David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive is a 2014 nature documentary special. It features the Sir David Attenborough (who also wrote the film) walking about the Natural History Museum in London and discuussing some its more notable specimens of prehistoric life. The catch? He's doing this after dark when the museum's closed, and the specimens have come to life, Night at the Museum-style.
Can be watched in two parts (part one
and part two)
Includes examples of the following tropes:
- Artistic License – Paleontology: There are some notable examples with the creatures depicted.
- Gigantopithecus is portrayed as a sasquatch or gorilla-like bipedal form. Most evidence points to it being a pongine or at least mostly related to them, and thus would have resembled more an orangutan all all fours.
- The Diplodocus has feathers, however small, which is unlikely for a derived sauropod like it.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: The Gigantopithecus is depicted as walking upright and is given a very Sasquatch-like design.
- Dem Bones: For some reason, Smilodon is portrayed as a walking skeleton, when all the other animals aren't.
- Feathered Fiend:
- The Haast's Eagle is an imposing predator that can take down prey as big as the titanic moa (though not sucessfully when it does in the film proper).
- Funnily enough, the dodo is the only creature in the him to attack David let alone act hostile, one nipping at him.
- Gentle Giant: Many of the larger creatures react to David only with curiosity and fascination and don't attack, such as the Moa, Ground Sloth, and the Gigantopithecus. Even the carnivores of such size like Gigantophis don't do such.
- Gentle Giant Sauropod: Dippy the Diplodocus is this, being rather peaceful and willing to eat out of David's hands.
- Living Museum Exhibit: The whole premise of the show is that at night, some of the Natural History Museum's fossil specimens come alive.
- Not So Above It All: The poised and regal David smirks like a Troll after successfully hiding from the crowds leaving and the security guard so he can stay the night and watch the creatures come to life.
- Scare Chord: One happens when the Gigantophis slithers by, partially obscured by fences.
- Scenery Porn: The film makes some good use of the NHM's interior.
- Water Is Air: An Ichthyosaurus and dolphin come alive and race around the museum in the air in this manner.
