Dino Dan

Lore & Background

Dino Dan was created and directed by J. J. Johnson and produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment in association with TVOKids, Access, Knowledge Network, and SCN. The series premiered on TVOKids in Canada on January 4, 2010, and the original series ended in 2012. In the US, it premiered on the Nick Jr. Channel on October 17, 2010 as an acquired series. On February 4, 2013, it was reported that CITV had acquired and secured rights to air the series in the UK and eventually to re-air it on the channel. A sequel, Dino Dana, premiered on Amazon Prime on May 26, 2017, and later on Universal Kids on October 6, 2018, three years after Nick Jr.'s rights to the series expired. The series won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series in 2015.

Reader's Guide

The series follows Dan Henderson, a young boy with a magic dino field guide that allows him to see dinosaurs in real life. He uncovers clues about the past and teaches others scientific information ranging from new species to dinosaur vocabulary. A follow-up season, Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures, starring Dan's younger brother Trek, began airing in 2013. Trek, now age ten, also sees dinosaurs and learns about them. Fifteen new dinosaurs from Albertosaurus to Microraptor appear in this series. Dan asks Trek to do his experiments because he has to help his father. Jason Spevack made periodic appearances as Dan throughout Trek's Adventures, though much of the original cast remained largely unchanged. The series received several award nominations and wins, including a 2010 Gemini Award nomination, a 2010 Shaw Rocket Prize win, a 2010 Young Artist Award win, a 2014 Canadian Screen Award nomination, a 2015 Daytime Emmy Award win, and a 2016 Daytime Emmy Award nomination.

Origins, Production & Global Distribution

Dino Dan is a Canadian television series created and directed by J. J. Johnson, brought to life through a production partnership between Sinking Ship Entertainment and a consortium that included TVOKids, Access, Knowledge Network, and SCN. The show first aired on TVOKids in Canada on January 4, 2010, and continued broadcasting there until its final episode on August 30, 2019. The United States audience encountered the series later that same year, when Nick Jr. Channel took it on as an acquired program, with its American debut landing on October 17, 2010. The franchise's reach extended further when, on February 4, 2013, it was reported that the UK broadcaster CITV had secured rights to air the show and later re-air it. A spin-off sequel called Dino Dana found a home on Amazon Prime, premiering on May 26, 2017. After Nick Jr.'s licensing window closed, Universal Kids stepped in to carry the series, giving it a new American broadcast debut on October 6, 2018.

Concept, Format & Educational Mission

The series distinguishes itself by weaving together live-action filming with computer-generated imagery, creating a hybrid visual world where prehistoric creatures coexist with everyday settings. At the heart of the story is Dan Henderson, a young boy whose life transforms when he comes into possession of a magic dino field guide. The book grants him the remarkable ability to perceive dinosaurs as if they were alive in the present, turning ordinary surroundings into a living museum. Each episode sends Dan on adventures where he uncovers clues about the distant past, piecing together fragments of prehistory. Woven throughout these narratives is a clear educational thread: the show introduces young viewers to new species, builds dinosaur vocabulary, and conveys scientific information in an accessible way. The format positions the series squarely as both entertainment and a learning tool, making paleontological concepts approachable for preschool and early elementary audiences while maintaining a sense of wonder and discovery.

Trek's Adventures: Passing the Torch

In 2013, the franchise evolved with a follow-up season titled Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures, shifting the narrative spotlight to Dan's younger brother, Trek. Now ten years old, Trek has inherited the same extraordinary ability to see dinosaurs and dedicates his time to learning about them in the spirit his brother once did. The season broadens the educational palette by introducing fifteen new dinosaurs, with the roster stretching from Albertosaurus to Microraptor. A key story detail explains Dan's reduced screen time: he no longer has the bandwidth to run his own experiments because he must assist his father, so he tasks Trek with carrying them forward. Despite Trek taking the lead, Jason Spevack continued to make periodic appearances as Dan across the run. Much of the original ensemble stayed intact—Allana Harkin as Mom, Jayne Eastwood as the grandmother, Sarah Carver, Seán Cullen, and Pat Thornton all returned—while new faces like Jordyn Negri, Katherine Forrester, Colin Petierre, Connor Price, Dale Yim, and Naomi Snieckus joined the cast.

Awards, Honors & Industry Recognition

Throughout its run, Dino Dan earned a steady stream of nominations and wins across major Canadian and American award ceremonies. In its debut year of 2010, the series was put forward for a Gemini Award in the Best Preschool-to-4th Grade Program or Series category. That same year proved especially fruitful: the show claimed the Shaw Rocket Prize as the best independently produced Canadian children's, youth, or family program, and the young cast collectively swept the Young Artist Award for Most Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series. In 2014, the writing team received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series. The most high-profile honor came in 2015, when Dino Dan won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series—a significant international validation for a Canadian production. The following year, in 2016, the series earned yet another Daytime Emmy nomination in the same category, signaling sustained creative quality and audience resonance well beyond its domestic market.

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