Fox Still Uncertain Over Future Of Terra Nova

Fox boss fails top make definitive announcement at Television Critics Association winter press tour

Punters expecting Fox to make a definitive statement about the future of its expensive new dino drama Terra Nova at the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour this weekend were left disappointed, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

During a 30-minute presentation, Fox boss Kevin Reilly praised the show’s cast and its Australian locations, but admitted that creatively, the first season of the show was still “hunting” and that he wished it could have been more “consistent” (by which we hope he means “consistently good” and not “consistently dull”).

But he didn’t state for certain that the show would return, while acknowledging he can’t leave the decision too much longer, given that production would have to start in March if it were to have a second season, adding encouragingly, “There’s a show there to bring back; there’s an audience for it to service.”

In the show’s favour is the fact that is has sold enormously well overseas. Certainly it has been a huge hit for Sky 1 in the UK, regularly getting in excess of a million viewers, which is incredibly good for an imported drama series on a non-Freeview channel.

On the other hand, Fox had a particularly strong performance in the Autumn schedules in the States, and the channel is keen to consolidate that success, rather than struggle on with expensive underperformers. Reilly says the decision will not “take place in a vacuum” and is partly dependent on what other shows get the green light or are re-commissioned.