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'''''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles''''' is an [[United States|American]] television series that premiered on Sunday, [[January 13]], [[2008]]<ref name="zap2it-premiere">{{cite news|title = FOX Postpones '24,' Sets 'American Idol' Premiere|publisher = Zap2it.com|url = http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-fox200708scheduleoverhaul,0,5434043.story|date = 2007-11-07|accessdate = 2007-11-13}}</ref> on the U.S. television network [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. It is a continuation of the ''[[Terminator (series)|Terminator]]'' film franchise. Produced by [[Warner Bros. Television]] and C2-Pictures, it revolves around the life of [[Sarah Connor (fictional character)|Sarah Connor]], and her son, [[John Connor]] after the events of ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''.
'''''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles''''' is an [[United States|American]] television series that premiered on Sunday, [[January 13]], [[2008]]<ref name="zap2it-premiere">{{cite news|title = FOX Postpones '24,' Sets 'American Idol' Premiere|publisher = Zap2it.com|url = http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-fox200708scheduleoverhaul,0,5434043.story|date = 2007-11-07|accessdate = 2007-11-13}}</ref> on the U.S. television network [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. It is a continuation of the ''[[Terminator (series)|Terminator]]'' film franchise. Produced by [[Warner Bros. Television]] and C2-Pictures, it revolves around the life of [[Sarah Connor (fictional character)|Sarah Connor]], and her son, [[John Connor]] after the events of ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''.


The series is being executive produced by ''Terminator 2'' and ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines|Terminator 3]]'' producers and [[C2 Pictures]] co-presidents, [[Mario Kassar]] and [[Andrew G. Vajna]], C2 Senior Vice President James Middleton, [[David Nutter]], and [[Josh Friedman]], who is also writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fox.com/programming/new/sarahconnorchronicles.htm|publisher=Fox Broadcasting Company|title=The Sarah Connor Chronicles Official Site|accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref>
The series is being executive produced by ''Terminator 2'' and ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines|Terminator 3]]'' producers and [[C2 Pictures]] co-presidents, [[Mario Kassar]] and [[Andrew G. Vajna]], C2 Senior Vice President James Middleton, [[David Nutter]], and [[Josh Friedman]], who is also writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fox.com/programming/new/sarahconnorchronicles.htm|publisher=Fox Broadcasting Company|title=The Sarah Connor Chronicles Official Site|accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref>

Revision as of 04:51, 22 February 2008

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
File:Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles.png
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
GenreDrama
Action
Sci-fi
Created byJosh Friedman
StarringLena Headey
Thomas Dekker
Summer Glau
Richard T. Jones
Music byBear McCreary
Brad Fiedel (Terminator theme)
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time43 minutes approximately
Original release
NetworkFOX
ReleaseJanuary 13, 2008 –
present

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is an American television series that premiered on Sunday, January 13, 2008[1] on the U.S. television network Fox. It is a continuation of the Terminator film franchise. Produced by Warner Bros. Television and C2-Pictures, it revolves around the life of Sarah Connor, and her son, John Connor after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The series is being executive produced by Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 producers and C2 Pictures co-presidents, Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, C2 Senior Vice President James Middleton, David Nutter, and Josh Friedman, who is also writing.[2]

Production

Development

On November 9, 2005, Variety reported that a television series based on the Terminator franchise was being produced by C2 Pictures, which produced Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in association with Warner Bros. Television. The Fox Broadcasting Company also joined the project by making a commitment to the pilot with Josh Friedman, set to write the pilot and to serve as an executive producer for the series. Among the executive producers were C2 Pictures' Andy Vajna, Mario Kassar and James Middleton.[3]

The series, initially titled The Sarah Connor Chronicles, focuses on the character Sarah Connor, who is on the run with her son after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Regarding the character, Middleton said, "She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and also has to raise a teenage son who may be the salvation of humanity". Friedman commented that the series would contain fewer action sequences due to the smaller budget of television in contrast to feature films.[3]

Fox Broadcasting greenlit production on August 28, 2006, after Warner Bros. Television hired David Nutter to direct the pilot.[4] The series was among seven new TV shows picked up by Fox on May 13, 2007 for its 2007-08 television season.[5]

In a June 20, 2007 interview, Friedman said the show would avoid the "Terminator of the Week" plot device and that Sarah, John, and Cameron (an advanced Terminator model sent from the future to protect them) will have other threats than just Terminators. Skynet would also come into play as the series progresses. Furthermore, Friedman stated that the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines occur in an alternate timeline from that of the TV series.[6] In addition to having planned the entire story arc for the first season, Friedman has a rough idea for the plot of the following three seasons.[7]

