Creator: Lightroom, with thanks to Apple TV+ and BBC Studios Natural History
Director: Lysander Ashton
Apple TV+ may be the streaming service you’ve forgotten you have, but it produces something genuinely special with Prehistoric Planet—essentially Life on Earth but with dinosaurs instead of elephants. The series follows the BBC’s winning formula: Damian Lewis channels his inner David Attenborough with breathy, near-whispered narration, while CGI creatures receive the same anthropomorphic treatment that makes nature documentaries so beloved.
It’s a smart approach that has made the show a critical darling, so bringing it to Lightroom’s immersive experience seems like a natural evolution. The venue’s 11-meter-high LED walls and floor projections promise to showcase these prehistoric giants at life-size scale—and initially, they deliver. The hyper-realistic recreation of ancient worlds proves genuinely awe-inspiring, with dinosaurs rendered in breathtaking detail that makes you feel transported back 66 million years.
But once that initial wonder settles, the experience becomes more frustrating than magical.
The fundamental problem lies in the 360-degree presentation. While having screens on all four walls sounds impressive, in practice, it creates chaos. You’re never certain where the action is happening, constantly craning your neck and contorting your body to follow the narrative. What should be an immersive journey becomes an uncomfortable lesson in spatial awareness—and chiropractics.
The audio compounds these issues. Lewis’s narration sits too low in the mix, forcing you to strain to hear his words while simultaneously trying to locate the visual action. The script itself feels caught between audiences—too dry for children, not detailed enough for adults, and unlikely to teach dinosaur enthusiasts anything new.
Accessibility suffers too. While closed captions are provided, they’re positioned so high they’re nearly impossible to read, and inexplicably appear on some walls but not others. If you need captions, prepare for additional frustration.
The comparison with the source material is telling. For under £9, you can access the entire Apple TV+ library for a month, experiencing all ten hour-long episodes of Prehistoric Planet in comfort. You’ll get deeper storytelling, avoid the neck strain, and discover what else Apple’s service offers.
Prehistoric Planet succeeds as television because it understands its medium. This immersive adaptation feels like forcing a square peg into a round hole—spectacular visuals undermined by poor spatial direction and technical execution. The dinosaurs deserve better, and so do audiences seeking genuine immersion rather than elaborate discomfort.
Runs until 2 November 2025
