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.
The finale was the best yet. Loved the action and the story of mystery and hidden secrects that keep you wanting to know more. I hope the show comes back we need some sci-fi back on tv since the SYFY channel changed to the WWE channel.
I like the show and feel it has plenty of potential. Tonight’s season finale was very good and I hope Fox will let it play out to solve the mystery of the bad lands.
They have GOT TO RENEW Terra Nova! I look forward to it every week, it’s one of my top favorite shows and I’ll die if they don’t keep it running. Surely the network execs don’t want to be responsible for the deaths of viewers?!!!!!
I definitely hope it is renewed… I am sooo sick of the sexy crime scene crap on TV. This show is unique and interesting.
There are no family sifi shows since stargate atlantis so the genera is sorly needed. It also fills the hole of dino themedmovies/tv since there are no more jurassic park movies. Its alsoa very good educational show for the younger audiance. Fox needs to stick with it, cut the budget, less cg ect. They have spent 15 million $ for the piliot and set/props it would be such a shame and such a waste of money to can the show. Sifi viewers are more tech orientated and are more likley to purchase seasons on dvd/bluray then any other demographic, thus… Read more »
I hope it comes back. I love this show.
I love this show. It could be the next Lost. Keep it please Fox!
The finale was the best episode yet. Definitely want to see it return asap.
Terra Nova has great potential, and I’d like to see it renewed because the idea and characters are interesting. However, it needs more BAM. It needs to skyrocket or it will fail. Every episode ends in resolution– the people need cliff hangers! The season finale sparked the hope that a second season will be far more clever.
I don’t really think the thing we need right now is more cliffhangers… far, far too many shows have ended on a cliffhanger only never to be resolved. “V” and “The Nine Lives of Chloe King” spring to mind. I’m grateful for Terra Nova’s resolved episodes that yet still manage to leave a few things open-ended so that we’re interested for next week.
not renewing terra nova is equivalent to not renewing star trek whick I also supported
I love the show! Why do they always cancel good shows to make way for “reality” shows? I hate reality shows! Jason O’Mara was in another show that I really liked and they cancelled.. Life on Mars. I like this and I liked Life on Mars because they weren’t typical tv shows. Of course I also liked Life on Mars because it took place in the 70s when I was teenager so I could relate.
I love this show!!! I hope they give it another run. I have had all I can take of reality TV!
A wonderful family sci ti show with brilliant moments and stories set up for many years. The last two-hour finale was very good and everything as promised for the whole series. As good as any scripted TV yet. Stick with it FOX!!! You will have a blockbuster in another year. Be smart and patient. People WILL find it – so much better than Falling Skies!!!! I’m tired of watching new shows, sticking with it as it finds its way only to have jittery short-sight producers yank it too soon. This could be the next NCIS! It wasn’t perfect (too many… Read more »
As much as I like Terra Nova, Falling Skies is truly great, well-written, heart-rending, pulse-pounding TV. Other than that, I agree. Although I’d think it could be the next LOST, not the next NCIS.
Agree 100%!!
Someone needs to look at the writers. The actors are excellent – they just need good scripts. This is a good story if told right.
You’re right Jesse, no Gene Roddenberry blowing out pages here.
In opening episodes actors’ interactions were iffy, but they’ve adjusted over the season. Direction has improved but still needs a shot in the arm.
The series is on a roll but needs more adjustments – we’ll see if Fox is willing to tighten it up. I feel, if they do, they could produce a real winner.
You’re right about that. While watching, I too felt the actors continuously outperform the scripts.
It’s pure Disney, I’ll grant you. But, the special effects are spectacular, the action’s great and the scenery is beautiful. There’s also an ecological message, simplistic as it is. Despite the cliched corn, there’s enough human drama and mystery to keep it moving along. There are still a few loose ends to resolve, and it’s the kind of hopeful sci-fi we haven’t seen in far too long. If the network can swing it economically, I think the series deserves a second season.
I’m I missed my response to Mr. Olbert. It’s somewhere above :-p