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!
Bring Pretender back….the movies only left the fans with more questions that were unanswered! I need to know the answers…what happened with Zoe? Does Miss Parker ever truly understand that it was her “daddy” behind all of the deaths? It was cut to early…it deserves to have one more season, or a 3 hour movie!
I absolutely loved The Pretender and was heartbroken when the second movie left us hanging yet again. Naturally, I was really excited to learn that there is even talk of creating something to tie up the series. I will be so happy if/when it finally happens!
PLEASE BRING PRETENDER BACK, I HAVE THE ENTIRE SERIES AND THE TWO MOVIES FOLLOWING IT. I AM STILL CONFUSED ON SOME THINGS, I WOULD LIKE FOR JAROD TO FINALLY BE REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY AND ZOE AND THEY ALL RAISE LIL JAROD AND BE HAPPY. I HOPE THE SCROLLS ARE LOST AND MR PARKER CANT REMEMBER WHO OR WHAT HE IS
well the guy who plays Mr Parker died in real life in 2009.. so guessing they would write that character out of any new series or movie.. or just replace him with a different actor.. ha it would be fun to find out though!
I agree! im 22 and can’t remeber the original running of the series but recently began watching a few months back. i really didn’t think i would get hooked on a tv show from the 90’s so much considering how times have changed.. However this show is right up there with some of my favourites of this day and age: The Mentalist, Supernatural, Psych, Dexter… etc. i truly believe that a show would still be a hit today, i would really love for a new series or even a feature length movie conculsion to be released. although i did love… Read more »
BRING IT BACK!! Make a movie!!! I don’t care anything to resolve it. It’s just plain mean to leave the devoted fans hanging!!!
In my opinion, this was the BEST show ever! I would love to see them continue it, not just end it. I loved this show and hate that it is not still on. They could have kept a show like this going for many more years!!
I like the stories about jarod. in 1997 I saw the first season in colombia but the transmition was ending. currently I am seeing the others season what I found in the web. I hope that the serie takes a new chance to return.
Please, Please, Please rescue network television series dramas with an insiteful, imaginative, sophisticated and pls take the viewer seriously content. Now that monk is gone, the pipeline is stuffed with midly amusing comedies and over acted CSI please rescue us poor inquisitively intelligent veiwers I BEG you!!!!
jovan
Hey,
pls conclude Pretender … i loved the series and the movies…but there a still so much question which need to be answered…
greetings from Germany 🙂
Please please please, you MUST make another Pretender series. To keep the fans hanging like this is just not right.
I am also a huge fan of Jarod and want to see a good conclusion to this whole story. I will be looking for this kind of good news to come soon.
I pray the creators of the show finish this show in some way. I dont care if its a book or comic book. I just want to know how this ends. Like most I’ve been a fan ever since the show aired on NBC and have watched re-runs and eventually bought the DVD. Seriousely though the creators need to finish this. And if they never do then I will be one dissapointed fan and curse them for at least not giving us fans SOME type of conclusion!
Hi, I watched all lot of them series and was not expecting it to end up just abruptly as it did, but maybe that is a trick to give the producers chance to come back to something (success tested) if in case their other endeavours refuse to work. I almost fell in love with Miss Parker’s character because she is the most emotional among them all – the more she plays “hardguy” the more she exposes her incapability of killing Jarod because while others wanted to get Jarod back to the Center to continue their dirty job on him, Miss… Read more »
Admit that I find the show fascinating. I’ve purchased the first two seasons and relive the times I had with my college roomie watching the reruns in the dorm.
Hope they come up with a medium that can continue/complete the story.
I just hope they bring this show back again to us SOON.
Fans have been waiting for so long , we need more news about it !
This is the 3rd time I watch the whole series 1-4 and the movies. My 10 year old daughter just keeps on watching them. I enjoyed the series so much that I bought every season and the movies. It is so sad that there has not been a 3rd movie made, no matter what happens it would put closure. I truly beleive that Jarod & Ms. Parker are to be together and run the Centre for the good , to finish both their mothers work.
Hello Francine!
how are you doing!
I am agree with you about the pretenter in particular Jarod. Mickael Terry Weiss.
I miss the wholes shows!!!
It is very nice for your thought!!!
I enjoyed to!
see you later…
I am also one of the Pretender’s biggest fans. I watched the show on tv and bought the entire series on dvd’s. I just got the movies and would like it very much for the producers that Jarod and Miss Parker would end up together. They just fit together.
And please… provide us with all the answers … it was realy one of the best shows I have ever watched.
Dixie
South Africa