# "Primeval" on BBC America **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326 "2008-08-08T19:58:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/1 "2008-08-08T19:58:12Z")
I just learned that [Primeval](http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/320/?gclid=CPGNpY-C_5QCFR30IgodZVOKqw) will begin on BBC America tomorrow night. I’m very curious about this. I love Doctor Who and Torchwood. Any opinions? If I don’t love the first episode, should I stick with it? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/2 "2008-08-08T20:09:38Z")
It’s not actually a BBC show, despite appearing on BBC America (see Graham Norton etc.). It is ITV’s answer to Doctor Who, but it’s more like a British X Files. I saw the first couple of episodes of the first series and thought it was very shaky, but apparently it improved in the second series. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/3 "2008-08-11T18:03:44Z")
I saw the premiere yesterday, and I thought it was pretty good – at least good enough to keep watching. I DID find the scottish accents a little hard to understand sometimes, but not too bad. I thought the effects were pretty good for a TV series. Of course, everyone in the cast is impossibly good looking, but I’m not really complaining. I hope it doesn’t deteriorate into a “monster of the week” show. All in all, I’d give it a thumbs up, at least for a few more episodes. J. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/4 "2008-08-11T18:05:37Z")
I watched it on a repeat and I enjoyed it well enough to keep watching. I liked the little flying lizard. Cute without being too cute. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/5 "2008-08-11T18:13:39Z")
I watched it on a repeat and I enjoyed it well enough to keep watching. I liked the little flying lizard. Cute without being too cute. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/6 "2008-08-11T18:35:21Z")
You know, I’ve heard that the lizard is cute, without being too cute. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/7 "2008-08-11T18:36:08Z")
Otto, I think you’re still on repeat. 😛 I’ve watched the whole thing so far. If the first ep doesn’t grab you, watch the second ep just to be sure. My main complaint is they use the Wilhelm scream. -10 points. All the characters are lovable, but Nick Cutter is my favorite. He speaks English but you have to pay attention, or turn CC on. Oh, and it does start out monster of the week, but before long develops a fun time travel plot arc. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/8 "2008-08-11T18:55:51Z")
Heh, yeah I guffawed at the Wilhelm. And the lead reminded me of my husband’s colleague in Scotland. When he gets excited about a topic, my husband will stop him and say, “Dave - subtitles!” I liked it well enough to keep on watching. I’m intrigued by the missing wife plot. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/9 "2008-08-11T19:26:05Z")
I enjoyed it thoroughly! It’s a nice ride without much intellectual baggage. Good summer fare. Speaking of the lack of intellectual baggage: I nearly gagged on my lemonade when the professor found a skeleton and leaned down to count its ribs in order to determine whether it was male or female. It’s been a very long time since I encountered the myth about men having one fewer rib than women. However, the professor is such a hottie that I’ll forgive him his lapses. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/10 "2008-08-11T19:53:20Z")
I tell myself that Cutter was examining something about the skeletal structure that told him if it was male or female and it just _looked_ like he was counting ribs. Fanwank FTW! Having watched the entire series, I can say that the pilot episode is actually one of their weaker ones; there is an overall arc that develops and once that does it gets better. So if you have any interest at all I’d say keep watching for another episode or two before deciding to give up on it. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/11 "2008-08-11T19:57:47Z")
Forgot to add… **jharvey963** - It does tread right on the edge of “monster of the week” territory, but the overall arc that develops does keep it from falling in. There’s some good stuff coming up. And the company that produces _Primeval_ is the same one that produced those _Walking with Dinosaurs_ shows you may have seen on Discovery Channel or where ever and a lot of their dinosaur (and other critter) footage is from them; that’s why the CGI (though still obviously CGI) may be better than you would expect. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/12 "2008-08-11T21:42:07Z")
I’ve seen and really liked both series so far; can’t wait to see how they develop the plot on from the last scene of series 2! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/13 "2008-08-11T21:50:00Z")
It’s good enough to watch if you find yourself home. It’s not as good as Doctor Who, but it wasn’t made to tie in with that anyways. I’d have to say its about the same as Tremors the series, or any other B movie changed to a series. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/14 "2008-08-11T21:57:32Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] I’ve seen and really liked both series so far; can’t wait to see how they develop the plot on from the last scene of series 2! [/QUOTE] I know. Just when you’re comfortable… zing! WTH?? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/15 "2008-08-11T23:43:51Z")
[QUOTE=Noelq] You know, I’ve heard that the lizard is cute, without being too cute. [/QUOTE] 214 posts in seven and a half years and you use one of them to bag on me?! Not sure if I should be honored or insulted… ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/16 "2008-08-12T00:36:35Z")
[QUOTE=tanstaafl] I tell myself that Cutter was examining something about the skeletal structure that told him if it was male or female and it just _looked_ like he was counting ribs. Fanwank FTW! [/QUOTE] You’re shitting me - that’s what he was doing? I just assumed he was looking at the pelvis, and the camera angle was odd so we couldn’t see very well. (Actually, I recently discovered a great gloss on the rib story. Many mammals have an os penis, but not humans. So the story explains that God took Adam’s, ahem, “rib” and used it to make Eve. Many would say this also explains the dynamic in many marriages.) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/17 "2008-08-12T00:55:37Z")
I found the second series, where they basically restarted everything, to be really lame and lost a lot of what made the first series watchable. I can only hope they get it back on cheesy track for series 3. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/18 "2008-08-12T01:24:30Z")
[QUOTE=Unauthorized Cinnamon] You’re shitting me - that’s what he was doing? I just assumed he was looking at the pelvis, and the camera angle was odd so we couldn’t see very well. [/QUOTE] No, he pretty clearly runs his fingers up the ribs, counting them off. It’s a pretty bad mistake for someone who is supposedly an evolutionary biologist to make. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/19 "2008-08-12T01:33:04Z")
[QUOTE=tanstaafl] No, he pretty clearly runs his fingers up the ribs, counting them off. It’s a pretty bad mistake for someone who is supposedly an evolutionary biologist to make. [/QUOTE] Or somebody who’s been to – whaddya call it – school. I didn’t see that scene, but in the half hour I did watch, the dialogue just felt dumbed-down to me. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326/20 "2008-08-12T10:38:07Z")
[QUOTE=jharvey963] I hope it doesn’t deteriorate into a “monster of the week” show. [/QUOTE] Monster of the week is better than seeing [the Chris Carter Effect](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.TheChrisCarterEffect) in action. Was I the only one who thought this was a SciFi Channel movie the first few times looking at the previews? It really looks like one of the absolutely crappy movies they make and show. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primeval-on-bbc-america/459326.md?page=2)