako sharks. There are two living species, the common shortfin mako shark and the rare longfin mako shark , and several extinct species known from fossils. They range in length from 9 to 15 feet, and have an...
sharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s, but gives them a wide berth. It also encounters some sea cows. Neither encounter takes place in the TV program. - In the program, a shark jumps out of the water to catch an ApidiumApidiumThe genus Apidium is that of at least three extinct primates living in the early Oligocene, roughly 36 to 32 millions years ago. Apidium fossils are common in the Fayoum deposits of Egypt...
. In the book, the Apidium falls in the water first.
- In the book, the "Land of the Giants" chapter opens with an old HyaenodonHyaenodonHyaenodon is an extinct genus of Hyaenodonts, a group of carnivorous creodonts of the family Hyaenodontidae endemic to all continents except South America, Australia and Antarctica, living from 42—15.9 mya, existing for approximately .-Morphology:Some species of this genus were amongst the largest...
chasing some Cynodictis away from its kill. In the tv program, it begins with the ParaceratheriumParaceratheriumParaceratherium, also commonly known as Indricotherium or Baluchitherium , is an extinct genus of gigantic hornless rhinoceros-like mammals of the family Hyracodontidae, endemic to Eurasia and Asia during the Eocene to Oligocene 37.2—23.030 Mya, existing for approximately...
female giving birth. - In the TV program, the ChalicotheriumChalicotheriumChalicotherium is a genus of extinct browsing odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla and family Chalicotheriidae, found in Europe, Africa, and Asia during the Late Oligocene to Lower Pliocene, living from 16—7.75 mya, existing for approximately .This animal...
is killed by a single Hyaenodon, who is later driven off by several EntelodonEntelodonEntelodon , is a genus of Entelodontidae endemic to Europe, Eurasia, Asia from the early Eocene through Oligocene living 37.2—28.4 mya, existing approximately ....
. In the book, the Chalicotherium is killed by two Hyaenodon, and they drive off a lone Entelodon instead. - In the book, the whole Cynodictis family drowns, while in the TV program the mother survives. Also, in the TV program, the episode ends with the Paraceratherium calf driving off an Entelodon, while in the book it is a Hyaenodon instead.
- In the book's chapter "The Prey's Revenge" ("Next of Kin" episode) the old male is called Greybeard rather than Grey, and the younger male is named Bruiser, not Hercules. Also, the fight for dominance is won by Bruiser without any use of a stick, unlike in the TV program; also, in the book, the AustralopithecusAustralopithecusAustralopithecus is a genus of hominids that is now extinct. From the evidence gathered by palaeontologists and archaeologists, it appears that the Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct...
are much more aggressive and promiscuous than on TV. - In the TV program, Greybeard's group are forced off by a rival group of Australopithecus – in the book the rivals briefly retreated when charged by Greybeard, something that did not happen on TV.
- In the book, the DeinotheriumDeinotheriumDeinotherium , also called the Hoe tusker, was a large prehistoric relative of modern-day elephants that appeared in the Middle Miocene and continued until the Early Pleistocene. During that time it changed very little...
is spotted just in time, and the whole group is able to brachiate away from the animal, while in the program, the Deinotherium trees them instead; also, Babble (the Australopithecus female) is able to save her offspring, and not get chased into a tree. - The scene with Blue searching through Deinotherium dung is absent from the TV program, same for the scenes where Blue is playing with Babble's baby, and where Bruiser intervenes before Babble can hurt Blue too much.
- In the program, Blackeye finds an ostrichOstrichThe Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
egg, but Greybeard steals it from her. In the book, Bruiser finds the egg first and breaks it (unlike the TV program) instead. - In the book, the two males finally fight because a new female comes to the group; in the TV program, the two males finally fight over the picking rights for a zebraZebraZebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
carcassCarrionCarrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
instead. - In the program, the DinofelisDinofelisDinofelis is a genus of sabre-toothed cats belonging to the tribe Metailurini. They were widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America at least 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago...
manages to separate Blue from the rest of the Australopithecus – in the book, it actually pursues them up their tree, and the Australopithecus fight the cat off due to their mutual protection, not to protect Blue.
- The episode "Sabre Tooth" is named "Sabre-Tooth World" in the book. Also, in the beginning of the episode, it is Half Tooth who scares away the PhorusrhacosPhorusrhacosPhorusrhacos was a genus of giant flightless predatory birds that lived in Patagonia, containing the single species Phorusrhacos longissimus. Their closest living relatives are the much smaller seriema birds...
, while in the book it is a female SmilodonSmilodonSmilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
instead. - In the book the DoedicurusDoedicurusDoedicurus clavicaudatus was a prehistoric glyptodont, living during the Pleistocene until the end of the last glacial period, some 11,000 years ago. This was the largest known glyptodontid, and one of the better known members of the New World Pleistocene megafauna, with a height of 1.5 meters and...
mating fight comes before Half Tooth is challenged by the brothers, while in the TV program it is afterwards. Consequently, Half Tooth's encountar with the MegatheriumMegatheriumMegatherium was a genus of elephant-sized ground sloths endemic to Central America and South America that lived from the Pliocene through Pleistocene existing approximately...
occurs after the fight, and there's only one Megatherium, while in the program there are two. - In the book, after the brothers take over the pride, the oldest female Smilodon also dies; plus a female's willingness to mate causes two brothers to fight.
