Terra Nova, which premiered on Monday, September 26, at 8PM EST on FOX, is billed as one of the most anticipated, expensive, and ambitious shows in TV history. Will it be able to stand up to the hype?
The basic premise of Terra Nova is that humans have trashed the Earth, so that by the year 2149 it is virtually unlivable. In this dystopian future, people must wear re-breathing masks when they go outside, the water is polluted, the majority of animal and plant species are extinct, and the earth is so over-populated that the United States has instigated population control: families may have no more than two children. Millions of people are homeless, hungry, and dying of diseases. Then, when scientists accidentally create a rift in time that goes back 85 million years into the past, to the Cretaceous Period, the establishment decides to send colonists into the gateway. The goal is to try to have a better life and future, and they call this colony Terra Nova, or "New Earth" in Latin. The colonists create a haven among the prehistoric plants and animals, including dinosaurs-but of course, wherever there are humans, there is intrigue, drama, and the potential for violence.
Terra Nova centers around the Shannon family. Heading the Shannon clan is troubled and enigmatic ex-cop Jim Shannon, played by Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars, InJustice); Jim's trauma surgeon wife, Elisabeth Shannon, is played by Shelly Conn (Mistresses, Casualty). They have three children: 15 year old brain Maddy, played by Naomi Scott (Lemonade Mouth, Life Bites); 17 year old Josh, who is resentful at having to leave his 214 girlfriend behind, is played by Landon Liboiron (Degrassi: the Next Generation, Life Unexpected). 7 year old Zoe, who is the third, illegal, Shannon child, is played by Alana Mansour; drama concerning Zoe's birth lands Jim Shannon in jail, for breaking the "Family is Four" rule and punching a cop-he has to break out of jail to follow his family into the past. Once they arrive in Terra Nova, 85 million years in the past, they meet the other cast members. The head of the colony is Commander Nathaniel Taylor, played by Avatar alum Stephen Lang, a gristly, hard-nosed military man whose single-minded goal is keeping Terra Nova alive and thriving. Other cast notables include Allison Miller, Rod Hallett, Mido Hamada, and Christine Adams.
The budget for Terra Nova has attracted a lot of buzz, as has the multiple delays in filming; the premiere was moved from the spring lineup to the fall due to the terrible floods in Australia, where the show is filmed. Much ado has been made of its lengthy list of executive producers, which includes Brannon Braga (Star Trek: Voyager, 24) and Jon Cassar (24, Nikita)... But the big name on Terra Nova is Steven Spielberg, who has been the one to push the show into motion, picking key cast members and filming locations, and whose presence has been felt by everyone involved. Spielberg's touch is hopefully a golden one: viewers will hopefully tune in to see what Terra Nova is about and then stay because they're hooked.
There is a lot to like in Terra Nova, and that is what the producers and studio are betting on to keep the show successful. There is something for everyone. Many people have compared it to Jurassic Park, Lost, Land of the Lost, Earth 2, et al, but the comparisons are mainly due to the Spielberg-dinosaur-time travel connection. The dinosaurs are brought to life by groundbreaking CGI special effects; some of the ones we'll see in Terra Nova are based on real Cretaceous-era creatures, while others have been made up for the show. Science fiction and fantasy buffs will enjoy the time travel and scientific aspects of the show, including the dinosaurs; action fans will love the...well, the action. There will be vehicle chases, meteor strikes, and animal attacks, and even infighting between Taylor's Terra Nova establishment and a rebel force known as the Sixers. Suspense buffs will be intrigued by the mysteries, of which there are many (although so far everyone connected with the project reassures us that TN will be nothing like Lost, with its hopelessly tangled storylines). People who enjoy interpersonal drama will love how the Shannon family adjusts to life in Terra Nova and deals with each other and the rest of the colony.
| Price : $59.99
