All aboard! Utah professor's PBS series on dinosaurs debuts Monday

PASADENA, Calif. — Paleontologist Scott Sampson is about to add one more item to his resume.

Monday, the research curator at the Utah Museum of Natural History and adjunct professor in the department of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah becomes a television star for the preschool set.

He's the human in the midst of a slew of impossibly appealing CGI characters on the new PBS series "Dinoaur Train."

"It's a funny thing," Sampson told the Deseret News. "I have a job that's the envy of most 6-year-olds. And there aren't many people who can say that."

Produced by The Jim Henson Co., "Dinosaur Train" combines two things kids are fascinated by — dinosaurs and trains — to create a show that's both entertaining and educational. And what kid doesn't love dinosaurs?

"Most kids, of course, grow up and grow out of it. I just never did," Sampson said. "I think all kids at some level are fascinated by dinosaurs. So it's nice to grab them and use the dinosaurs to get them to learn about all kinds of other things."

"Dinosaur Train" follows the adventures of Buddy, a preschool-age Tyrannosaurus Rex who is adopted by a family of Pteranodons. Together, they travel (by train, of course), through jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans, learning concepts of natural science, natural history and paleontology. Each half-hour episode consists of two 11-minute animation segments, followed by short live-action segments with Sampson.

"This isn't a show about dinosaur paleontology. Dinosaurs and paleontology are in there, but dinosaurs really are a terrific vehicle to teach kids about nature," he said. "Because paleontology sits on the cusp of the earth sciences and the life sciences, you can use it as an entry point to talk about almost anything in the natural sciences. ... We are using this show as a vehicle to talk about all natural sciences, and we try and tie in the dinosaur stories with the modern world."

For example, the live-action segments compare animals today with dinosaurs millions of year ago.

"One of our major goals is to get kids outside and experiencing nature firsthand," Sampson said. "For example, birds are dinosaurs in a very real sense, and so we want kids getting outside, looking for backyard dinosaurs, doing exploring, learning how to be scientists on their own."

And, while he never imagined a career in kids TV, it's come easier than you might expect.

"I have to say, it's a natural for me. I've been teaching kids most of my adult life," Sampson said. "I spent many years working in a planetarium in Vancouver teaching kids about the night sky. I've lectured to kids on dinosaurs for years and years. And I've done some other TV work."