The Land Before Time film came out in 1988, and swiftly riding behind it came a whole host of dinosaur based cartoons and kids toys. Denver the Last Dinosaur stood out as one of the best & it's got a rocking theme tune! The series was produced through a collaboration between France and the United States (and was recommended by the US National Education Association) as a good learning tool for kids. If you watch the first one-hour pilot you get a feel for the whole show instantly as this sets up the basic plot lines that were to run thorughout the whole 52 episodes.
Jeremy is preparing for a test at school and so he and his friends (Wally, Shades & Mario) go to the LaBrea tar-pits in Los Angeles, where they live, to study-up on Dinosaurs. One thing leads to another and they have a run-in with Nick and his gang of goons. After making Nick look like a fool by tripping him over Mario's skateboard the guys do a runner and hide in a fenced off area of the tar-pits. They accidentally crack and uncover a huge egg with their bikes. Out of the egg comes Denver, an eight foot or so tall dinosaur! To cut a long story short the kids then spend alot of time trying to hide Denver and keep him safe from the likes of Morton Fizzback, a concert promoter that wants to use Denver to make money, and groups of scientists that would carry-out experiments on him. To do this they teach Denver to play guitar, ride skateboards, wear shades and generally pass himself off as an everyday teenager (they say for example in the pilot episode that he is an exchange student from Greenland), and inexplicably no-one seems to notice!
Denver
Officially the last and coolest of the Dinosaurs, Denver. Denver doesn't speak any English, but he does seem to understand what they kids are saying, and he is quick to pick up local habits such as skateboard, dancing and eating crisps! Denver is somewhat questionably put into stasis by the fact that his egg was covered in tar in the LaBrea tar-pits, and lo and behold he wakes up 65 million years later. However we do later find out that his egg has got magical properties. One of the main educational tools of the show, was that the kids would all hold a piece of Denver's egg, through doing this they could look into the past and see the world of Dinosaurs that Denver was born in.
Jeremy
Jeremy is a very intelligent young man, who is willing to stand-up for his friends and is courageous in the face of danger. Jeremy also provides lots of background to the other kids about dinosaurs and the world they inhabited.
Shades
Shades is a bit of a cool dude, he literally never takes off his sun-glasses, which is why the guys call him Shades. It's Shades that gives Denver his name after seeing it on a bill-board (see below)
Mario
Mario is a bit of a hot-head and likes taking risks, he is the other cool member of the gang, with Jeremy and Wally being the geekier of the four. Mario particularly sounds as though he is a cross between a mutant ninja turtle and Keanu Reeves, every other word is gnarly or awesome etc. etc.
Wally
Wally is the geekiest of the four, but he is still not a wimp. He is willing to stick up for his friends and for what he believes is right, particularly against Nick and his gang.
Heather
Heather is Wally's sister. Heather comes into the cartoon when she walks into her pool-house to find that there is a dinosaur there! She obviously has a few questions for her brother and his friends.
Casey
Casey is a tom-boy who has a crush on Mario. Casey also regularly helps the guys and is definitely one of the more practical and able members of the group, she also regularly fixes their bikes for them!
Nick
Nick is the leader of his gang of dead-beats. Nick basically thinks he is an awesome song-writer and will be a star one day. He likes nothing better than to bully others and look like a cool guy in front of his friends.
Morton FizzBack
I suppose Morton is the main bad-guy in Denver. Morton is a concert promoter and he wants to put Denver in his 'Rocking Dino's Roadshow'. Morton will use any opportunity to try and make money from Denver, including selling him to scientists.
Denver Bill Board
Shades sees this bill-board and thinks that the snow looks like Denver, and that Denver is a unique name for a unique creature and so they stick with it!
Denver the Last Dinosaur: Facts
Originally Aired: Sept - Nov 1988
Episodes: 52 epsiodes
Length: 30mins (including adverts)
Produced by: Peter Keefe, Calico Productions, World Events Productions
Denver, the last dinosaur
He's my friend and a whole lot more
Denver, the last dinosaur
Shows me a world I never saw before!
Everywhere we go we don't really care
If people stop and stare at our pal dino.
Creating history thru the rock n' roll spotlight
We've got a friend who helps us, we can do alright
That's Denver, the last dinosaur
He's my friend and a whole lot more!
Denver, the last dinosaur
Shows me a world I never saw before.
Denver and the Cornstalk
Tea Time for Dinosaur
Camp-Out
Birthday Party From Outer Space
Art Show
Food Wars
Dino-cise
Denver, the Last Dragon
High Flying Denver
Denver at the Digs
Chef Denver
Fizzback's Follies
Dinos are My Life
Bayou Blues
Canatta
Pluto Needs People
Arabian Adventure
Venice Beach Blast
Big News Denver
Viva Denver!
There's No Business Like Snow Business
Denver the Last Dinosaur: Episode Guide
There were a total of fifty-two Denver the Last Dinosaur episodes made during the 80's (all made in 1988 in one giant series).
For some good episdoe guides look in the resources section above! Here are the episode titles:
Denver, the Last Dinosaur (Hour Long Pilot Episode)
