Is anyone planning on watching this? It's a miniseries based on a book by the same title. It is one of the most gorgeously illustrated stories I've seen, and the trailer shown on TV just now looks every bit as gorgeous.

It plays on May 12 (on ABC).

Whats with the ping pong scene?

I'm sorry, but the miniseries looks rather cheap and nothing like the book. The budget is reportedly about 100 million, yet it sure as hell doesn't look it. Jeez, hasn't the CGI technology improved enough that the dinos don't look like cartoons?

Apparently, the story now takes place in 21st Century with the two protagonists being brothers aboard a plane. The book takes place in the late 19th century it's a father and son who become shipwrecked.

They were showing a bunch of commercials for this during Raiders of the Lost Ark last night. It looks pretty cool. Kind of made me want to go check out what the books are like.

I have a signed hard cover edition of the first book. James Gurney is an amazing artist, and a pretty unassuming guy. His son is more than a little irritating though. I attended a panel at a convention where Gurney was talking about his book, and his son kept doing the "Stewart"* routine on me.

*I'm talking about that Mike Mcdonald character from MadTV who pushes people away with his feet while saying "NoooOOOOOooooo" in a falsetto voice.

I think this might be the premise for the spin-off TV show they just greenlit, which is completely removed from the mini-series, except that it takes place in Dinotopia.

Yeah, the original book is just great. Really takes you away. Changing the setting, or doing a lousy job on the effects will sink this for sure.

Tuan Jim

clemente: No, the two American surfer dude brothers on a plane IS the premise of the mini-series.

What the hell ever happened to the good epic TV mini-series? The last one that was excellent was The Odyssey. And before that, Gulliver's Travels, despite Ted Danson. Merlin was only passable, but after that, dreck.

Hallmark does some really good stuff. The 10th Kingdom was pretty good, and I just bought Arabian Knights for $10 which was quite excellent.

What I particularly liked about Arabian Knights it was the authenticity by having ethnic diversity in the stories. When was the last time you saw Aladin portrayed as Asian? Nowhere else I suspect.