A cataclysm of unimaginable proportions ended a dynasty of 160 million years. Measured in moments, days and months – and marked by mega-tsunamis, terrifying meteor showers, off-the-scale earthquakes and a chilling nuclear winter – these are the last days of the dinosaurs. On Sunday, November 21, Discovery presents the epic broadcast event, THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS.
Picture grab from CGI
Airing in simulcast on Discovery Channel (standard definition) and Discovery World HD (high definition) at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the broadcasts will be immediately followed by the 3D world premiere of the program at 9:30 p.m. ET on Discovery World HD. Complemented by rich online content at DiscoveryChannel.ca and DiscoveryWorldHD.ca, this landmark broadcast is a fully-immersive television experience that follows the doomed, the brave and the survivors in the epic story of these once-mighty rulers. (Please see box below for times and formats.). THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS kicks off Discovery Channel’s “Dino Week.”
THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS taps the latest research from the world’s leading experts to present a blow-by-blow revelation of what happened 65 million years ago. Drawing on virtually every scientific discipline – from palaeontology and geology to climatology and astrophysics – THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS is an incredible marriage of science and storytelling. An asteroid strike that “rings the Earth like a bell” releases a fireball big enough to rip through the atmosphere, followed by seismic waves deep enough to wrap around the globe. In a captivating account of the timetable of collapse, this 90-minute special is a visceral portrayal of how the red-hot cloud tears a path of destruction through every continent, triggering a bitter “nuclear winter” that leads to a collapse in the food chain and global darkness. THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS is the definitive explanation of why there aren’t any dinosaurs in your backyard today.
Picture grab from CGI
Experience a world altered forever by a series of catastrophic events after the asteroid, bigger than Mount Everest, smashes into Central America sparking irreversible change. Only moments before, dinosaurs were hunting for food, searching for water and shelter, or tending their young – just as they had for hundreds of generations. But now, in the moments following the cataclysmic impact, the world’s dinosaurs – whether caught in the forests of North America, the desert wilderness of Mongolia or the lush landscape of Mexico – suffer a sequence of so-called “death mechanisms” that lead to the animals’ inevitable extinction and threaten the very existence of life on Earth.
But how do you tell this dramatic and moving story, when the prehistoric world and environment that the dinosaurs lived in doesn’t exists anywhere on Earth today? Created in cutting-edge CGI and stunning 3D environments, more than 50 artists were tasked with recreating these environments based on extensive scientific research. Once this was done, the animators had the digital freedom to shape and sculpt the environments in ways that has never been done before. In this CG world, the animator could play Mother Nature, having total control over weather (including the creation of rain and fog), vegetation and microscopic details that give THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS a rich, filmic quality. This is showcased in a shot which sees a mother T-Rex building a nest for her children. As her foot scrapes against debris, particles fly towards the lens, adding even more dynamic depth and movement to the sequence, allowing the viewer to feel as though they are right there, immersed in their world.
Still of models and sets
With 18 months of exhaustive scientific research, 30,000 hours of visual effects and animation work by a team of artists – rendering approximately 1,090,000 images! –THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS is an incredible multidisciplinary endeavour. Visit DiscoveryChannel.ca and DiscoveryWorldHD.ca to learn more about how the special was produced, including a photo gallery of the models as they were constructed and FX sets, bonus material, broadcast information (including when and where to watch the SD, HD, anaglyph and active 3D versions), and were to get the 3D glasses. THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS will also be available to watch online, one week following its broadcast premiere.
THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS airs on Sunday, November 21 at the following times and in the following formats:
• 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel (standard definition)
• 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery World HD (high definition)
• 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT on Discovery World HD (anaglyph 3D*)
• 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT Cable/Satellite 3D Barker Channel (active 3D)
Still of models and sets
THE LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS kicks off Discovery Channel’s “Dino Week” featuring four episodes of PREHISTORIC that examine what four U.S. cities would have looked like at the time the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Details include:
PREHISTORIC: “Los Angeles”
Mon., Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
In its distant past, Los Angeles was home to enormous Ice Age mammals, carnivorous dinosaurs and gigantic undersea monsters; the city emerged from the sea as tectonic plates clashed and gave birth to earthquakes that still rock the city.
PREHISTORIC: “Denver”
Tues., Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Evidence found in Denver holds the key to unlocking an ancient mystery about when humans first arrived in North America.
PREHISTORIC: “Dallas”
Wed., Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
From ancestors of the famous longhorn cattle to mammoths, large cats and overgrown armadillos of the Ice Age, everything about Dallas was always big; swim with mosasaurs in downtown Dallas; meet Paluxysaurus, the state dinosaur of Texas.
PREHISTORIC: “Washington, D.C.”
Fri., Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Washington, D.C. was once a beach town whose waters were teeming with the largest shark ever known; the land was patrolled by a predator that looked like a dog but was bigger than a grizzly.
*Note About the 3D Broadcast: To experience LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS in 3D, viewers subscribed to Discovery World HD channel will also require 3D glasses. Free 3D glasses will be distributed to home delivery subscribers of the Globe and Mail on Thurs., Nov. 18. The 3D glasses will also be available free-of-charge at select CTV stations (please visit DiscoveryWorldHD.ca for participating locations and pick up dates and times).
