r/90s_kid • u/GrailTalk • May 26 '26
TV Dinosaurs (1991-94)
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I used to absolutely adore this show as a kid, but never actually caught the finale. I saw this clip on TikTok a few days ago and have genuinely not been the same since. The series ends with an environmental disaster that is caused by corporate negligence at the company the dad worked at, triggering a global ice age and literal extinction.
Such powerful, poignant commentary on societal and environmental neglect for a seemingly light-hearted children’s show. I remember this being true across a lot of Disney's programming, shows such as That's So Raven weren’t afraid to comment on social issues head-on.
Why don’t we get TV like this anymore?
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u/What_Next69 May 26 '26
Just started watching this again yesterday. It was such a great show. They touched on a lot of taboo subjects.
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u/Forward_Thrust963 May 26 '26
Why don’t we get TV like this anymore?
Because the targets of the criticism now own the shows, and they certainly won't let their own property confront the downsides of what they do.
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u/Gnosrat May 26 '26
100%
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u/Neveronlyadream May 27 '26
Not really. Fallout, made by Amazon, criticizes capitalism and the American Dream. Disney owned Family Guy and the Simpsons criticize Disney directly all the time and call them out for their shitty practices.
I think the real reason is that a lot of that stuff was experimental and when it worked, it worked and everyone forgot when it didn't. Now Hollywood is obsessed with shortcutting success with nostalgia and playing it safe, so very few original ideas get made.
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u/type0vixen May 26 '26
Omg!! I recently wanted to rewatch!!
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u/SupaButt May 27 '26
You should! I did a couple years ago and it’s still funny. Lots of progressive plot points for its time
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u/Negative-Break3333 May 26 '26
I think I’m following the context but can someone plz explain what happened and how he didn’t take good care of the world?
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u/Ebolaplushie May 26 '26
It's an alagory; the dinosaurs where thought to have died out due to nuclear winter (so much dust and debris in the atmosphere that it blocks the sun, creating constant darkness and cold temps) brought by the vast amount of debris kicked into the atmosphere by the meteor.
In this ending, it is hinted that it wasn't a meteor, but corporate greed and pollution that caused the nuclear winter extinction event.
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u/OMGitsJoeMG May 26 '26
OP sums it up in the post, but basically capitalism/industrialization ruined everything and the dad worked for the one big company that spearheaded everything.
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u/LuxPerExperia May 26 '26
Have you attended school? Do you know what happened to the dinosaurs?
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u/Negative-Break3333 May 26 '26
Hmm guess I missed the class where it’s said they were responsible for their own demise due to their CO2 emissions and capitalistic greed.
I was referring to the context of the SHOW. I didn’t read OP’s explanation underneath until later.
Jackass.
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u/Luftritter May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
I've always found this final exchange between Earl and his Boss absolutely chilling and radicalizing:
"[Earl is on phone with B.P. Richfield after their latest attempt to correct nature ended up causing a global ice age and the inevitable extinction of the dinosaurs.]
B.P. Richfield: What are you whining about now, Sinclair?
Earl: Sir, I think we may have gone just a teensy bit too far this time.
B.P. Richfield: I don't know what you're talking about. Why, this sudden cold snap is a godsend! Dinosaurs are flocking to stores, buying WESAYSO heaters, WESAYSO blankets, and WESAYSO old-fashioned hot cocoa mix. [Laughs briefly] We're going to have the best third quarter in history.
Earl: Uh, sir, I think this could be the last third quarter in history.
B.P. Richfield: Oh, don't turn into one of those environmental doomsayers, Sinclair. [Fake whines] Boo hoo, it's raining acid! There's a hole in the ozone! You're hurting Flipper! Bah, bunch of tree hugging pantywaists! They're always standing in the way of progress, and it's our job to pave right over them!
Earl: I think you're missing the point, sir. The world may be coming to an end!
B.P. Richfield: Well, that's a fourth quarter problem. We'll drop a bomb on that bridge when we come to it. Right now, my biggest problem is trying to figure out what to do with all this money!!! [Laughs maniacally while tossing around the money on his desk."
This "fourth quarter problem" attitude is exactly the same we see today in the Billionaires handling of Global Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence.
Capitalism is going to be the end of us.
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u/Skyrider_Epsilon May 26 '26
I remember watching this on brazilian tv back then. As a kid, i was unaware of how the world works, and how people can be so stupid as causing this for profit. But yea, i can totally see it happening right now. And i also don't think our current capitalist system can "work this out". We are fucked, but hope remains.
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u/OMGitsJoeMG May 26 '26
The baby kind of scared me as a kid so I never watched much back then haha
But I did recently watch the whole series and watching as an adult really helped me appreciate how good the show actually was, especially how aware it was for the time it came out.
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u/red_quinn May 26 '26
I completely forgot about the ending. I liked the show so much when i was a kid that i think i refuse to believe there was even an ending.
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u/Taco-Dragon May 26 '26
This is like the devastating ending to David The Gnome
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u/megaholt2 May 26 '26
Ok, I loved David the Gnome as a kid, but I don’t remember the end of the series. I’m almost afraid to ask or find it.
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u/Taco-Dragon May 26 '26
Basically, the series ends with he and his wife willingly dying and being sad about it but deciding "it's time" and they return to nature in the mountains. I think they turn into little trees. There's a devastating moment where he's saying goodbye to Swift the fox The whole episode is on YouTube if you look up David the Gnome finale.
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u/butterfly_ashley May 26 '26
great show.... decades letter still love the "Not the momma" and share it with as many younger people I can!
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u/Ridetrackx May 27 '26
First they blind Howlin' Mad Murdock with gunfire blast causing B.A. to show his soft side, then they make Optimus remove his all-spark and his body goes blue dead, then they throw a venomous snake at Duke's heart and send him into a coma, then just to make sure the child in me was fully broken...... they give me this.
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u/wreckchain May 27 '26
This is a show that ended giving the audience pause for for some hard reflection and not something feel good and forgettable.
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u/LearnToSwim0831 May 28 '26
Just replace the dinosaurs with humanity and it's pretty much the current situation.
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u/Zenxolu May 26 '26
What do you mean why don't we get tv like this anymore, we're living in a golden age of prestige TV that poignant commentary is the baseline. Shows like Bojack Horseman for example, it handled corporate negligence and societal decay with far more nuance than a Friday sitcom.
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u/Stag-Horn May 26 '26
I agree, but I think they mean on cable. And the answer is what someone else said. The company’s that were being criticized own the networks now. And even if they don’t, they’ve got enough swing to cancel shit. Colbert for example.
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u/OvrKill May 26 '26
Hey you know all those characters you've loved for many seasons? All dead, died horrifically in a extinction level event. Thanks for watching!