| “ | There is something missing from our world. The amazing animals that time has left behind. But... what if we could bring them back? What if extinction didn't have to be forever? I am zoologist and adventurer Allen Johnson. I'm an expert in tackling dangerous animals, but my latest adventure is going to test my nerve. My boss Jonna and I assemble a team to join me in a mission to leave the safety of the 21st century behind and travel through a portal back in time on a prehistoric safari with a difference... to rescue the greatest creatures the Earth has ever known from extinction. Our plan is to bring them back to the safety of the present and give them a second chance. Before our first mission, we have one last person to recruit; a young but talented veterinarian named Rebecca Slatters. | „ |
| — Allen, opening narration | ||
Pilot: New Safari is the first episode in Series 1 of Prehistoric Earth: A Natural History and the first episode of the series all together.
Synopsis[]
When the pet of a hospital benefactor dies of unforeseen complications, well-renowned veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Slatters is fired, blacklisted, and gets dumped by her fiancé. Six months later, she meets Allen Johnson, a famed zoologist and conservationist who believes she has potential. He gives her an offer: a position at Prehistoric Earth, a privately-owned wildlife park dedicated to being a sanctuary for all animals, including those lost to prehistory.
Plot[]
One sunny late spring afternoon in the city of Los Angeles California, a well-renowned veterinarian Rebecca Slatters plays tennis with a few friends until she receives a call from the vet that a teenager's dog ate a key chain and heads to there to operate. When she arrives at her vet office, before she starts operating on the dog, Rebecca learns that a mare owned by a hospital benefactor was also at the vet and was about to give birth to a foal. However, the mare was also injured after being attacked by a cougar. Once she gets the horse stable, Rebecca sees that the dog she had treated before needing more attention.
Rebecca decided to operate on the dog so she can get the key chain out first then operate on the horse next. When she operates on the dog, the benefactor's mare and unborn colt dies from the injuries. The Board of the Vet reviewed Rebecca through a disciplinary hearing following the accident during her operating. After she tried to explain why her actions were as they were, the board fired her from her job. To make matters worse, the family who owned the horse had her blacklisted from every vet within Los Angeles.
Rebecca's fiancé Taylor Christopher broke up with her after he sided with the vet in blaming her for the horse's death and returns the engagement ring, leaving her in a distraught state. Weeks pass and Rebecca had not found a job that accept her until she received an email from Allen Johnson, a world-famous expert on animals and requested to meet with her. Rebecca replies with a time and place to meet him after getting the email. A few days later, Rebecca finally meets Allen and is taken by him. He offers Rebecca a job at a privately-owned wildlife sanctuary that he and others have established. Although honored, Rebecca was unsure, especially not entirely knowing the inner-workings of this preserve.
Allen understands, admitting to her that he is aware of her incident at vet and says he would have done the same thing, no matter the outcome. He then asks Rebecca to think about the offer as he gives her a card that is a location to an airfield, saying the plane will be leaving in one week. Following her meeting with Allen, Rebecca visits her sister Danielle to ask for advice on the offering Allen gave to her. Danielle tells her sister to take the job. The next day, Rebecca leaves for the airport bringing along her luggage and her cat Luna where she meets Allen and his boss Joanna Bakker, the wildlife park's CEO.
They board a double decker private plane and flies off to the reserve. During the flight on the plane, Rebecca speaks with Allen and Jo about the preserve, which they only said that she would find out when she arrived before asking why they hired her. The next morning, the plane lands in the wildlife park and Rebecca finally meets many of it's staff members, especially Allen's teenage daughter Crystal and their dog Caine, who sniff at her cat. She walks around the park and sees many different kinds of wild animals (mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, insects and arachnids, etc.). Rebecca was then shocked by the size and design of all the enclosures in the park. And it is here were Allen tells her of the park's true homage. He first shows her the time portal and explains that the park will also be home to many different kinds of prehistoric animals that have been extinct for hundreds and even millions of years. He finally reveals the park's name: Prehistoric Earth.
Characters[]
Animals[]
Time[]
- Holocene - Present
Dialogue[]
Allen and Rebecca meet[]
- Allen: "Hello, Dr. Slatters."
- Rebecca: "Dr... Johnson?"
- Allen: "Please. Call me Allen. Thanks for meeting with me."
- Rebecca: "I'm glad you reached out. But I'm wondering why?"
- Allen: "I'll get to that in a minute. First thing's first. How are you?"
- Rebecca: "I'm getting by. But... it's struggling."
- Allen: "I can only imagine. So, Rebecca... may I call you Rebecca? I'm putting together a team. For an... unusual safari. To bring attractions not to a park, you understand. But for a biological preserve. A sanctuary, if you will."
- Rebecca: "What kind of sanctuary?"
- Allen: "For endangered species. The perfect ecosystem; everything needed to maintain animals. Savanahs, forests, rivers, waterfalls, alpines, swamps. You name it, this location has it all. And yes, believe it or not, even icecaps."
- Rebecca: "And you want me to be a part of that."
- Allen: "Yes."
- Rebecca: "Why?"
- Allen: "Why not? You're the best veterinarian there is, from what I've heard. Don't tell me it's all lies."
- Rebecca: "No, no. It's not that. It's just... umm... my incident."
- Allen: "Ah, yes. I heard about that too. I'm sorry you were blacklisted. That wasn't right."
- Rebecca: "I let the pet of a wealthy benefactor die."
- Allen: "You did what you thought was right. You had the best intentions at heart and you made the best call you could in that situation. I can't judge you for that. And, if I'm being honest... if I were in your position... I would have done exactly what you did. Consequences be damned."
- Rebecca: "You're serious?"
- Allen: "As serious as I am about this meeting. Come work with me, Rebeca. I understand you being hesitant. I can't say I blame you. I would be too. If you decide you don't wish to take it, I'll respect that. But before you decide... just think of this as your second chance, a chance at redemption. And... you work with me... I can promise you adventures that will extend across... eras. Just think about. I leave in three days. There's a plane here. If you decide to take me up on my offer, there's the ride."
- Rebecca: "Allen... why me?"
- Allen: "Let's just say I see your potential, Rebecca. And I keep eyes out for promising and natural-born talent. Remember. Three days."