Focus on the adorable dinosaur baby.
We know that dinosaurs don't wear flannel shirts and work day jobs, but there are other things to be learned from the dino-sitcom Dinosaurs. After all, what's the most memorable part of the show? The cute, pink baby dinosaur, who acted out and repeatedly shouted his catchphrase, "Not the Mama!" If Spielberg wants this show to have any sort of enduring legacy, it needs a diaper-wearing, baby-talking lizard, stat.

Shoot it documentary-style.
Between The Office, Parks & Recreation and Modern Family, the pseudo-documentary style is all the rage on television nowadays. The U.K. series Prehistoric Park successfully applied the style to their tale of a modern-day dinosaur conservation park, and we think it would add a real cinema verite look to Terra Nova if the time-travel expedition was being taped by cameramen for posterity. Hopefully, we'd get talking-head segments from the dinosaurs, as well as the humans.

Give the dinosaurs cute nicknames.
The perpetually lost characters on the original Land of the Lost TV series had to contend with a lot of threats in their new home, not the least of which was a ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex. But with the addition of a clever nickname, "Grumpy," the tyrant lizard was turned from a one-note threat to a valued supporting cast member, and was pretty much the star of the recent movie remake because of that. (Another dino, this one a tame brontosaurus, was given the name "Dopey," but that just seems judgmental and cruel, comparatively.)

Make the dinosaurs work for you.
The Flintstones was on TV for a mammoth six seasons, but its popularity wasn't due to Fred's Ralph Kramden impersonation --- it was due to the clever ways the show used various prehistoric animals to mow the lawn, blend food and operate elevators. Hopefully, the characters in Terra Nova will be able to similarly harness the power of dinosaurs for their own purposes, because nothing's funnier than a giant bird who's also a record player. We'd also like to see the family sit down to a dinner of giant spare ribs.

Add giant robots.
Family drama and time-travel action are well and good, but what would really make Terra Nova more exciting is to have the dinosaurs combine to form giant robots, a la Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. This should help the show bring in a sizable youth audience, as well as making it easier for the characters to track down the fabled Dino Gems and save the earth from the evil dino-dictator Mesogog. Think about it, Spielberg. Mesogog is a real hot-button issue right now.

Let us know your favorite dinosaur TV show below, then see the sci-fi shows that were cancelled too soon!