FOX has abandoned plans to launch the ambitious futuristic, prehistoric, family adventure “Terra Nova” with a May premiere.
The network announced on Friday (March 11) afternoon that “Terra Nova” will now debut in the fall of 2011 on FOX, eschewing a two-night May 23-24 sneak.
“‘Terra Nova’ is one of the most ambitious television series ever produced,” says FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly in the release. “The cutting-edge visual effects used to create the world of ‘Terra Nova’ which is of massive scope and scale, require more time to be realized. This aspect of the series is essential, so we are pushing back the special early preview date to give the visual effects team the time needed for their ground-breaking work.”
Adds producer Rene Echevarria, “The world of ‘Terra Nova’ is visually stunning on multiple levels, and effects play an enormous part. Premiering in the fall will give us the proper time to create a world never before seen on television.”
FOX has already been promoting the Steven Spielberg-produced drama extensively, giving the show a key Super Bowl advertising slot and running commercials in primetime.
At the Television Critics Association press tour in January, Reilly and FOX Chairman Peter Rice went into depth on the cost and logistical difficulties of creating a world from scratch on location in Australia, while simultaneously maintaining that the show was on-schedule and on-budget.
“It is expensive,” Rice acknowledged in January. “It”s why we ordered
it to a series. We went straight to 13 rather than making a traditional pilot. I think on many levels making a traditional pilot would have been prohibitively expensive. But it”s set in a world where everything is created. It doesn”t take place in a modern city. Every part of the world is created. That all has to be made. If you were making it for one prototype, I don”t think it could have been done. But over the course of 13, we were able to do it.”
At the time, Rice noted that while “Terra Nova” would be the most expensive new show FOX has had, it wouldn’t be the most expensive show the network has on air.
The drama, which focuses on settlers from 2149 fleeing a dystopian future to rebuild humanity in the past, stars Jason O’Mara, Stephen Lang, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Naomi Scott and Alana Mansour. The pilot was directed by Alex Graves.
FOX has now set the season finale of “Chicago Code” to air on Monday, May 23 at 9 p.m. and the season finale of “Glee” for Tuesday, May 24.
Check out images from “Terra Nova.”
And the show’s most recent teaser: