Tonight, FOX is airing the season finale of Terra Nova, the network’s latest foray into science fiction. Does the TV series have a chance at returning for a second season or will it be cancelled instead?
On Terra Nova, our planet has been over-developed and is 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 Shannon family is chosen to participate but they find their new home is far from paradise. The cast includes Jason O’Mara, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Allison Miller, Naomi Scott, Alana Mansour, Stephen Lang, and Christine Adams.
The TV show debuted on September 26th with a pair of installments. They 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 and held viewers through the two hours, a good indication that they’d be back the following week. And, they did return. The third episode drew about the same as the first two episodes.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last. Week three fell by 19% in the demo. Over the course of the season, the numbers have fluctuated quite a bit week to week, hitting a low of a 2.1 in the demo three times. Terra Nova currently averages a 2.5 in the all-important demo and 7.6 million viewers. It’s the seventh most-watched scripted series on the network, out of 14, and currently has a “C” on our season ratings report card. That’s not bad but certainly not a shoe-in for renewal either. It doesn’t help that the show is very expensive to produce.
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In September, FOX head Kevin Reilly said that, because of the additional production time needed, a decision would have to be made, “Before the first of the year, at the latest. We couldn’t wait until the spring and see how everything else plays out; otherwise, we would never be able to deliver the following year.”
That decision has now been delayed until sometime in 2012. O’Mara recently tweeted, “Decision to pick up #TerraNova for S2 deferred to New Year by @FOXBroadcasting. Everyone involved remains confident and optimistic.”
While this delay doesn’t mean that the show is history, the network isn’t in any hurry to give it a renewal. The network is most likely waiting to see how well new shows Alcatraz and Touch perform before making a commitment to a second season of Terra Nova. If it does gets renewed, depending on how long they wait to make a decision, the episodes may not be ready until mid-season. Given the budget and the ratings, it seems unlikely to get more than a 13 episode order, if it returns at all.
What do you think? Do you hope that Terra Nova gets renewed for a sophomore season or should it be cancelled to make way for something else?
Image courtesy FOX.
DON’T cancel Terra Nova! WE LOVE IT!! Every episode, we’re not wanting it to end!
My brother got me into watching this show. I think it’s pretty cool because it’s so different from everything else that is on tv. I would definitely watch another season of it. I hate when they cancel shows. Please keep it on!
A great show that deserves another season
I love the show! Well done all around.
we want it…..we love it……its great…please dont stop it!!!!
I LOVE the series Terra Nova. I would be most disappointed if they didn’t continue, at least to a conclusion…there are still mysteries to be resolved and character development. What about the ship part found? That seems to indicate people were here from an earlier time. What happened to them? I LOVE the characters, too. Wonderful series.
I don’t like it, I’d rather watch reruns of two and a half men, thats pretty awful.
I have been waiting on pins and needles for this show to return after Christmas and now they might cancel it?????? THEY CAN’T!!!!!!!!!!! Love this show.
We love it…
I love the show and would love to see and think it deserves a second season, if it is cancelled it will only once again show how near-sighted the FOX network is….remember how they cancelled the #1 animated show in america? twice…. I just hope they smarten up and try giving something different a chance to actually work. As for waiting to see how these other series play out before renewing Terra Nova, I personally think people would want to see an original series other than “oh look we brought 24 back, except now instead of being a counter-terrorism agent,… Read more »
Please bring Terra Nova back! Want to see if there are other time portals.
Keep it going! I absolutely love it! At least one more season PLEASE!!!!
shows great.great cast.great acting. simply put everything about the shows great! Thumbs up for a season 2 😀
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Terra Nova is one of the best scifi shows on TV. That and Primeval have the most creative special effects and are a joy to watch. Give it a second season chance, it deserves it….
Luv the show, one of my favourites. DON’T CANCEL IT
I have to agree by far since Stargate finished, this has been my Fave Show and they just left the series hanging, itf there going to wrap it up, at least make another season to try and end the story. Its like opening up a book, reading the first 50 pages to become introduced to the Characters and the story and our villains only to turn the page and the rest of the book empty. This Tv Series has amazing potential, it portrays real world Future consequences with a twist of a Science fiction Solution. It literally has the Potentioal… Read more »