Terra Nova (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Terra Nova is an American science fiction
drama television series
that airs on Fox
on Monday nights. It premiered September 26, 2011 with a one-and-a-half-hour episode. It follows the Shannon family as they go 85 million years into the past to save humanity.
, scientists discover a rift in space-time that allows people to travel 85 million years back in time to the late Cretaceous
period of an alternate prehistoric Earth. The Shannon family (father Jim, his wife Elisabeth, and their three children Josh, Maddie, and Zoe) join the Tenth Pilgrimage
of settlers to Terra Nova becoming part of the first human colony
on the other side of the temporal doorway.
The Shannon Family starts a new life in Terra Nova while dealing with carnivorous dinosaurs and the Sixers, a splinter group of colonists from the Sixth Pilgrimage who are trying to transport all of Terra Nova's resources back to 2149.
. Alex Graves
signed on to direct the pilot. Brannon Braga
and René Echevarria
serve as showrunners. Australia was chosen after producer Steven Spielberg
vetoed Hawaii because he wanted a different filming location from his 1993 film Jurassic Park
. The two-hour pilot was filmed over 26 days in late November to December 2010. It was shot in south-east Queensland
, Australia, with locations in Brisbane
, the Gold Coast
and the Gold Coast Hinterland
. The shoot was plagued by torrential rain and additional material had to be shot in 2011, with a total estimated cost between $10 to $20 million to be amortized over the season. More than 250 sets were constructed. An episode takes eight to nine days to shoot, like most television dramas, but six weeks in post-production, twice the television average. The average episode budget is about $4 million, compared to an average of $3 million for broadcast network dramas. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated, "This thing is going to be huge. It's going to take an enormous production commitment."
In an unusual decision, Fox skipped ordering just a pilot, and instead immediately ordered thirteen episodes. This was partly due to financial reasons, as the large Australian sets are expensive to dismantle and rebuild. Despite this decision, the producers denied the production was over-budget, with Peter Rice explaining instead the show is "a very expensive... very ambitious television show". Kevin Reilly continued, "We're not in completely uncharted territory here. The start-up cost for the series is definitely on the high end. But it's not some bank-breaking series". With only 10% of Cretaceous-era dinosaurs recorded in the fossil record, the producers decided to supplement the series with ones which might have existed; palaeontologist Jack Horner was brought in to help create realistic creatures for the period and different from those of the Jurassic Park film franchise.
In June 2010, the first cast member was announced – Jason O'Mara
as Jim Shannon. In late August, Allison Miller
joined the cast. In September, Deadline Hollywood reported that Stephen Lang
signed on to play the role of Commander Taylor. An executive producer, David Fury
, left the series as a result of creative differences. In September, Shelley Conn
landed the female lead role. In October, Brian Tyler
was chosen as the composer, Mido Hamada
was cast as a security head, while Landon Liboiron
, Naomi Scott
, and Alana Mansour were cast as the three children. In November, Christine Adams
was cast as Mira. In May 2011, Rod Hallett joined the cast.
The cast and crew returned to Queensland, Australia on May 20, 2011 to continue production on the first season. Filming commenced on May 25, 2011. With a long production process on the series, it was announced in July 2011 that the first season would consist of thirteen episodes to finish airing in December 2011.
s, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots. The series' first season received an aggregated score of 64% across 28 reviews from Metacritic
. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
compared it to Outcasts
. The Los Angeles Times
wrote: "Easily the most exciting show of the fall season, Fox's "Terra Nova" has such obvious, instant and demographically diverse appeal." The New York Post
called it "Good family fun", while USA Today says "What matters are the dinosaurs, who — particularly in the first hour — are as convincing and startling as TV has ever offered, roaming a gorgeous, CGI
-enhanced terrain." The Wall Street Journal wrote: "'Terra Nova' leaves ye olde cheap-set series in the dust with production values that make each episode look cinematic." The Washington Post writes "Literally the biggest thing on TV this fall, “Terra Nova” has it all: time travel, misguided utopianism, “Swiss Family Robinson”-style cohesion and lots of hungry dinosaurs. It’s all pretty dazzling."
