Dinosaur Train

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Preschool animated television series on PBS Kids

title: "Dinosaur Train" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2009-american-animated-television-series-debuts", "2009-canadian-television-series-debuts", "2009-singaporean-television-series-debuts", "2021-american-television-series-endings", "2021-canadian-television-series-endings", "2021-singaporean-television-series-endings", "2000s-american-animated-television-series", "2010s-american-animated-television-series", "2020s-american-animated-television-series", "2000s-american-children's-television-series", "2010s-american-children's-television-series", "2020s-american-children's-television-series", "2000s-canadian-animated-television-series", "2010s-canadian-animated-television-series", "2020s-canadian-animated-television-series", "2000s-canadian-children's-television-series", "2010s-canadian-children's-television-series", "2020s-canadian-children's-television-series", "2000s-singaporean-television-series", "2010s-singaporean-television-series", "2020s-singaporean-television-series", "2000s-preschool-education-television-series", "2010s-preschool-education-television-series", "2020s-preschool-education-television-series", "american-children's-animated-adventure-television-series", "american-children's-animated-fantasy-television-series", "american-children's-animated-musical-television-series", "american-computer-animated-television-series", "american-preschool-education-television-series", "american-television-series-with-live-action-and-animation", "animated-preschool-education-television-series", "american-animated-television-series-about-children", "animated-television-series-about-dinosaurs", "animated-television-series-about-siblings", "canadian-children's-animated-adventure-television-series", "canadian-children's-animated-fantasy-television-series", "canadian-children's-animated-musical-television-series", "canadian-computer-animated-television-series", "canadian-preschool-education-television-series", "canadian-television-series-with-live-action-and-animation", "children's-television-series-about-talking-animals", "american-english-language-television-shows", "canadian-english-language-television-shows", "singaporean-english-language-television-shows", "pbs-kids-shows", "pbs-animated-television-series", "singaporean-animated-television-series", "television-series-about-adoption", "television-series-about-rail-transport", "television-series-about-dinosaurs", "television-series-by-the-jim-henson-company", "television-series-created-by-craig-bartlett", "animated-television-series-set-in-jungles", "television-shows-set-on-trains", "television-series-set-in-the-mesozoic"] description: "Preschool animated television series on PBS Kids" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur_Train" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Preschool animated television series on PBS Kids ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox television"]

FieldValue
imageDinosaurTrain.jpg
alt_nameJim Henson's Dinosaur Train
genreEducationalPreschoolComedy
creatorCraig Bartlett
directorCraig Bartlett
Terry Izumi
presenterDr. Scott D. Sampson
voicesPhillip Corlett
Claire Corlett
Erika-Shaye Gair
Alexander Matthew Marr
Ian James Corlett
Colin Murdock
Ellen Kennedy
Sean Thomas
Laura Marr
opentheme"Dinosaur Train"
endtheme"Dinosaur Train"
composerJim Lang
Mike Himelstein
Michael Silversher
country{{Plainlist
languageEnglish
num_seasons5
num_episodes100 (+1 direct-to-TV movie)
list_episodesList of Dinosaur Train episodes
executive_producerCraig Bartlett
Brian Henson
Lisa Henson
Halle Stanford
producerSue Bea Montgomery
runtime28 minutes
companyInfocomm Media Development Authority
Sparky Animation
The Jim Henson Company
FableVision
Snee-Oosh, Inc. (uncredited)
Tail Waggin' Productions
Big Communications (early season 1)
networkPBS Kids
first_aired
last_aired
::

| image = DinosaurTrain.jpg | alt_name = Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train | genre = EducationalPreschoolComedy | creator = Craig Bartlett | based_on = | developer = | writer = | director = Craig Bartlett Terry Izumi | creative_director = | presenter = Dr. Scott D. Sampson | starring = | judges = | voices = Phillip Corlett Claire Corlett Erika-Shaye Gair Alexander Matthew Marr Ian James Corlett Colin Murdock Ellen Kennedy Sean Thomas Laura Marr | narrated = | theme_music_composer = | opentheme = "Dinosaur Train" | endtheme = "Dinosaur Train" | composer = Jim Lang Mike Himelstein Michael Silversher | country = {{Plainlist|

Dinosaur Train is an animated children's television series aimed at children ages 3 to 6 and created by Craig Bartlett, who also created Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!. The series features an anthropomorphic orange Tyrannosaurus rex named Buddy who, together with the rest of his family, who are all Pteranodons, takes the Dinosaur Train to explore the Mesozoic, and have adventures with a variety of dinosaurs. It is produced by The Jim Henson Company, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (formerly the Media Development Authority), Sparky Animation, FableVision, Snee-Oosh, Inc., and Tail Waggin' Productions in association with Reel FX and Sea to Sky Entertainment. A film based on the series for Universal Pictures and Universal 1440 Entertainment titled, Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island premiered on April 12, 2021.