At the 2007 summer Television Critics Association press tour, Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori said that a certain aspect of the pilot, involving a Terminator posing as a teacher attacking John at school, would be changed following the shooting at Virginia Tech.[8] Although the shooting remained in the series premiere, a scene showing students dealing with the aftermath as FBI Agent Ellison surveys the damage was removed.[9]

Casting

The casting process of the series took 16 weeks during which the producers auditioned actors not only from America but also from Australia, Canada, and England. Over 300 actresses auditioned for the role of Sarah Connor, the heroine of the Terminator series.[citation needed] Series creator Josh Friedman described the actress he was looking for was someone "who embodied that spirit and who was believable in that role and not just some glammed up, Hollywood, actressy thing." After a friend recommended English actress Lena Headey for the role, Friedman watched her audition tape, and thought she was "a tough, tough woman".[6] Headey was officially cast on November 7, 2006.[10]

On December 7, 2006, the actor cast in the role of 15-year-old John Connor was announced to be Thomas Dekker.[11] Regarding the Terminator films, Dekker says, "They are like my favorite films when I was younger. So it's very ironic that I'm getting to do this. And I know for the younger generation and for myself, John was equally important to me as Sarah was, and I know a lot of the people that I hear from really, really care about John."[12]

The remaining two principal cast members of the series, Richard T. Jones and Summer Glau, were announced in January 2007[13] and February 2007[14] respectively. Jones likens his character, an FBI agent, to that of Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. Moreover, he is allowed to improvise a few lines to provide "a little bit of comic relief" to the show.[15] Unlike Dekker, Glau had not seen the Terminator films prior to being cast as Cameron Phillips, whose role in the series was initially kept concealed but was later revealed to be a Terminator sent from the future to protect John.[16] Friedman had previously wanted to cast Glau in a pilot he wrote four years prior to The Sarah Connor Chronicles but she was already committed to Serenity.[6] Glau admitted that she felt "intimidated" by the role because the character is comprised of both human and robot characteristics.[17]

The role of Cromartie, a Terminator sent back to kill John Connor, first went to Owain Yeoman, who appeared in the pilot.[18] The trade press reported on September 24, 2007, that Garret Dillahunt has joined the show in that same role.[19]

Filming

The pilot episode was primarily filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and at Highland High School. The principal photography started on January 24, 2007 and took approximately one month to complete.[20][18] Subsequent episodes in the series are filmed in the backlot of the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, where the set was previously used by Gilmore Girls to depict their fictional town, Stars Hollow.[21]

Plot

Back story

Main article: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

At the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sarah, John, and the Terminator successfully destroy the T-1000 and the arm and computer chip from the first Terminator. Sarah and John then watch as the Terminator is lowered into a molten steel pit in an attempt to destroy all future technology that could be used to create Skynet. Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous and complicated world. Fugitives from the law, they are confronted with the reality that still more enemies — from the future and the present — could attack at any moment.

Summary

Prompted by the return of Terminators into their lives, Sarah and John decide to stop running and focus on stopping the creation of Skynet. They are aided by Cameron, a Terminator who poses as a female student at John's school and whose mission is to protect John. Meanwhile, FBI Agent James Ellison pursues Sarah and John with the belief that Sarah is deranged. During the Connors' attempts to stop Skynet by killing one of its creators, they meet Derek Reese, John Connor's uncle, who is injured after killing Andy Goode, the creator of Skynet.[22][23]

An advanced script review by TV Squad revealed that time travel would play a major role in the series premiere, including a temporal leap for the main characters from 1999 to 2007.[24] The pilot episode as broadcast takes place in August and September 1999 with a jump to September 2007. Three video clips from the series premiere published on the IGN website included Cromartie, the enemy Terminator, using Sarah's voice over the phone to find John, Sarah and John fighting over their current situation, and Cromartie looking for John, Sarah, and Cameron at the Dyson residence.[25]

Characters

Main characters

  • Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) is a major character in the Terminator series. She is the mother of John Connor, who will one day become the leader of the human resistance. She is seen as a deranged fugitive by the authorities, who do not believe her story about the Terminators.
  • John Connor (Thomas Dekker) is Sarah's son. The future leader of the human resistance, he is only fifteen years old in the show's time setting.
  • Cameron Phillips (Summer Glau) is a Terminator sent back from the year 2027 to protect John Connor. Her model and exact capabilities have not yet been revealed.[26] She can mimic human mannerisms better than the T-800 model, and consume food.[16][27]
  • James Ellison (Richard T. Jones) is an FBI agent pursuing the Connors.