However, later reviews have been highly critical. The show was called "Stargate: SGU
by Dr. Seuss
" by Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald
. Sam Wollaston of the Guardian
observed that there was only one interesting character and that "A lot of the fault lies with what they have to say to each other. The script is as corny and cheesy as a family-sized portion of cheesy corn nachos." New York Magazine reviewer vowed never to watch the show again saying "Sure, the premise had promise, but even masochists like us can only take so much."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that airs on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on Monday nights. It premiered September 26, 2011 with a one-and-a-half-hour episode. It follows the Shannon family as they go 85 million years into the past to save humanity.
Plot
The show begins in the year 2149, a time when all life on planet Earth is threatened with extinction due to dwindling worldwide air quality and overpopulation. It has become virtually impossible for humanity to survive, and almost no vegetation exists. At Hope Plaza, a massive ring shaped structure in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, scientists discover a rift in space-time that allows people to travel 85 million years back in time to the late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period of an alternate prehistoric Earth. The Shannon family (father Jim, his wife Elisabeth, and their three children Josh, Maddie, and Zoe) join the Tenth Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
of settlers to Terra Nova becoming part of the first human colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
on the other side of the temporal doorway.
The Shannon Family starts a new life in Terra Nova while dealing with carnivorous dinosaurs and the Sixers, a splinter group of colonists from the Sixth Pilgrimage who are trying to transport all of Terra Nova's resources back to 2149.
Production
The series is based on an idea by British writer Kelly MarcelKelly Marcel
Kelly Marcel, is a British writer and actress, best known as the writer and executive producer of the television series Terra Nova, for which she wrote a 15 page treatment and the pilot.-Biography:...
. Alex Graves
Alex Graves
Alex Graves is an American television director, writer and producer.He is best known for his work on the hit series The West Wing, where he served as Producer, Supervising producer, Co-executive producer, and finally Executive producer. In 2007, he directed and executive produced the pilot for the...
signed on to direct the pilot. Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
and René Echevarria
René Echevarria
René Echevarria is an American-Cuban screenwriter and film producer.-Screenwriter career:Echevarria began his career as an amateur screenwriter submitting unsolicited scripts to the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation. After using a few of his stories, they hired him as a writer. He then...
serve as showrunners. Australia was chosen after producer Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
vetoed Hawaii because he wanted a different filming location from his 1993 film Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
. The two-hour pilot was filmed over 26 days in late November to December 2010. It was shot in south-east Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia, with locations in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and the Gold Coast Hinterland
Gold Coast hinterland
The Gold Coast hinterland is an area of South East Queensland, Australia that comprises the Tweed Range, Nimmel Range, Tamborine Mountain, Numinbah Valley, eastern parts of the McPherson Range and western parts of suburban Gold Coast.-History:...
. The shoot was plagued by torrential rain and additional material had to be shot in 2011, with a total estimated cost between $10 to $20 million to be amortized over the season. More than 250 sets were constructed. An episode takes eight to nine days to shoot, like most television dramas, but six weeks in post-production, twice the television average. The average episode budget is about $4 million, compared to an average of $3 million for broadcast network dramas. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated, "This thing is going to be huge. It's going to take an enormous production commitment."
In an unusual decision, Fox skipped ordering just a pilot, and instead immediately ordered thirteen episodes. This was partly due to financial reasons, as the large Australian sets are expensive to dismantle and rebuild. Despite this decision, the producers denied the production was over-budget, with Peter Rice explaining instead the show is "a very expensive... very ambitious television show". Kevin Reilly continued, "We're not in completely uncharted territory here. The start-up cost for the series is definitely on the high end. But it's not some bank-breaking series". With only 10% of Cretaceous-era dinosaurs recorded in the fossil record, the producers decided to supplement the series with ones which might have existed; palaeontologist Jack Horner was brought in to help create realistic creatures for the period and different from those of the Jurassic Park film franchise.