- In the TV program, a lone Phorusrhacos kills a young MacraucheniaMacraucheniaMacrauchenia was a long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed South American ungulate mammal, typifying the order Litopterna. The oldest fossils date back to around 7 million years ago, and M...
; in the book, there are two Phorsrhacos, and they kill a HippidionHippidionHippidion was a Welsh pony-sized horse that lived in South America during the Pleistocene epoch, between two million and 10,000 years ago....
calf. Also, the encounter between Half Tooth and a male Macrauchenia does not occur in the book. - In the book, both Smilodon brothers confront the Megatherium, though only one gets killed; also, the attack of the Phorusrhacos on a young Doedicurus does not take place in the program.
- In the program, the last brother dies shortly after Half Tooth defeats him. In the book, both he and Half Tooth survive.
- The episode "Mammoth Journey" (named "A Mammoth's Journey" in the book) begins with a female woolly mammothWoolly mammothThe woolly mammoth , also called the tundra mammoth, is a species of mammoth. This animal is known from bones and frozen carcasses from northern North America and northern Eurasia with the best preserved carcasses in Siberia...
falling into a lake through the ice. In the book, though, this occurs later, with a male mammothMammothA mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
, as the book's chapter describes the mammoths startling a group of humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s instead. - In the book, humans attack a single MegalocerosMegalocerosThe deer of the genus Megaloceros - ; see also Lister - were found throughout Eurasia from the late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene, and were important herbivores during the Ice Ages. The largest species, M...
, while in the program, they attack two (but one escapes). Also, one of them gets hurt by the Megaloceros in the process. - In the program, the NeanderthalNeanderthalThe Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
manages to escape the woolly rhinocerosWoolly RhinocerosThe woolly rhinoceros is an extinct species of rhinoceros that was common throughout Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch and survived the last glacial period. The genus name Coelodonta means "cavity tooth"...
without too much pain; in the book, the rhino breaks his hipHip boneThe hip bone, innominate bone or coxal bone is a large, flattened, irregularly shaped bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below...
and leg. Also, the book does not have the scene where two rhinos confront each other in the spring. - In the book, at least one Neanderthal is killed by a mammoth, when they ambush the herd at a cliff's edge; also, only one mammoth is killed, when in the program there were two.
- In the program, the confrontation between the two mammoth males comes in the beginning, in the book it is at the end of the chapter.
Camera interaction
The animals sometimes interact with the camera by breaking the fourth wall:- When the FormiciumFormiciumFormicium is an extinct collective genus of giant ants in the Formicidae subfamily Formiciinae. The genus currently contains three species, Formicium berryi, Formicium brodiei, and Formicium mirabile...
attack the GastornisGastornisGastornis is an extinct genus of large flightless bird that lived during the late Paleocene and Eocene epochs of the Cenozoic. It was named in 1855, after Gaston Planté, who had discovered the first fossils in Argile Plastique formation deposits at Meudon near Paris...
chick, some swarm over the camera. - In the second episode, several ApidiumApidiumThe genus Apidium is that of at least three extinct primates living in the early Oligocene, roughly 36 to 32 millions years ago. Apidium fossils are common in the Fayoum deposits of Egypt...
hastily climb down the camera during the sharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
attack. - Also in the second episode, the BasilosaurusBasilosaurusBasilosaurus is a genus of cetacean that lived from in the Late Eocene. Its fossilized remains were first discovered in the southern United States . The American fossils were initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -"saurus", but later found to be a marine mammal...
tail fluke occasionally hits the camera. - In the third episode, when the EntelodonEntelodonEntelodon , is a genus of Entelodontidae endemic to Europe, Eurasia, Asia from the early Eocene through Oligocene living 37.2—28.4 mya, existing approximately ....
are fighting, they kick dirt on the camera. - Also in the third episode, a ParaceratheriumParaceratheriumParaceratherium, also commonly known as Indricotherium or Baluchitherium , is an extinct genus of gigantic hornless rhinoceros-like mammals of the family Hyracodontidae, endemic to Eurasia and Asia during the Eocene to Oligocene 37.2—23.030 Mya, existing for approximately...
sniffs at the camera. - Again in the third episode, the Paraceratherium calf aggressively rushes and knocks down the camera at the end. To date, this is one of the series' largest interactions with the audience.
- A troop of AustralopithecusAustralopithecusAustralopithecus is a genus of hominids that is now extinct. From the evidence gathered by palaeontologists and archaeologists, it appears that the Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct...
throw rocks at a DinofelisDinofelisDinofelis is a genus of sabre-toothed cats belonging to the tribe Metailurini. They were widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America at least 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago...
, one rock splitting the camera. - A woolly mammothWoolly mammothThe woolly mammoth , also called the tundra mammoth, is a species of mammoth. This animal is known from bones and frozen carcasses from northern North America and northern Eurasia with the best preserved carcasses in Siberia...
sprays mud on the camera.
List of episodes
| # | |Time | |Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Awards
The series won one Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, for Outstanding Animated Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series or special which is judged to have been the best...
.