ITV1 buys UK rights to March of the Dinosaurs

011/04/2011

ITV1 has acquired the UK rights to the 90-minute animated documentary March of the Dinosaurs from producers Wide-Eyed Entertainment.

March of the Dinosaurs, which is narrated by Stephen Fry, takes viewers back 70 million years to meet prehistory’s toughest creatures: the dinosaurs of the Arctic. The feature length family film takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster with a young dinosaur as he embarks on a 1000-mile migration to escape a polar winter that brings freezing temperatures, starvation and 4 months of perpetual night.

Katy Thorogood, Commissioner for Factual and Daytime at ITV said: “March of the Dinosaurs reveals a whole new world of arctic palaeontology brought to life with CGI.  It’s been exciting working with Wide-Eyed on a project that combines rigorous science with great storytelling to reach a family audience on ITV1 and ITV1 HD”.

Jasper James, CEO, Wide-Eyed Entertainment said: “The extreme lifestyle of these animals has only just come to light through the latest scientific discoveries. To ensure authenticity, a panel of Canadian, American and British paleontologists has been scientific advisors for the project. Many a show has claimed to be a new take on dinosaurs but this actually does take Factual TV somewhere it’s never been before. 

“March of the Dinosaurs is a big paleontology story told as an epic family feature.  And if you think you’ve seen dinosaurs then stand by for super-sized feathered killers and colossal herds slogging through the ice and snow to escape perpetual night.  After 70 million years out of the limelight it’s just perfect that these dinosaurs are going to make their comeback on as big a channel as ITV1.”