In June 2010, the first cast member was announced – Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
as Jim Shannon. In late August, Allison Miller
Allison Miller
Allison Miller is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Michelle Benjamin on the NBC series Kings.-Early life:...
joined the cast. In September, Deadline Hollywood reported that Stephen Lang
Stephen Lang (actor)
Stephen Lang is an American actor and playwright. He started in theatre on Broadway but is well known for his film portrayals of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals and George Pickett in Gettysburg , as well as for his 2009 roles as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar and as Texan lawman Charles...
signed on to play the role of Commander Taylor. An executive producer, David Fury
David Fury
David Fury is an American television Screenwriter and Producer, best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Lost, 24, and Fringe.Fury was a Co-executive producer and Writer for the first season of Lost...
, left the series as a result of creative differences. In September, Shelley Conn
Shelley Conn
-Early life and education:Conn was born in Barnet, Greater London of British and Sri Lankan descent. The great niece of actress Merle Oberon , Conn trained at Bretton Hall...
landed the female lead role. In October, Brian Tyler
Brian Tyler (composer)
Brian Tyler is an American composer, producer, conductor, and film producer most known for his scores of Eagle Eye, The Expendables, Battle: Los Angeles, The Final Destination, Rambo, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Final Destination 5. Tyler is a symphonic conductor and conducts his own scores....
was chosen as the composer, Mido Hamada
Mido Hamada
Mido Hamada is a German-Egyptian actor having played roles in film, theater and television.Hamada attended the Oxford School of Drama. He lives in London, England. His roles include Ahmed Shah Massoud in the television mini-series The Path to 9/11 and smaller roles in the British television series...
was cast as a security head, while Landon Liboiron
Landon Liboiron
Landon Liboiron is a Gemini Award nominated Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Declan in Degrassi: The Next Generation, later named Degrassi. He currently stars in the Fox television series Terra Nova, as 17-year-old Josh Shannon....
, Naomi Scott
Naomi Scott
Naomi Scott is an English actress, singer and musician. She is best known for her role as Mohini "Mo" Banjaree in the Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth, and as Megan in the Disney Channel UK series Life Bites. She currently co-stars in the Steven Spielberg-produced series Terra...
, and Alana Mansour were cast as the three children. In November, Christine Adams
Christine Adams (actress)
Christine Adams is an English actress. She has made guest appearances in various television series and was a regular on ABC's The Whole Truth. She currently stars as Mira on FOX's Terra Nova.-Filmography:-External links:...
was cast as Mira. In May 2011, Rod Hallett joined the cast.
The cast and crew returned to Queensland, Australia on May 20, 2011 to continue production on the first season. Filming commenced on May 25, 2011. With a long production process on the series, it was announced in July 2011 that the first season would consist of thirteen episodes to finish airing in December 2011.
Main
- Jason O'MaraJason O'MaraJason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
as James "Jim" Shannon, former Chicago Police narcotics detectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
and devoted father with a complicated past. He is sentenced to six years in prison after assaulting a Population Control officer after it is discovered that he and his wife broke the law by having a third child. Two years later, his wife Elisabeth helps him escape and Jim successfully makes it into Terra Nova with his family. After saving Commander Nathaniel Taylor's life, Jim joins Taylor's security team. He is also the third-in-command of Terra Nova, a position he assumed in episode 9. - Shelley ConnShelley Conn-Early life and education:Conn was born in Barnet, Greater London of British and Sri Lankan descent. The great niece of actress Merle Oberon , Conn trained at Bretton Hall...
