On March 6th, 20th Century Fox hit us with the news that they would not be pursuing a second season of Terra Nova, Steven Spielberg’s pre-historic drama.
With only an estimated 7.5 million US viewers, it hasn’t been the most successful show on TV; but it had dinosaurs! A pretty good storyline, too.
Set in a dystopian 2149 in a world destroyed by overpopulation and lack of clean air; scientists manage to find a rift in time and space that leads to the Cretaceous period, 85 million years in the past. In an attempt to start anew, Commander Nathanial Taylor builds a colony, Terra Nova, and encourages regular “Pilgrimages” from the present to the past. The only catch being that you have to be offered a place to reside in Terra Nova, and the people asked are those that are of most use to the colony.
Within the 13 episodes we follow the Shannon family and their adjustment within Terra Nova, coming across villains both human and reptilian. The show builds on the stereotype that you can’t build a new utopian society in the past without suffering the consequences. The drama starring Jason O’Mara, Stephen Lang and Shelley Conn had recently just had its dramatic season finale on Sky 1 with us being left on the edge of our seats, eagerly anticipating what would unfold in Season Two.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
Fox TV has stated that they would be open to selling it to other networks but even that seems like wishful thinking. Realistically, Terra Nova had a hefty budget for being a weekly show – a weekly show that didn’t even manage to attract many viewers. So, although I will be one of the few crossing my fingers and toes for it to carry on, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did become officially extinct.
What??? Cancelling Terra Nova before viewers get a chance to see Season 2 is utterly ridiculous! It’s a great show, with strong actors, and this is precisely why I don’t like to get involved with new shows! Hopefully some network will pick it up so that us folks out here that enjoy great TV can continue watching!
I really enjoyed this show. I don’t know how many shows I have seen that were weaker than this series, that I was amazed ever made it to season 2 or 3, yet the studios are not willing to give it another season to develop characters and the story even more. How sad. It shows that studios are not interested in developing good program, but rather the quick fix and even more, the quick buck. Fox or some one else needs to pick it up, massage it and allow it to develop even more.
What are they mad this was brilliant show they are nuts