When original Pretender adventures disappeared from the airwaves in 2001, fans were still left with a lot of questions. Fortunately, the show’s creators haven’t forgotten about them and are working on a way to bring the series back, albeit in a different form.
The Pretender debuted on September 19, 1996 and aired for four seasons on NBC. In the series, Michael T. Weiss plays the lead character, a beyond-genius “Pretender” named Jarod. As a young boy, Jarod was abducted from his parents and trained by The Centre to be able to flawlessly integrate himself into any profession or lifestyle. As an adult, Jarod discovers that the organization is using him for no good and he escapes. Jarod travels the country trying to help those in need while managing to stay a step ahead of his captors. When the series ended on May 13, 2000 after four seasons, it looked like Jarod, Miss Parker (Andrea Parker), and Ethan (guest Tyler Christopher) didn’t survive a huge train explosion.
Fortunately, the cliffhanger was later resolved. The Pretender was picked up for syndication and ran successfully on cable station TNT. That success paved the way for two television movies that aired in January and December 2001. When the second movie ended, there were still many questions left unanswered. Fans petitioned for more TV movies but they didn’t happen.
Pretender creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle have long said that the show was a labor of love and that they’re interested in continuing the Pretender story. A few months ago, the creators suggested that the show might be continued online.
In a recent interview with Sci Fi Wire, Mitchell and Van Sickle shared a few more details. “We created the show The Pretender, and we’re working on bringing that back in a whole new form, in a digital form and in a digital platform,” Mitchell shared. This would allow viewers to be able to tap into more information and be able to follow the progress of the new stories.
A new format doesn’t mean however that they’re forsaking the series’ star or the existing Pretender storylines. Van Sickle notes, “We had breakfast with Michael… he just finished up a play out here in New York. I guess kind of the best thing we can say is that we have a timetable of within, hopefully, the next five or six months that we can have something really unique and different out there.” Stay tuned! 
I am from the UK and had not heard about the ‘The Pretender’ TV series until recently when SKY channels were showing the reruns of the whole series. The Pretender has got me hook, line and sinker. Its so addictive, and a brilliant show. The creators of the show will do a terrible injustice to us devoted fans if they do not do a Finale series or tele film to answer the whole puzzle and mystery of Jarod. It would be fanatstic to get the original cast together. I am so astonished NBC stopped the series, what a bad mistake… Read more »
I really hope that they will at least give us an ending. My mom and I have been watching since 1998 and have all the seasons on DVD. The one thing we have said from the start is “give us an ending.” I watch a lot of T.V., but I never cared about having somekind of ending to any show.
I really hope they come up with a good ending. I also hope they are able to keep the main characters on board if they do this.
Still waiting on the pretender we have all the dvds and watch them at least 2 to 3 times a year .We google pretender to keep up with any new updates.We just want to know how it ends and see Jarod reunited with his family. The show was awesome and we watched it regularly. We watched it so much we even named our youngest Jarod he now watches the show with us since he is now seven years old and he loves It! Please do not leave the fans hanging that is just rude!
I would like to know what the titles of the last two tv movies are, and where I can pruchase them.
Waiting for the final movie, with the answers 🙂 … and with the original cast!!!
Thanks a lot for “The Pretender”!
I am going to write the SLEUTH channel which also show Profiler that used to come on write after the pretender on NBC. Maybe if everyone writes them – hey might bring the first season of the show back on – worth a try. Also going to write TNT.
East Coast:
Sleuth/NBC Universal Cable
900 Sylvan Avenue
1 CNBC Plaza
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
West Coast:
Sleuth/NBC Universal Cable
3000 W. Alameda Ave
Burbank, CA 91523
INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.sleuthchannel.com
PRESS WEB SITE: media village
AFFILIATE WEB SITE: http://www.nbcunicable.com
you can buy the two movies at best buy or its website. they come on one dvd dual layered. and the season episodes there also. any body have idea what kind of revival its going to be of the show?
If series won’t continue after all. It would be nice to still have ending of the story with all answers. At least in text format in some web page.If- there will be no more series than there is no reason to keep scenario top secret.
I just always like to find all pieces of puzzle.
I would like to know where I can purchase the last two movies Thanks
As long as we get Miss Parker, and Sidney, and perhaps Broots, but Broots can retire after the first online show, that would be okay. But I have a feeling that Sidney may not return because, Patrick Bauchau has had a lot of work lately. But he might.
I have only recently been able to purchase the seasons on dvd and find out about the final season ending the way it did and was completely floored. I have since purchased the 2 movies for tv also and while it answered many questions it brought many more up. I would absolutely love to see this series return and answers be given. It is a world unto itself and it is always exciting to be able to visit and watch the puzzle unfold. Please Please Please continue the series and return Jarod, Miss Parker, Broots, and Sydney to our world… Read more »
fantastic News! HOPE IT HAPPENS!!!!! I would love to see this serie back. So would all my friends.
I would love to see this series on again. It was a realy engageing and interesting series that i follwd all the way.
that is wonderful, however, my only concern at this point is that they retain the original cast. The series wouldn’t be the same with out andrea Parker as Miss Parker or the other cast. It will be the Pretender with Jarod (MTW) as such, but it cannot be the show that it was without the rest.