as Dr. Elisabeth Shannon, a trauma surgeon who has been recruited for Terra Nova. She is married to Jim and is a loving mother. She helps Jim escape prison so he can accompany the family to Terra Nova. Also, she has so many degrees to her name Taylor is unable to pronounce most of them. - Christine AdamsChristine Adams (actress)Christine Adams is an English actress. She has made guest appearances in various television series and was a regular on ABC's The Whole Truth. She currently stars as Mira on FOX's Terra Nova.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Mira, leader of the Sixers, a rebel group that opposes Terra Nova. They are called Sixers because they arrived as part of the sixth pilgrimage. In "The Runaway", the Sixers demonstrate that they are not "all bad." Mira says in that episode that she has a daughter in 2149 named Sienna, who was only four when Mira left, and that all she wants is to make sure that she would be able to see her daughter again. However, this doesn't stop her from using a young girl roughly her daughter's age as a spy to steal from Terra Nova by threatening to kill her brother. - Allison MillerAllison MillerAllison Miller is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Michelle Benjamin on the NBC series Kings.-Early life:...
as Skye, a veteran resident of Terra Nova from the fifth pilgrimage, who guides Josh. Her parents have reportedly died, and after that she was adopted by Commander Taylor. She teaches Josh the value of family and seems to understand his problems. She soon grows to having feelings for Josh, and they start to kiss at one point, but Josh quickly ends it, saying he feels uncomfortable about the situation because he had left his girlfriend behind and still hopes for a future reunion. She is also revealed to be the Sixer spy. - Landon LiboironLandon LiboironLandon Liboiron is a Gemini Award nominated Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Declan in Degrassi: The Next Generation, later named Degrassi. He currently stars in the Fox television series Terra Nova, as 17-year-old Josh Shannon....
as Josh Shannon, Jim and Elisabeth's 17-year-old son. He is reluctant to leave his girlfriend behind. He is at first rebellious towards his father, and he resents his father for having assaulted a police officer, resulting in his being imprisoned, but they eventually reconcile. - Naomi ScottNaomi ScottNaomi Scott is an English actress, singer and musician. She is best known for her role as Mohini "Mo" Banjaree in the Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth, and as Megan in the Disney Channel UK series Life Bites. She currently co-stars in the Steven Spielberg-produced series Terra...
as Maddy Shannon, Jim and Elisabeth's 15-year-old daughter. An intelligent, awkward teen, Maddy hopes to reinvent herself in Terra Nova. She develops a crush on Mark Reynolds, a soldier. She and Reynolds later share a kiss on their first date together and officially become a couple. Maddy later on discovers something about Terra Nova's top scientist and her hero who turns out to be an imposter, who kidnaps her and tries to kill her, but she's later on rescued by her father. She also reveals that at her old school, kids cheated off her homework and tests, didn't even know half the time who she was, and left her as an outcast. Maddy cares about Reynolds and loves him deeply, shown in "Vs." where Mark gets injured by Mira and the Sixers when they steal the team's supplies, and Maddy, worried, rushes over to him and gets hysterical over his bruises and kisses him, demanding to know if he was okay. - Rod Hallett as Dr. Malcolm Wallace, who recruited Elisabeth for Terra Nova. The two were romantically involved before she met Jim. According to Elisabeth, she and Malcolm once dated for a minute and a half. He is very passionate about research, and always looks for excuses to use the devices in the medical center to look things up, such as dinosaur eggs, medicine, dead bodies, poisonous insects, etc.
- Alana Mansour as Zoe Shannon, the five-year-old daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Shannon. In the series premise, all families (in 2149) are restricted to no more than two children. Zoe was kept hidden until Population Control officers raided the Shannon residence and arrested Jim. Zoe is curious, cute and very bright. In her spare time, she likes making toy dinosaurs.
- Stephen LangStephen Lang (actor)Stephen Lang is an American actor and playwright. He started in theatre on Broadway but is well known for his film portrayals of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals and George Pickett in Gettysburg , as well as for his 2009 roles as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar and as Texan lawman Charles...
as Commander Nathaniel Taylor, a pioneer and leader of Terra Nova. The first person to arrive, Taylor survived the first four months (118 days) on his own, then began building a community as new settlers came through; he has been the leader for seven years. When Skye's parents died, he became her legal guardian and father figure to her. Taylor has a son named Lucas, who has abandoned Terra Nova and is working with the renegade Sixers. Taylor knows nothing of his son's survival, and believes he went missing, and has not been seen since in years. In early development, Nathaniel Taylor was named Frank Taylor.
