Theme-park fans can take an intriguing peek behind the curtain with the new three-part Peacock series “Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks.”

The programs tell the somewhat parallel stories of the making of Epic Universe, which debuted in Orlando in late May, along with the overall history of Universal parks, going way, way back to the days of the under-recognized Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Pictures and its subsequent studios tour.

On the Epic side of the series, there’s a smidge of false peril concerning whether the theme park will open in time because, well, we know how that turns out. But the shows effectively demonstrate that there were millions of things to fret about, ranging from trimming werewolf hair to scuffed-up trash cans to “Can we get this going in time?”

There are revelations and rare looks across the episodes. I won’t say trade secrets are shared, but surprises unfold, the kind that make me ponder, “Would I say that aloud as cameras were running?” So, here are 10 surprisingly frank moments along the “Epic Ride.”

Lights on

Showcased in broad daylight: Dark Universe, including its Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment attraction and its array of animatronics. Viewers can spy mid-pose or malfunctioning figures, which can appear very dead in the eyes when not moving. (There are also shots of the animatronics in a warehouse going through their motions.)

Team members are seen in the Unchained rafters, and there are discussions about timing, lighting, impact and first impressions. There is not, within earshot, any chat about Barefoot Dracula.

Viewers get good looks at Dracula and other animatronics from Epic’s Monsters Unchained ride during the Peacock series. (Courtesy Universal Orlando)

Up in the air

Drama happens with planned drone-powered dragons set to fly above the park. There are problems with it being louder than anticipated, its shape (sporting a 10-foot wingspan), the weight of battery packs and windy conditions. It builds to a scene where it’s determined if it will fly by opening day.

That’s when I wished the series were in the style of “The Office” and with face-to-camera reactions.

I settled for “it is probably a little more difficult than we anticipated” from Katy Pacitti, executive producer of the How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk area, during the testing. And on typical, late-push problems: “Right now, everything is glitchy.”

Under and around

Another mechanical sight is the below-the-surface glimpse of Constellation Carousel, an attraction in Epic’s Celestial Park. Granted, this merry-go-round is more complicated than typical carousels, with multiple circles rotating in both directions and creature-based vehicles moving higher than anticipated.

But it’s Florida. We don’t think about basements.

Inside the beast

Repeatedly in the spotlight is “Le Cirque Arcanus,” a stage show inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.

Where it gets unusual is with a couple of fantastical beasts involved. We see team members trained on how to walk inside the puppets, which are massive and awkward. We don’t see inside the structure, which might be a step too far. It’s not as jarring as, perhaps, a headless Mickey Mouse, but some people might say this can ruin the magic.

The Stardust situation

The series’ release was postponed a couple of times, mostly recently, soon after the death aboard Epic’s Stardust Racers roller coaster in September. An official reason wasn’t given for the Peacock series delay, but you had to wonder how the attraction would be handled.

Early on in the series, viewers see the ride — it’s very telegenic — but it’s not addressed in the voiceovers. When that changes, the theme is safety.

“Safety is always No. 1 in our minds — safety of our workers, safety of ourselves, safety of our guests,” says Steve Tatham, executive creative director with Universal Creative. “None of this happens if it’s not done safely. So we have people whose job it is to monitor the safety, so we can address any safety concerns.”

There are scenes of testing the vehicles, monitoring the morning dew and “tech rides” with only a team member onboard.

Mark Woodbury, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences, interacts with guests before Epic Universe grand opening ceremonies in May. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Face time

The episodes feature loads of Universal Orlando employees, past and present, as well as outsiders. (Watch out for the circa 1990 version of Mark Woodbury, who is now the president and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences.).

It’s not just executives. There are creative types, engineers, mechanics and all manner of designers, many of whom have not been camera-facing for the company much, not to mention dozens of rank-and-file folks in scenes. It’s a good blend.

Their words serve as the narrator of “Epic Ride.” A few stars — Michelle Yeoh, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vin Diesel — are in the mix, but sparingly seen. (Random fact: Diesel was inspired as a child by the book “The Story of Ferdinand.”)

Pressure points

Some of those team members have, well, fear in their eyes. Not all, not always, but, yikes, there’s so much pressure they say the word “pressure” a lot.

Granted, this is the chosen throughline of the three episodes, so it may be edited to emphasize that making the opening date deadline is front of mind. After all, this company makes films, you know? I do not want to believe that any of that was movie-making magic. I was buying it. (It all turns out OK. Repeat, repeat.)

Flashback to 1990

To Universal’s credit, past foibles are given airtime. Chief among them was the jam-packed opening day of Universal Studios Florida theme park, June 7, 1990.

A looking-back quote: “It was an amazing accomplishment just to get where we were, but we weren’t ready,” Jon Corfino, vice president of Universal Creative, says. Plus news footage of unhappy visitors chanting “Refund! Refund!” and reports of rides just not working on Day 1, and this on-air commentary: “Grand opening is a flop.”

So if we wonder where the pressure mentioned in the previous item comes from … well, there’s history.

“It felt like the world’s eyes were on us,” says Tom Williams, who retired as Universal Parks CEO in 2022.

The D list

I was surprised by how often the D word was used. Disney. It was uttered with respect, mostly, but in a competitive way, especially regarding the Michael Eisner era. It made me feel like Disney was/is under Universal’s skin, and I don’t typically feel that way.

Oh, but the observations of Jay Stein, a longtime executive who led Universal’s charge into Orlando, are good TV. His words may weigh heavier now: Stein died last week at age 88.

Director Steven Spielberg, who is a creative consultant for Universal’s theme parks, appears in multiple scenes of “Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks.” (Courtesy Peacock)

The jam of Jaws

Another featured celeb is Steve Spielberg, a creative consultant on Universal theme parks, and there were scenes of him on the construction site.

Most interesting to me was his explanation of the popularity of the Jaws ride.

“When they built the Jaws ride, I learned a big lesson. And that is if an audience really wants to participate in something and get really emotionally involved, they are going to suspend their disbelief,” Spielberg says in the second episode.

“When that shark comes out of the water and scares people … that’s really fake. It’s really fakey, but it works because people come on that ride expecting to be scared, and they’re going to look past the flaws of a big, steel polyethylene monster, somewhat resembling a great white shark, that suddenly comes out of nowhere and surprises all of them. They allowed us to get away with it because they wanted a bang for their buck. And they got it with Jaws.”

He was referring to the “Jaws” segment added to the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot tour in 1976. But it also applies to the Orlando-based Jaws ride, which closed in 2012, making room for Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

“Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks” debuts on the Peacock streaming service Nov. 17. Universal Orlando and Peacock streaming service are both part of the Comcast corporate family.

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