Terra Nova: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 308 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	Your Score
6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 308 Ratings

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Terra Nova: Clip 5

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Season Details & Credits

Fox | Season Premiere Date: September 26, 2011

Starring: Jason O'Mara, Rod Hallett, Shelley Conn

Summary: In the year 2149, humankind seeks escape from the polluted Earth by traveling to the past to establish a new colony.

Creator: Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Science

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E13. Resistance
Air Date: December 19, 2011
tbd
S1:E12. Occupation
Air Date: December 19, 2011
tbd
S1:E11. Within
Air Date: December 12, 2011

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Metascore

Positive:

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Negative:

Critic Reviews

Matthew Gilbert

Sep 21, 2011

As a weekly series, the effects need to remain impressive and the writers need to avoid falling into "Lost" and "Walking Dead" band-of-survivors rehash. Read full review

Robert Bianco

Sep 26, 2011

Luckily for Terra Nova, fans of the genre are often at least temporarily willing to overlook bad writing and performances if the battles are exciting and special effects convincing, and they are. That should buy the show time to improve. Read full review

Linda Stasi

Sep 26, 2011

Good family fun--providing your family doesn't include little kids who are scared to sleep. Ever. Read full review

Mark A. Perigard

Sep 26, 2011

So long as the dinos roam, Terra Nova has a future. Read full review

Maureen Ryan

Sep 26, 2011

The idea that in the long-ago past there were differing versions of how to reinvent humanity's future could make for compelling drama, and those kind of story lines are more likely to be more intriguing than what will transpire among the Shannons, unless this bland family's character development takes a great leap forward very quickly. Read full review

Mike Hale

Sep 26, 2011

The question is what they'll be given to do going forward, beyond generic relationship material, domestic comedy and the occasional action set piece. Read full review

Glenn Garvin

Sep 26, 2011

By the end of a couple of episodes, most viewers will be wishing Spielberg and his henchmen had spent more time on scripts and less on special effects, even if it meant splicing old outtakes of Barney and Friends into the action sequences. Read full review

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User Score

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6.2

User Reviews

Gio86

Sep 27, 2011

Premise is good and it has a lot of potential! I will be tuning in to see where it all goes. The pilot of any show is always a work in progress but few have the potential, this is one of the few!

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

Kboozer

Dec 13, 2011

Our family loves this show. Writing isn't always great, but it has a good theme we all enjoy. If someone can't appreciate what terra nova brings to the table, it's only because they don't realize how hard it is to find a show that's interesting for parents, friendly enough for kids, andOur family loves this show. Writing isn't always great, but it has a good theme we all enjoy. If someone can't appreciate what terra nova brings to the table, it's only because they don't realize how hard it is to find a show that's interesting for parents, friendly enough for kids, and doesn't shove god up your a$$ with that combination. It's a television series. It's not a movie. Different budgets. Not disappointed with special effects. We hope there are more seasons to come. We will be very disappointed if it gets canceled.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

psbrown1989

Sep 27, 2011

I think this show has good potential. many plot points for future episodes were set up and it looks promising for now. I'll definitely be watching the next few episodes just to see if they take it in a kind of "Lost" direction in which case I might drop the show

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

nightblade00

Oct 11, 2011

Big Budget effects....not big budget writing. Its popcorn entertainment for now. I'll keep watching for a bit to see how it goes, but it has to get better soon.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

reeleyes

Sep 27, 2011

One can see the same crap on the sci-fi channel with better cheesy effects and the same stupid plot points! Is Spielberg afraid to show a man-eating dino killed by humans? Peter Jackson and James Cameron are better fantasy directors and producers! I'll try to stick with it, although itOne can see the same crap on the sci-fi channel with better cheesy effects and the same stupid plot points! Is Spielberg afraid to show a man-eating dino killed by humans? Peter Jackson and James Cameron are better fantasy directors and producers! I'll try to stick with it, although it could get as boring and soap opera laden as Falling Skies!… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Rattazustra

Oct 15, 2011

One of the most important things for lending credibility to fictional characters is them them ask the questions and think the thoughts that normal human beings in their place would ask and think. The characters in Terra Nova fail doing so over and over again, leading to a cast made up mostlyOne of the most important things for lending credibility to fictional characters is them them ask the questions and think the thoughts that normal human beings in their place would ask and think. The characters in Terra Nova fail doing so over and over again, leading to a cast made up mostly of zombies, staggering their way through badly written storywork. While the basic concepts of time travel, pollution and exodus are all potentially interesting, the execution is very bad. The Terra Nova colony is doomed to fail, because it's colonists have neither any frontier spirit, not much in the way of brains to make up for it.

Yet, sometimes when stories and acting are bad, at least the design, props and special effects make up for it a little bit. This is not the case here, unfortunately. The visual impression suggests that someone went through the concept art trashcans of Jurassic Park, Avatar, Earth 2 and Lost, then picked all the worst pieces he could find and copy them badly.

It is not a complete waste of time, but it is second to almost anything.… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

Volvican

Oct 29, 2011

Opps- my review for this went on as a 10. Definitely not what I wanted so this evens things out. Default ratings really shouldn't be ten. And where is the edit option???

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 110 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

64

Series Overview
Season 1

64
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 26, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E13. Resistance
  Air Date: December 19, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E12. Occupation
  Air Date: December 19, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E11. Within
  Air Date: December 12, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E10. Now You See Me
  Air Date: November 28, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E9. Vs.
  Air Date: November 21, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E8. Proof
  Air Date: November 14, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E7. Nightfall
  Air Date: November 7, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E6. Bylaw
  Air Date: October 31, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E5. The Runaway
  Air Date: October 17, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E4. What Remains
  Air Date: October 10, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E3. Instinct
  Air Date: October 3, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E2. Genesis - Part 2
  Air Date: September 26, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E1. Genesis - Part 1
  Air Date: September 26, 2011