posty 2,296 Posted March 6, 2012 http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/fox-cancels-drama-terra-nova-series-being-shopped-to-other-networks/ UPDATED: There will be no second season of pre-historic drama Terra Nova on Fox. The network’s brass just made the decision after weeks of exploring potential Season 2 tweaks to the series set 85 million years in the past. Fox had to make the decision early so the show could make a fall return if renewed. Despite its pedigree — produced by Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin – Terra Nova did not become a runaway hit, but its decent ratings, coupled with strong international sales for sibling 20th Century Fox TV, which produces the series, were keeping renewal hopes alive. 20th TV now plans to shop Terra Nova, starring Jason O’Mara and Stephen Lang, to other networks. At TCA in January, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly was non-committal when asked about the future of the series. “If this is all we make (of Terra Nova), we made money on it, the studio made money on it, and it seems to have resonated with the family audience,” he said. “There is a show, which if we are to bring back, there’s an audience there. But creatively, the show was hunting (for its identity). If we had more holes in our network, we’d be thrilled to lock that right in.” It is interesting that from what I hear, it was Reilly who made the call to cancel Terra Nova, while it was his boss, Peter Rice, who championed and bought the project exactly two years ago. With House ending its run and Terra Nova gone, Fox has three more dramas on the bubble: two with slim chances of renewal — midseason entries Alcatraz and The Finder — and Fringe, which could clinch a 13-episode pickup if the budget can be pared down significantly. The new Kiefer Sutherland series Touch premieres later this month. With its elaborate sets (some 259 of them built in Australia) and post-production, it took 16 months for Terra Nova to get on the air after first announced at Fox’s 2010 upfront. It was the first series order for Chernin’s then-recently launched production company, which had several series commitments at Fox built into its deal. (Because of the long lead time for Terra Nova, it got on the air this past fall along with 2 other Chernin Entertainment series, breakout comedy hit New Girl and animated comedy Allen Gregory, which has been canceled). Terra Nova had its share of issues during production of its first 13-episode season. For starters, Craig Silverstein, who co-wrote the pilot script with British scribe Kelly Marcel, was not available because his CW pilot Nikita was picked up to series. Terra Nova recruited Brennan Braga as showrunner. Rene Echevarria was then brought in to run the show with him, the series went through 2 writing staffs and took longer to cast than originally planned, incurring a $660,000 charge for delaying the start of production. In the end, Terra Nova, whose budget was $14 million for the two-hour pilot and about $4 million for the subsequent episodes, not including Australian tax breaks, premiered last fall with one of Fox’s most hyped launches. It was a steady but modestly-rated performer and a big DVR gainer. The series two-hour season finale drew a 2.2/6 in adults 18-49 and 7.2 million viewers, in line with the show’s season average, which wasn’t big enough to seal a renewal but not too small to warrant an automatic cancellation. Then the waiting game began. 20th TV and the Terra Nova producers proactively began approaching potential showrunner and senior producer level writers about joining the series for next season in order to elevate the writing on the show. The network was pitched several potential new executive producers as well as Season 2 ideas. Reilly, who I hear was never a big fan of Terra Nova, didn’t spark to any of the plans. The studio’s last-ditch effort was on Friday, when another prospective showrunner was taken to the network to meet wit Reilly. Despite the meeting reportedly going well, Reilly today decided to pull the plug. While not unexpected, the cancellation of a series that hails from such big auspices and is a moneymaker for Fox’s sister studio, was a surprise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoytdwow 202 Posted March 6, 2012 cartoon dinosaurs + giant Quake guns = failure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone24 1,814 Posted March 6, 2012 Yeah that one had no chance. The River cant be doing well either can it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 6, 2012 The River cant be doing well either can it? Nope... Its viewership has been going down each episode... 7.59 million for the first two hours, then 4.96m, 4.78m and 4.04m last week... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone24 1,814 Posted March 6, 2012 Nope... Its viewership has been going down each episode... 7.59 million for the first two hours, then 4.96m, 4.78m and 4.04m last week... I liked the idea......but too few known people on the show....and just too weird just for the sake of being weird. Hard to do a scary television show. Not sure where you got that.....but how is Alcatraz doing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 6, 2012 Not sure where you got that.....but how is Alcatraz doing? Going down as well... 10.05 million for the first two hours, then 9.03m, 8.44m, 6.91m, 6.24m, 5.98m and then last night's two hours, 5,82m and 5.47m... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m_c_meyer 0 Posted March 6, 2012 At what point do the geniuses that run programming for the networks realize that people will not continue to watch a show if there is a possibility that they will just cancel said show after only 1 or 2 seasons. Terra Nova wasn't a bad show, but you could tell it was starting to go down hill. I have yet to watch Alcatraz(I hear it's good), but have them all DVR'ed. If it gets canceled, I'll just delete them all, much like I did with the 2nd half of flash forward. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 6, 2012 If it gets canceled, I'll just delete them all, much like I did with the 2nd half of flash forward. I don't do that, I like to see how the show was going and FlashForward did get better as it progressed... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kutulu 1,548 Posted March 6, 2012 Couldn't watch more than 30 minutes of Alcatraz or the River...Terra Nova looked too dumb to even give that much time to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tikigods 76 Posted March 6, 2012 Terra Nova reminded me of Land of the Lost. I was waiting for Bill Laimbeer to come jumping out as a Sleestak. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Moz 69 Posted March 7, 2012 Fox is banking on Touch being the new golden child TV show for their network. Only good new show right now is Point of Interest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 7, 2012 Nope... Its viewership has been going down each episode... 7.59 million for the first two hours, then 4.96m, 4.78m and 4.04m last week... Early returns had an increase to 4.2m this past episode... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phillybear 364 Posted March 7, 2012 As every single Fox drama crashes and burns, Fringe remains under the radar, hanging on by it's fingernails, on a shitty night with a shitty time slot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vikings4ever 496 Posted March 7, 2012 Fox is banking on Touch being the new golden child TV show for their network. Only good new show right now is Point of Interest Person of Interest? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
southcarolina 166 Posted March 8, 2012 Never watched Terra Nova. Just kinda knew there wasnt much point, because it wouldnt be around for long. I am trying hard to like Alcatraz, but it is really lacking *something*. I feel like the show could be good, but it just isnt. Sarah Jones is really the only reason i keep watching. I have had a tv crush on her since she played Polly Zobelle on Sons of Anarchy. . I keep watching hoping it will improve, but i dont think it will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gocolts 300 Posted March 8, 2012 Never watched Terra Nova. Just kinda knew there wasnt much point, because it wouldnt be around for long. I am trying hard to like Alcatraz, but it is really lacking *something*. I feel like the show could be good, but it just isnt. Sarah Jones is really the only reason i keep watching. I have had a tv crush on her since she played Polly Zobelle on Sons of Anarchy. . I keep watching hoping it will improve, but i dont think it will. I watched Terra Nova and was just OK. I like Alcatraz though. I am not even a big fan of any of the actors. So I am sure they will cancel it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IGotWorms 3,315 Posted March 8, 2012 Couldn't watch more than 30 minutes of Alcatraz or the River...Terra Nova looked too dumb to even give that much time to. Agreed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
southcarolina 166 Posted March 8, 2012 Now as for a sci-fi type show that is growing on me is LostGirl on SyFy. And im not just saying that because of the hawt lead character (Bo), TV-MA sex scenes and continued lesbian sexual tension/relationship between said lead character and the geeky hawt Doctor Lauren. http://img.poptower.com/pic-54062/lost-girl-syfy-tv-show.jpg?d=600 Dr Lauren (left) and Bo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 13, 2012 Alcatraz hit a series low of 4.99m viewers in the "Clarence Montgomery" episode... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone24 1,814 Posted March 13, 2012 Alcatraz hit a series low of 4.99m viewers in the "Clarence Montgomery" episode... Yeesh. Wasnt a bad episode. The problem is....its the SAME episode each week. They dink around.....Hurley (eff it...hes from LOST)....sees a random crime scene photo and knows in 2 seconds who it is.....WTF? Right. Anyway....its getting to that LOST portion already where you go.....ok....lets get somewhere other than locking these guys up each week. We're a couple months in.....you can give us some hint as to how these guys are coming back and for what. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 13, 2012 We're a couple months in.....you can give us some hint as to how these guys are coming back and for what. According to wiki, this is supposed to be mentioned in episodes 12 and 13 on March 26th... Problem is that this could be the final two episodes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone24 1,814 Posted March 13, 2012 According to wiki, this is supposed to be mentioned in episodes 12 and 13 on March 26th... Problem is that this could be the final two episodes... Yeah...would make sense. If it doesnt come back.....im done trying to watch actual shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mephisto 15 Posted March 13, 2012 I gave Terra Nova a chance and just flat-out didn't like it. Poorly acted. Terrible continuity issues. It was a total mess. I have my problems with Alcatraz, too. These prisoners come back to current day from 1963 and just seem to have all of this knowledge and understanding about where they're at and how to move throughout society as if they haven't MISSED 50 FOCKING YEARS. Last night's episode is a glaring example. A black man from 1963 was in a FAR DIFFERENT social place than he would be in 2012, but he comes back and moves throughout society without any question as to how much different society is and seems all too comfortable with his place in it. Call it more major continuity issues... and there are too many substantial plot holes in this for it to survive. I often say that for television and movies and I offer a tremendous amount of suspension of disbelief latitude. Some shows just can't get over my rather low bar in that regard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 20, 2012 Alcatraz hit a series low of 4.99m viewers in the "Clarence Montgomery" episode... This was revised up to 5.07m viewers, which was still the lowest amount of viewers... Until... "Web Porter"'s episode from Monday brought in 5.04m viewers... This show is toast... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone24 1,814 Posted March 21, 2012 This was revised up to 5.07m viewers, which was still the lowest amount of viewers... Until... "Web Porter"'s episode from Monday brought in 5.04m viewers... This show is toast... Damn you posty. What do they need to be at to stay on? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shovelheadt 62 Posted March 21, 2012 Lets talk reality TV. Sons of Guns HAS to be the next show gone. Watched last night and wanted to vomit due to it being so scripted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shovelheadt 62 Posted March 21, 2012 Fox is banking on Touch being the new golden child TV show for their network. Only good new show right now is Point of Interest If the series matches the pilot that I saw a few weeks back, it's golden. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tikigods 76 Posted March 21, 2012 Network TV is garbage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super Cubs 132 Posted March 21, 2012 I started watching Terra Nova and think it could have been good. The problem I had is when I thought the show was going in one direction the next week they were on to something else. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 21, 2012 The River concludes the season with 3.99m viewers... It has to be toast... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
posty 2,296 Posted March 27, 2012 As Netflix Talks End, Terra Nova Looks Officially Over http://www.tvguide.com/News/Terra-Nova-Dead-Netflix-1045322.aspx The dinos of Terra Nova are now even more extinct. Despite an 11th hour attempt by Netflix to keep the show alive, a deal could not be reached and the show's producers are ready to throw in the towel. Netflix was interested in the show, and talks had been ongoing with 20th Century Fox TV to keep Terra Nova alive. But sticking points began to emerge — and not just production costs. As a result, at least two insiders have confirmed to TV Guide Magazine that it's all over for Terra Nova. According to one source, international broadcasters may not have been keen on the idea of Netflix serving as the sole U.S. "broadcaster" of Terra Nova. Netflix, still new to the original programming game, doesn't carry the same marketing heft or cache that a TV network does, and international outlets perhaps weren't sure they wanted to commit to another season without an actual broadcast or cable channel attached. While a studio source pointed to Futurama as an example of a show that was resurrected down the road, such a move is unlikely for Terra Nova. Even after Fox finally decided to cancel Terra Nova, the prehistoric time-traveling drama's cast and crew were holding out for a dino-sized miracle. "[Fox] will regret the decision," lamented one person with ties to the show. "We felt with some changes, the show could live up to potential and be something unique." Netflix began an investigation into saving the Steven Spielberg series from extinction, but it appeared to be a long shot from the beginning. Such a deal would represent another pricy programming play for Netflix, which is spending $100 million for two seasons of the Kevin Spacey original drama House of Cards, and will fork over millions more to resurrect Fox's long-canceled Arrested Development. Netflix is also said to be interested in rescuing ABC's The River, but that show hasn't even been officially canceled yet. Terra Nova costs at least $4 million an episode, which is why a cable home was unlikely. "We'll certainly try," one producer said early on of shopping the show. Terra Nova's cast remains under contract, but as days dragged on after the Fox cancellation, they began to look at other work. Most notably, star Jason O'Mara signed on in second position to star opposite Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis and Carrie-Anne Moss in CBS' untitled 1960s-set Ralph Lamb pilot. Terra Nova series regular Allison Miller was also cast as a "guest star" in the NBC comedy pilot Go On. Stephen Lang, who plays Commander Nathaniel Taylor, called the cancellation "myopic" and compared Terra Nova to the initially troubled Hubble Space Telescope: "Even in its flawed first season, each episode was full of marvelous moments and beautiful images," he said in a statement. While Terra Nova didn't live up to the hype or its major marketing campaign, the show averaged a decent 2.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.5 million viewers. "It was an exciting bet to take, and I think it's proven that it was worthwhile," Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said in January. "We made money on it, the studio made money on it, the audience loved it, the show looked fantastic." Sources inside Terra Nova say they believe Reilly grew wary of the drama's early production problems and lost interest as the show struggled to find a creative footing. Terra Nova tried to be all things to all viewers — sci-fi show, dinosaur thriller, family drama, police procedural and teen soap. "The show was hunting for itself creatively through the season," Reilly said. But just as Fox was about to abandon Terra Nova, it roared back with a splashy season finale in December: The portal between the future and the past was blown up, creating a whole new scenario for season two. "That allowed us to hit the reset button and go any way we wanted to go," says one insider. "What is it like in this place when it's totally cut off from the future? It changes things in a dramatic way." As the show's producers pitched several different scenarios for next year, a contingent inside Fox fought for the renewal and a decision kept being pushed back. Fans also began bombarding Reilly with toy dinosaur figurines (which he later donated to a kids' charity). The longer Fox waited — execs originally planned to give producers their decision in January — the more it looked like a cancellation was imminent. By the start of March, producers say it was probably already too late to get Terra Nova on the fall schedule. "Kevin took it to the last moment, and beyond a couple weeks when we could have even hit fall," says one insider. "Once we couldn't hit fall, he wasn't sure he wanted to bring us back much later. The indecision became the decision." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
southcarolina 166 Posted March 27, 2012 Watch Justified. You wont be disappointed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
