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.
Terra Nova is in my top shows I watch, #1 the night it comes on. Looked forward to it every week. Please do not cancel it !
I don’t understand todays world, if your going to cancel a show cancel Jersey Shore or one of the many pointless reality shows.
I love love the show and will be disappointed if it does not return. It was so different then anything else on tv and much more entertaining. Many of my friends didn’t know of it until me and I made them watch all my recorded episodes and they can’t wait for the second season.
really, it’s a clean show that young kids can learn from …. and Watch!!!! a family show.
I understand the game about rating…. however, you guys really dont give shows a chance for ppl. to latch on too you put shows on the same time to make ppl figth to watch your programs, then when the season is over there’s nothing to watch, holiday, summer, really
FOX honchos, what are you waiting for? Where is Terra Nova? The longer it takes for you to decide, the lesser the interest for the show will be and watchers will forget there was a different kind of TV show other than the sucky reality ones.
If you cancel this show and keep on airing shows with lower ratings your tv channel will not do as good as it should, season 1 was brill and with a very good storyline was really looking forward to season 2!. try taking off air some of the rubbish you actually keep airing with low ratings.
Well not suprisingly the people with no vision have spoken. With all of the “reality” garbage out there “they” saw fit to get rid of something that was differant. But the media and “political correctness” are a match made in hell.
PLEASE DONT CANCEL!!!!! all my favorite show’s get cancled…. Jerico, Heroes, Star Gate SGU, friday night lights, ect….. DONT TAKE THIS FROM ME PLEASE!!!!!
DO NOT CANCEL TERRA NOVA!!! BUT FOX’S LOSS WILL BE ANOTHER CHANNELS GAIN! OUR FAMILY LOVES THE SHOW!!!! SPEILBERG CREATED A MOVIE OF THR WEEK WITH THIS SHOW AND ANOTHER HOPEFULLY BASIC CABLE CHANNEL WILL HAVE THE GUTS/BRAINS TO STICK WITH IT.
I am going to boycott television if 1 more show that I enjoy is cancelled. Terra Nova is based on a great premise and I encourage everyone to watch. My family loves it. BRING BACK TERRA NOVA!!!!!!
I think that terra nova sould be on again cause my daughter LOVE it and I do too.=]
Absolutely I was hooked from the first episode and was a main item to watch each week. I am appalled that this show has not been going full bore in production for season two already. Come on FOX wake up and smell the fans.
Absolutely it should be renewed. It follows a logical premise of what would really happen should mankind get this opportunity !!!
Its an average show, average cast and average special effects. But Fox needs something to fill the hour long hole left with the cancellation of House. It would be more believeable if the format were grittier and everyone didnt look like they just came out of the beauty shop. The people vs people conflicts are much more interesting than people vs prehistoric beasts.
Can Fox pull a rabbit out of a hat with a cutting edge new show? The network that gave us 24 and House needs something fresh.
Why get me hooked on a show and then cancel it?