Random Behind-The-Scenes Facts About 'Dinosaurs' (20 items)

(#9) Some Episodes Didn't Air In The Show's Original Run
Seven additional episodes of the show were shot before it got canceled and thus never aired on TV. However, when the show went into syndication, the additional episodes were finally shown to the world.
(#3) The Original Design For Earl Was Purposefully Frightening
Designers initially made the father Earl a lot scarier looking, but producers thought he was too "fierce." So, they gave him a second chin and made him chubbier to soften his look.
(#20) Producers Had Planned A Feature Film Spin-Off

Dinosaurs producers had big plans to bring the show to life in a movie theater near you. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled and ratings dropped which led to them scrapping the idea in the end.
(#6) Earl Sighed A Lot Because The Puppeteer Needed To See
The puppeteer inside the Earl costume could only see out of the character's mouth. So, in order to allow him to see where he was going, they created a character trait where Earl sighed a lot as he crossed the room. Otherwise the puppeteer had to move based on his memory of previous steps.
(#12) 'The Simpsons' Paved The Way For 'Dinosaurs'
The only reason ABC green lit Dinosaurs was because of the success of The Simpsons. Networks were desperate to copy the tongue-in-cheek, commentary humor that defined The Simpsons. Dinosaurs does touch upon many issues with humor such as war, global warming, and feminism in ways only puppets could get away with.
(#11) The Series Finale Started With A Warning For Children

The series ended in 1994 in a totally dramatic fashion. The dinosaurs themselves were causing terrible changes in climate and needed rain, so they dropped bombs in volcanoes to create clouds. Unfortunately, it created snow which then led to the Ice Age, and the family knew they were going to die.

Knowing how heavy this stuff was, producers put up a CHILD WARNING graphic before the episode aired.