The Terra Nova TV show has been officially cancelled by the FOX network. However, though you won’t see dinosaurs back on the FOX schedule next season, there’s still hope for a second season.
For those who came in late, Terra Nova’s produced by Steven Spielberg and revolves around a time when our planet has become over-developed and overcrowded. Mankind’s only chance for survival is to make use of a newly discovered fracture in time and try to colonize pre-historic Earth. The cast includes Jason O’Mara, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Allison Miller, Naomi Scott, Alana Mansour, Stephen Lang, Rod Hallett, and Christine Adams.
Terra Nova premiered last September with a pair of installments which attracted an average of a 3.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 9.22 million total viewers. It was third in its timeslots but held viewers through the two hours. The third episode drew about the same as the first two episodes. Episode four fell by 19% in the demo and later episodes hit a low of a 2.1 rating in the demo three times.
The season averaged a 2.5 rating in the demo and 7.52 million viewers. Those aren’t bad numbers but also aren’t good enough to ensure a pick up — especially considering that Terra Nova is expensive to produce. FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly once noted that the network was committed to purchasing 22 installments if the show was renewed.
FOX initially had a December 31st deadline to make a decision on renewing Terra Nova but bought themselves some extra time by picking up the options on many of the actors’ contracts.
Reilly had concerns about the creative direction of the show so Terra Nova producers and 20th Century Fox Television began approaching showrunners and senior writers about possibly joining the series for next season. Reilly was reportedly pitched several potential scenarios and writers but he didn’t take to any of them. A last ditch meeting on Friday supposedly went well but Reilly ultimately decided late yesterday to cancel the show.
The decision comes as somewhat of a surprise since the network and studio both made money on the show and has Spielberg’s name attached. Word is that studio 20th Century TV will now shop the series to other potential outlets. The mediocre ratings and hefty price tag — reportedly about $4 million per episode — won’t make it an easy sell. The talent options supposedly expire at the end of June, keeping those castmembers from being in contention for potential new series.
What do you think? Are you disappointed that FOX has cancelled Terra Nova? Are you surprised?
Image courtesy FOX.
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very disappointed. I loved this show
It was the only show I watched on FOX
Really upset to see Terra Nova canceled. My husband and I both enjoyed watching it. Tired of all the reality crap shows that dominate TV now!
Please bring it back! It’s a great family show instead of all of the “reality” junk! Life has plenty of reality without viewing someone’s idea of it.
Terra Nova captures the imagination and attention that it deserves.
My husband and I loved Terra Nova and thought it was innovative and exciting. We really looked forward to finding out what happened..please bring it back!
I thought the show was very creative. The cast did an awesome job. Please atleast do one more season. My whole family watched it.
I am VERY disappointed that Terra Nova has been cancelled! Finally had a show that both my husband and I loved to watch together, and FOX cancels it!! Lose some of those boring reality shows and bring back the really great ones like Terra Nova!!!!!!!!!!!!
Extremely disappointed that the show has been cancelled. Our entire family watched it weekly. FOX had a winner here and it appears they fail to see the extreme appeal of this show. I certainly hope that another network snaps this up.
why are the good shows cancelled!? Terra Nova was brilliant, thrilling and left you wanting more! i have watched Terra Nova all the way through many times, and still can’t see the reasoning behind cancelling it!? i get that networks like Fox run or ratings, but as it states in the article you come from to get here the ratings that Terra Nova had were good, 7.2 million i think, even if they aren’t good, you still can’t decide that there is no future in the series, a second season could just be what the viewing audience need to get back in or to get into Terra Nova or for other people to find out about it, you can’t just cancel a show at the first hurdle.
Why do all good shows get cancelled, and other dumb shows keep on going?
who cares if it costs much to produce if you make money with it?
I barely watch T.V and I rarely get hooked to something, it are shows like this that need to be on TV.
It’s a big mistake of FOX to cancel it. I think it will give bad alot of bad publicity from fans of the show, of which I’m sure are quite a lot.
I’m sorry to see TN leave. Hard to get good sci-fi anymore. I’ve seen the networks hang with much lower rated shows until they found their audience and time slot. And who cares if the cost was 4 Mil. per show, as long as they were making money on it? But, they’ve done it before. Remember Star Trek? My only criticism was that the writing was too light and safe. Imagine TN with the writers of “Hell On Wheels” or “Breaking Bad”…if only!!!
I am very upset.. was my favorite show on TV. Me and my whole family were looking forward to season 2. I am getting tired of all these repeat reality shows… It was about time something awesome came on… and now CANCELLED? makes no sense.
Get the reality tv shows off! I am so sick of trying to find something interesting on tv and all I can find is things like project runway, hells kitchen, big brother, the bachelor or bachlorette (who cares what these idiots do!), dancing with the stars, (really?). They’ve had their run now lets get back to family tv or at least, interesting tv!
VERY DISAPPOINTED that the show was canceled. Thought it was an interesting concept and very well done.
Why do some of the best scify series seem to get cancelled? Lets all watch “pro” wrestling. Woudn’t want to see that fantasy go away. Mad about rubicon too! The worst is , you follow them, the show gets cancelled and leaves you hanging. There should be a law to at least finalize them
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