An animated comedy-adventure series for families
Millions of years after she tried to eat the universe, she's the biggest pop star in nine realms. Every week, on a therapist's couch, she tells the story of the night nine gods couldn't lay a claw on her.
The show in one breath
In present-day Dinotopia, a T-Rex lawyer and her human assistant take on a case nobody wants: a Stegosaurus accused of stealing 17 fern smoothies he's too lactose intolerant to drink.
Then a princess turns up to watch a petty theft trial, which makes no sense, and Lexi starts asking why. Meanwhile the whole city lives with a legend about three young dinosaurs from millions of years ago. It's on the murals, the school backpacks and the palace walls.
Three young dinosaurs saved the universe. Somebody has been selling the merchandise ever since.
Why families watch it together
The show works on two levels at once, and both are complete. The first stands on its own, and everyone who catches the second gets more.
For younger viewers
A tiny Compsognathus who calls himself the Magnificent Pip, a stolen spaceship flown by someone who can't fly it, and a lawyer with very small arms and a very large briefcase.
For older viewers
A church that issues 700 words of nothing and then offers different smoothies, and a portrait of Lord Chomps the Third, "Beloved by his accountants".
The question underneath
Royals, gods and corporations all want to be the ones who answer it. A young lawyer, her human assistant and three small dinosaurs have other ideas.
The world
Season 1 adapts the first three books as one story, told across three points in time.
The present · Dinotopia
Dinosaurs run everything. A Brachiosaurus barista hands fern lattes out of a drive-through window the size of a garage door. An Ankylosaur walks into the same lamp post every morning, bounces off and keeps scrolling.
Millions of years ago · The Nine Realms
At the Celestial Celebration, a young T-Rex princess named Val had just launched her best friend into the Andromeda galaxy. Then the Devourer of Worlds arrived, and every strike from nine gods passed straight through it.
Classified · The third era
Season 1 visits one more point in Dinotopia's history. The paperwork for it is still being processed.
They're walked on leads and asked to do their tricks. One wears a horn-shaped hat so his owner can coo "Who's a good little attorney?"
House Rexington's family business owns the Brewsaurus chain, and the Princess cuts the ribbon on every new one.
Even the end of time runs on forms. Erasure from existence requires form 27B, in triplicate.
Characters
The storyteller
These days she wears sunglasses indoors and sells out stadiums. Once a week she lies on a therapist's couch and tells the legend her way.
"Before the band, I ate stars."The Devourer of Worlds
T-Rex · Lawyer
Takes a smoothie-theft case because the evidence is ridiculous and the client is miserable. She fights like a lawyer: precise, measured, finding the gaps.
Human · Assistant
Lives in a human house and hacks three royal firewalls in under 10 seconds with a device built from three phones, a calculator and possibly a toaster.
House Rexington · Royalty
A smile so wide and so practised it has its own postcode. She believes, sincerely, that her family keeps the peace.
T-Rex · Princess
A young T-Rex princess who treats a cosmic emergency as a scavenger hunt, and calls everything she shouldn't be doing "field research".
Stegosaurus
Frightened most of the time, and stands his ground anyway. "Of course I'm scared. But if I run, I'll miss the show."
Compsognathus
Tiny, loud and always hungry. Calls himself the Magnificent Pip, usually from the top of the snack table.
Season 1
A courtroom case in the present and a legend from millions of years ago, told side by side.
Titles 4 to 10 are awaiting clearance. Form 27B has been filed, in triplicate.
Episode 1
A Stegosaurus pleads not guilty to stealing 17 smoothies. He's lactose intolerant. Nobody will sit in the gallery against Brewsaurus, and then a princess arrives to watch a petty theft trial.
"Told by whom?"
The theme song
A funk track and the series' main title theme, with a chorus that sums up the whole show: "Time ain't real, but this groove is."
Dinosaur gods in the VIP,
Astro and Cosmo pourin' shots for free,
Devourer's on the mic, singin' off key,
She said 'I used to eat planets, but now I make beats.'
"Rewind the Apocalypse". Words and music by Charbel A. Zeaiter.
Inside the books
Ardee Delmo's illustrations for the books set the visual language: expressive faces, readable silhouettes and a palette for each era. The present is glass, fern and screen-light. The legend is crystal, nebula and lava.
Based on the book series
The series is written by Charbel A. Zeaiter in a 21cm square illustrated format. Books 1 to 4 are written and illustrated, and the story runs to 10 books, from The Nine Realms to Quantum Loco.
For producers, broadcasters and partners
What exists today
Why animation
The cast runs from a tiny Compsognathus to Brachiosaurus buses and gods that span galaxies. Animation holds every one of those scales in the same frame.
Comparables
Zootopia for an animal city and a buddy investigation. The Lego Movie for comedy about who controls the world. Shrek for a family laughing on two levels at once. Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams for absurd cosmic bureaucracy with a moral spine.
Created by
Charbel A. Zeaiter is a Sydney-based writer, designer and founder, and the creator of Dino Loco. He grew up in Australia as the child of Lebanese migrant parents. He founded Velvet Onion & Friends, an innovation consultancy and venture studio operating since 2019 that builds original intellectual property alongside client work, and previously founded Academy Xi.
He also writes Momo & Yeti, a six-volume young adult fantasy series, and Kith9, a nine-book ecological adventure. For Dino Loco he has written the Season 1 mini-bible, the pilot draft and the theme song.
Get in touch
Producers, broadcasters and partners can connect with Charbel on LinkedIn for the series materials and development conversations. Everyone else can follow along on Instagram, where the books and the show will turn up first.
Connect with Charbel A. Zeaiter
Rights and development enquiries go to the creator directly.