Other characters

  • Cromartie (Owain Yeoman,[18] David Kilde, Aaron James Cash, and Garret Dillahunt) is a Terminator sent back to kill John in the pilot episode. He is shown to take damage to his biological covering, similar to the Model 101. After he finds his head, he goes to many people who work on putting him back together.[19]
  • Charley Dixon (Dean Winters[28]) Sarah's former fiancé, who will be looking for her for a number of episodes. In the original pilot, this character was named Burke Daniels, and played by Tim Guinee.[9]
  • Andy Goode (Brendan Hines) is a Caltech dropout who interned with Cyberdyne Systems and worked as an assistant to Miles Dyson. He creates an advanced artificial intelligence chess playing program, "The Turk", which Sarah fears could lead to the creation of Skynet. After "The Turk" loses a chess match against a Japanese rival computer, Andy is found dead at the chess tournament.
  • Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green) is a Resistance agent sent to the past by the future John Connor. He is the brother of Kyle Reese and biological uncle of John.
  • Carter (Brian Bloom) is a Terminator who was sent back to save large amounts of coltan, a substance used in the endoskeletons of Terminators.
  • Matt McColm is an unnamed T-888 Terminator who was sent back to kill all Resistance fighters, including Derek Reese.
  • Cheri Westin (Kristina Apgar) is John's chemistry partner, who seems troubled and shuns everyone who attempts to befriend her, including John. One classmate named Morris, revealed to John that Cheri may have a dysfunctional life after an unknown incident at the last school she attended.

Release

Promotion

Fox began their advertising campaign for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on September 27, 2007, with a brief teaser which ran during primetime programs, consisting of an image of two red dots that lasted for a few seconds on screen before disappearing. The two red dots were revealed to be the eyes of the Terminators from the show in the second phase of the advertising campaign, which began two weeks later. Fox heavily promoted the show during the World Series by releasing the first 45-second preview for the show on October 27, 2007. The final phase of the campaign commenced in November 2007 with more broadcast information being added to the advertisements. Joe Earley, Fox executive vice-president of marketing and communications, described it as the "biggest campaign for a new mid-season show in years."[29] Fox also made a promo music video from Alter Bridge's single Rise Today which currently can be view from the offcial site from Fox.com. Later, Fox heavily pushed the series with frequent spots during the Super Bowl, which led to a modest ratings bump the following week.

Broadcast information

An extended cut[7] of the pilot was publicly screened for the first time on July 28, 2007 at the 2007 Comic-Con International convention.[30] Originally scheduled to premiere on January 14, 2008, the television broadcast of the show was rescheduled to commence on January 13, 2008 after Fox reorganized their broadcast timetable due to the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike.[1] As such, Fox's original intention to air Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in the Monday 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central timeslot as a lead-in program for 24 was also changed. The show was moved to the Monday 9:00PM Eastern/8:00PM Central timeslot with Prison Break as its lead-in program.[31]

The series premiere in the United States was watched by 18.6 million viewers during its premiere time on January 13, 2008 according to HollywoodReporter.com.[32] The premiere provided significantly higher audience numbers than those of the scaled down Golden Globes ceremony, roughly twice the number of the Golden Globes.

The series will also air on TV3 in Ireland,[38] and TVB Pearl in Hong Kong,[39].

Following the resolution of the WGA Strike, the Los Angeles Times printed a chart indicating the status of American network television series. The chart, reprinted by a number of other websites, categorizes the series as "on the bubble", a term used to describe series in danger of cancellation, although as of mid-February Fox had yet to announce the fate of the series.[40]

Reception

See also: Pilot (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

The pilot episode received a rating of 11.1 from Nielsen Media Research on January, 13. 2008. The mainstream press reviews were generally positive. USA Today gave the premiere episode 3 and a half stars out of four, calling the series, "smart, tough and entertaining."[41] The New York Times referred to it as "one of the more humanizing adventures in science fiction to arrive in quite a while",[42] while the Los Angeles Times declared the show "has heart and feeling" and "an almost Shakespearean exploration of fate vs. character" that features "plenty of really great fight scenes, and explosions, as well as neato devices developed in the future and jury-rigged in the present."[43] In addition, film industry journal Daily Variety declared the series pilot "a slick brand extension off this profitable assembly line" that showcases "impressive and abundant action with realistic visual effects and, frankly, plenty of eye candy between Glau and Headey."[44]

Not all response has been positive, however. The Futon Critic, in a June 14, 2007 review of the pilot episode, declared that "it's actually far more ingrained into the Terminator mythology than you'd expect," but stated that "this installment feels less like a 'pilot' and more like an excuse to rearrange the deck chairs on the 'Terminator' franchise to potentially have a TV show."[23] One negative report from La Lamina Corredora reported that "the pilot feels too much like a cheap remake of T2."[45] Lena Headey's Sarah Connor has been criticized for not being as muscular as Linda Hamilton in T2.[46][47]