A revival is currently in the works at the Jim Henson Company.

Premise

The show is set in a whimsical prehistoric world of jungles, swamps, active volcanoes, and oceans, all filled with dinosaur and other prehistoric animal life, connected by a railroad served by an eponymous passenger train, the Dinosaur Train. Its passenger cars can accommodate dinosaurs of all kinds: windows accommodate long-necked sauropods, there is headroom in the Observation Car for the larger theropods, and the AquaCar is an aquarium for sea-going passengers. The train itself is run by Troodons, being one of the smartest dinosaurs in this fictional universe. The Dinosaur Train circles the whole world, crossing oceans and inland seas, with stops to visit undersea prehistoric animals. It can travel through the entire Mesozoic Era, the "Age of Dinosaurs", passing through magical Time Tunnels to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods.

The world of Dinosaur Train is seen through the eyes of Buddy the Tyrannosaurus rex. According to the show's main title song, Buddy was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon. He hatched at the same time as his Pteranodon siblings Tiny, Shiny, and Don. By traveling in the Dinosaur Train around the Mesozoic, supplied with dinosaur facts by the train's Troodon Conductor, Buddy learns that he is a Tyrannosaurus rex. As an adopted child in a mixed-species family, Buddy is curious about the differences between species and likes to learn about all the dinosaurs he can by riding the Dinosaur Train. The dinosaur species featured in the show are actual dinosaurs discovered by paleontologists.

Dinosaur Train is produced and animated by Sparky Animation in Singapore, Each episode is followed by a live-action segment featuring Dinosaur Train educational consultant and paleontologist Dr. Scott D. Sampson, who appears onscreen to explain the show's dinosaur curriculum in greater detail.

Episodes

Main article: List of Dinosaur Train episodes

Voice cast

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Dinosaur_Train_characters.png" caption="Left to right: Shiny, Buddy, Tiny, Don"] ::

Main cast

Additional voices

UK voice cast

The UK dub only aired the first two seasons on Nick Jr. in the UK and Ireland from 2012 to 2015.

Production

Development

In early 2008, after the successful first run of Hey Arnold! on Nickelodeon, Craig Bartlett decided to create another children series, this one set during the era of the dinosaurs, including the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Bartlett conceived the idea for the show, drew the main characters, and wrote a pilot script. Bartlett said he got the idea of the show after he saw one of his kids put a toy dinosaur in a toy train.

Episode segments

  • Time for a Tiny Ditty – Tiny either tries singing about something she learned on the show or about her favorite dish (fish).
  • Buddy has a Hypothesis – Children learn from Buddy and Tiny what a hypothesis means.
  • Dr. Scott the Paleontologist – Scott Sampson is a paleontologist who appears on the show to teach children about the dinosaurs which have appeared in each episode, and how dinosaurs compare to present-day animals (including humans). He received his PhD in zoology from the University of Toronto in 1993 and, is the CEO for Science World at TELUS World of Science in Vancouver, BC.