Recurring cast
- Emelia BurnsEmelia BurnsEmelia Jane Burns is an Australian actress, who has had roles in films and television series.-Movies:Burns appeared in the 2007 action film The Condemned, written and directed by Scott Wiper. She portrays Yasantwa, a convict on death row...
as Reilly, one of Taylor's soldiers. - Damien Garvey as Tom Boylan, a bar owner who sometimes trades with the Sixers. He is shown to be a real pain in the butt at times and ticks Taylor off. He was once a soldier and a friend of Taylor's.
- Dean GeyerDean GeyerDean Stanley Geyer is an Australian Singer-Songwriter and Actor who came third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series, Australian Idol.-Early life:...
as Private (later Corporal) Mark Reynolds, a soldier and Maddy's love interest. They start dating in "Night Fall" and kiss when Maddy asks him to because she is dying to know what it feels like. Mark finds Maddy interesting and despite the fact he's a bit older than her, the two love each other deeply and care for one another. - Simone KessellSimone KessellSimone Kessell is a New Zealand actress who has starred in several films and television series.-Personal life:Kessell is married to Australian director Gregor Jordan...
as Lieutenant Alicia "Wash" Washington, the second-in-command to Nathaniel Taylor. - Sam ParsonsonSam ParsonsonSam Parsonson made his television debut at the age of 17 on the Channel Seven Australian drama, headLand. Sam went on to appear in the critically acclaimed Australian drama series, Love My Way, for 2 seasons, alongside some of Australia's finest actors. His performance in the role of Dylan earned...
as Hunter Boyce, a teen who went outside the gates and was injured. Hunter also had a parasite and is in love with Skye. - Damian Walshe-HowlingDamian Walshe-HowlingDamian Walshe-Howling is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Andrew "Benji" Veniamin in the Australian underworld drama, Underbelly, for which he won the Best Supporting or Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2008 AFI Awards.-Biography:He also starred on Blue Heelers as Constable Adam...
as Carter, a member of the Sixers and one of Mira's men who attempted to kill Taylor and was briefly held prisoner. - Ashley ZukermanAshley ZukermanAshley Zukerman is an actor best known for his role as Senior Constable Michael Sandrelli in Rush, an Australian TV series in which he was nominated for the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent in 2009. He was born in Santa Monica, California and moved to Melbourne with his family...
as Lucas, Taylor's son who is against his father and Terra Nova.
North American broadcast
Terra Nova was expected to premiere in May 2011 with a two-hour preview, but due to the time involved for visual effects, its pilot was moved to autumn (late September) 2011 to air with the rest of season one. In May 2011, Fox announced the series would air on Monday nights, and released a full trailer. Terra Nova premiered at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International on July 23, 2011. The FOX premiere drew 9.22 million viewers and 3.1 in the 18-49 demo in live plus same day results, rising to 4.1 in Live+3, the best result by a new drama. Terra Novas high DVR gains were attributed to competition from Monday Night Football which, being a sports event, is less conducive to delayed viewing. In its second week on FOX, the show retained 100% of its demo rating (3.1), the best retention by a new series, CityTV simul-casts the series for audiences in Canada. The Canadian premiere drew 1.4 million viewers, the largest audience for a drama in CityTV's history.International broadcast
- In ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and few other CIS countries the series premiered on Channel OneChannel One (Russia)Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
on September 27, 2011. - In AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
has picked up the series, where it will air within days of its U.S. release. - In BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, BeTV is broadcasting the series on Thursdays, three days after US FOXFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, in a new "Direct from US" program, the premiere debuting on September 29, 2011, in HD and SD. - In BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
the series began airing dubbed in Portuguese on 10 October by Fox Brazil. - In FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, MTV3MTV3MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...
has picked it up, and is set to premiere it in January 2012. - In GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, ProSieben has picked up the series, and will air in spring 2012. - In IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, it premiered on October 8, 2011 on Star World in both high definition and standard definition. - In IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, yes has picked up the series, where it will air within a day of its U.S. release in both high definition and standard definition. - In ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, satellite channel FOXFox (Italy)Fox is an Italian Entertainment TV channel, owned and produced by Fox International Channels Italy and broadcast in Italy by Sky Italia on Channel 111. Timeshifts of the channel are available at channel 112 and 113...
acquired the series, which will air one week after the US. The premiere will air on October 4, 2011. - In JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, FOX will premiere Terra Nova in December 2011. - In Malaysia, Terra Nova aired by FOX asia with Dual Language English and Malay.