Songs

  • "Theme Song" – The opening theme, which is about a mom named Mrs. Pteranodon and her children, including a T. Rex whose egg landed in her nest, revealed to be written by King in his debut episode.
  • "Hungry Hungry Herbivore" – An adult Brachiosaurus (judging by his deep voice) shows up to sing a song about how herbivores love to eat green food.
  • "I'm a T-Rex" – Buddy sings that he finally realizes that he is T-Rex, and sings about living in the Cretaceous Forest.
  • "Dinosaurs A-Z" – Mr. Conductor sings the Dinosaur Alphabet that his mother taught him. A later version of the song is sung by Buddy and Tiny, keeping track of the twenty-six different dinosaur species in the song to pick up on the train for a picnic at Troodon Town.
  • "Cryolophosaurus Crests" – King sings about his crest.
  • "My Tiny Place" – Tiny sings about her "Tiny Place", which is actually her hideout in the form of a small hole in a tree. She sometimes shares it with Cindy Cimolestes.
  • "Nice to Meet You (My Name is Tiny)" – Tiny's song she sings to Leslie to tell her how she can talk to other dinosaurs without getting scared.
  • "All Aboard" – The original theme song before the official Dinosaur Train theme song.
  • "Tiny Loves Fish" – Tiny sings a song about how she loves fish.
  • "I Love Trains" – Mr. Conductor sings about his love for trains.
  • "I'll Always Be Your Mom" – Mrs. Pteranodon sings to her kids on how much she loves them.
  • "Dinosaur Feet" – Daphne Daspletosaurus and the gang sings about their great big stomping dinosaur feet.
  • "Sleep Little Dinosaur" – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Mrs. Pteranodon and Tank Triceratops sing Tank's lullaby that his mom sings to him every night.
  • "A New Way to Sing a Song" – Shiny sings in a concert with Buddy, Tiny, Don, Cory Corythosaurus and Perry Parasaurolophus.
  • "Dinosaur Block Party" – Mr. Conductor sings about living in an ecosystem at the Pteranodon family's block party.
  • "Get into Nature Song" – Song about the Nature Trackers club and getting into nature.
  • "That's Not a Dinosaur" – Tiny and the gang sings about how not every animal in the Mesozoic Era is or is not a dinosaur.
  • "No Place Like Our Nest" – The Pteranodon family sings about how their nest is the only home for them.
  • "The Biggest Dinosaurs" – Over several episodes the Pteranodon family go on trips to see the biggest sauropods, and this song is specific to those episodes.
  • "The Prettiest Pteranodon" – Mr. Pteranodon sing it to his wife while on date night.
  • "Taking the Zeppelin Home" – Mr. Conductor, Thurston, Mr. Pteranodon and Larry sing as they fly home to Pteranodon Terrace.
  • "What's at the Center of the Earth?" – The Pteranodon Family, Mr. Conductor, and Gilbert sing about the center of the Earth as they venture in it.
  • "The Dinosaur Train Zeppelin" – The Pteranodon Family and Mr. Conductor sing as they travel in the zeppelin.
  • "Laramidia (The Dinosaur Big City)" – All the dinosaurs get together and sing about Laramidia, also known as the Dinosaur Big City. The first version is sung by the Pteranodon Family and Mr. Conductor. The second version is sung by King Cryolophosaurus and Mayor Kosmoceratops.

Reception

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave this a show a rate four stars out of five, describing as a "Young dino's travels teach kids about science and diversity."

Home media

DVDs of the series from PBS Distribution were produced from 2010 to 2019. It also became part of PBS Kids compilation DVDs until 2021, when Elinor Wonders Why took over.

StudioCanal UK and StudioCanal Germany released the series on DVD in their respective countries.

In other media

Live show

A live show, "Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure", toured the United States and Canada from September 2013 to June 2014.

Film

In July 2020, Craig Bartlett announced an 85-minute musical film based on the series on Instagram.

The film, titled Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island, premiered on April 12, 2021, serving as the series finale.

References

References

  1. (September 17, 2008). "Henson Moving Forward with "Dinosaur Train" and "The Skumps"".
  2. (2018). "The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows". Rowman & Littlefield.
  3. "Craig Bartlett on Instagram: "I'm thrilled to be mixing the Dinosaur Train movie today! 85 minutes of thrills and spills! Tons of songs! All aboard!! #dinosaurtrain"".
  4. (April 14, 2025). "Bryan O'Connell Joins The Jim Henson Company As VP Children's Television".
  5. (August 2019}} It premiered on [[Labor Day]] 2009 and aired daily on PBS Kids, and in various countries around the world. 40 half-hour episodes were ordered by [[PBS Kids]] for the first season. After that, 49 additional episodes were made. {{As of). "The Jim Henson Company Celebrates 100-Episode Milestone For Award-Winning Preschool Animated Series Dinosaur Train™ With New Season Five Episodes For PBS KIDS®". Jim Henson Company.
  6. (April 2, 2018). "r/IAmA - This is Craig Bartlett, animation creator of Ready Jet Go!, Hey Arnold!, and Dinosaur Train – ask me anything!".
  7. Hobson, Jane. (September 26, 2018). "Henson roars for more Dinosaur Train". Brunico Communications Ltd..
  8. "About Dinosaur Train".
  9. Keogh, Tom. (September 6, 2009). "All aboard the "Dinosaur Train," a new kids' show created by Seattle native Craig Bartlett". Seattle Times.
  10. Owen, Rob. (September 4, 2009). "'Dinosaur Train' combines two popular routes". Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
  11. (2010-06-09). "Scott D. Sampson".
  12. "Senior Leadership Team".
  13. (November 9, 2009). "Hootin' Hadrosaurs!/Surprise Party".
  14. (February 20, 2017). "What's at the Center of the Earth? Layers!/What's at The Center of The Earth? Fossils!".
  15. (February 20, 2017). "What's at the Center of the Earth? Troglobites!/What's at The Center of The Earth? Minerals!".
  16. (August 22, 2011). "Dinosaur Big City, Part 4".
  17. Ashby, Emily. (August 21, 2023). "Dinosaur Train TV Review".
  18. "Jim Henson Company sells series and movie to global broadcasters".
  19. "North American Tour Dates".
  20. "Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island: Episode 0 {{!}} Schedules {{!}} WGTE".

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