- In NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, TV2 Zebra has picked it up, and is set to premiere it on the last Sunday of November 2011. - In the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Jack TVJack TVJack TV is a Philippine cable TV network owned by Solar Entertainment Corporation, test launched on May 2005, officially debuting on July 12, 2005. It offers Western comedy, animation, sports entertainment, drama series and reality shows, such as Cartoon Network, USA Network, The CW, MyNetworkTV,...
shall broadcast this show. - In PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, FoxFox (Poland)Fox is a Polish TV channel which broadcasts mainly American series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Fox HD was launched on November 6, 2010 at 20:00. Since that day it has been available in two DTH platforms: n and Cyfrowy Polsat...
has picked up the series, and premiered it six days after its U.S. debut (on Sunday). - In PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, TVI is broadcasting the series on Sundays, starting November 6, 2011. - In most of the Southeast Asian countries, FOX and FOX HD bought the rights to air the series starting October 29, 2011.
- In the UK & IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, digital channel Sky 1SKY 1The Box is an entertainment channel in New Zealand available on SKY Network Television.The channel shows are a variety of the most recent shows such as from the United States, for example CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Simpsons, Family Guy, World Wrestling Entertainments hit shows, and...
has picked up the series, and airs one week after the United States (starting on Oct 3, 2011). - In Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Fox LA is broadcasting the series on Mondays - In South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
broadcast is set to start on M-NetM-NetM-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
(DSTV channel 101) in January 2012 as announced on the companies official Facebook page. - In SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
broadcast is set to start on December 5th 2011 on Fox Life Serbia
Critical reception
Early reviews indicated much promise in the series. In June 2011, Terra Nova was one of eight honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the Critics' Choice Television AwardCritics' Choice Television Award
A Critics' Choice Television Award is an accolade presented by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association . It was established in 2011, and its first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011 and streamed live on VH1.com.-History:...
s, voted by journalists who had seen the pilots. The series' first season received an aggregated score of 64% across 28 reviews from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
compared it to Outcasts
Outcasts (TV series)
Outcasts is an eight-part 2011 British television science-fiction drama serial, starring Liam Cunningham, Hermione Norris, Amy Manson, Daniel Mays, Jamie Bamber, Eric Mabius and Ashley Walters. It originally aired on BBC One, and BBC HD.-Plot:...
. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote: "Easily the most exciting show of the fall season, Fox's "Terra Nova" has such obvious, instant and demographically diverse appeal." The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
called it "Good family fun", while USA Today says "What matters are the dinosaurs, who — particularly in the first hour — are as convincing and startling as TV has ever offered, roaming a gorgeous, CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
-enhanced terrain." The Wall Street Journal wrote: "'Terra Nova' leaves ye olde cheap-set series in the dust with production values that make each episode look cinematic." The Washington Post writes "Literally the biggest thing on TV this fall, “Terra Nova” has it all: time travel, misguided utopianism, “Swiss Family Robinson”-style cohesion and lots of hungry dinosaurs. It’s all pretty dazzling."
However, later reviews have been highly critical. The show was called "Stargate: SGU
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
" by Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
. Sam Wollaston of the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
observed that there was only one interesting character and that "A lot of the fault lies with what they have to say to each other. The script is as corny and cheesy as a family-sized portion of cheesy corn nachos." New York Magazine reviewer vowed never to watch the show again saying "Sure, the premise had promise, but even masochists like us can only take so much."