United States schedule

Season Timeslot Season premiere Season finale TV season Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 Sunday 8/7C (January 13) January 13, 2008 Spring 2008 2007-2008 40 10.4 (Current)
Monday 9/8C (January 14 -)

U.S. Nielsen ratings

# Episode Air Date Rating[48] Share[48] 18–49 (Rating/Share)[48] Viewers (m)[48] Rank (timeslot) Rank (night) Rank (week)
1 "Pilot" January 13, 2008 11.1 16 7.6/18 18.36 1 1 4 [49]
2 "Gnothi Seauton" January 14, 2008 6.2 9 4.2/10 10.07 2 4 21[50]
3 "The Turk" January 21, 2008 5.3 8 3.6/8 8.65 3 4 TBA
4 "Heavy Metal" February 4, 2008 5.5 8 3.5/8 8.84 2 4 26[51]
5 "Queen's Gambit" February 11, 2008 7.0 8 3.5/8 8.32 3 TBA TBA
6 "Dungeons & Dragons" February 18, 2008 6.9 7 3.3/8 [1] 8.45 [2] 3 8 TBA
7 "The Demon Hand" February 25, 2008 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
8 "Vick's Chip" March 3, 2008 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
9 "What He Beheld" March 3, 2008 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

References

  1. ^ a b "FOX Postpones '24,' Sets 'American Idol' Premiere". Zap2it.com. 2007-11-07. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  2. ^ "The Sarah Connor Chronicles Official Site". Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
  3. ^ a b Adalian, Josef (2005-11-09). "'Terminator' Re-tools". Variety. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  4. ^ Adalian, Josef (2006-08-28). "Helmer will be back". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2007-05-13). "Fox retains 'Canterbury,' NBC has 'IT'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  6. ^ a b c Goldman, Eric (2007-06-22). "Guiding the Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  7. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (2007-07-29). "SDCC: Terminating With The Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  8. ^ Elber, Lynn (2007-07-22). "Fox to Revise School Violence Scenes". Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  9. ^ a b Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: original pilot.
  10. ^ "Headey lands 'Connor' role". Variety. 2006-11-07. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  11. ^ Goldman, Eric (2006-12-07). "Heroes Star Set to Play John Connor". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  12. ^ Brokaw, Francine (2007-08-02). "Inside The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Superheroflix.com. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  13. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, January 18". The Futon Critic. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  14. ^ "Development Update: Monday, February 19". The Futon Critic. 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  15. ^ "Richard T. Jones on The Sarah Connor Chronicles". CanMag.com. 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  16. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (2007-06-05). "Exclusive: Summer Glau Talks Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  17. ^ White, Cindy (2007-07-24). "Chronicles' Glau Humanizes Terminator". Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ a b c Lee, Patrick (2007-03-05). "Headey Reveals Connor Chronicles". Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  19. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie, and Kimberly Nordyke (2007-09-24). "4 for 4: Actors called for fall series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-09-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "Terminator To Stalk Albuquerque". New Mexico Film Office. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  21. ^ Eric Goldman and Travis Fickett (2007-10-10). "On the Set of the Terminator TV Show". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  22. ^ "The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  23. ^ a b Sullivan, Brian Ford (2007-06-14). "The Futon's First Look: Fox's 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' (Plus 'Company Man')". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  24. ^ McDuffee, Keith (2007-04-17). "The Sarah Connor Chronicles — A look at the pilot script". TV Squad. Retrieved 2007-07-31. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  25. ^ "The Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  26. ^ Episode 2. http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/QnvCxPCsmqA6S6ZjMHIUTg201496/GW560H316
  27. ^ Her ability to consume food was seen in the pilot episode.
  28. ^ Mark A. Perigard (2008-01-13). "'Sarah Connor Chronicles' cranks up action". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  29. ^ Grossman, Ben (2007-10-21). "The Sarah Connor Chronicles Gets Big Push from Fox". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  30. ^ "Full Comic-Con Schedule Online!". Comingsoon.net. 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  31. ^ Frutkin, A. J. (2007-11-12). "Writers' Strike Knocks Out January Premiere Of 24". Mediaweek. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  32. ^ Gough, Paul J. (2008-01-15). ""'Terminator,' Globes viewers a world apart"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-01-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ Devlyn, Darren (2007-09-27). "Gyngell to lead network revival". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  34. ^ Kelly, Brendan (2007-12-04). ""CTV banks on U.S. fare: Network acquires 'Terminator,' 'Eli Stone'"". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-17. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  35. ^ "A-Channel Sarah Connor Chronicles". achannel.ca. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  36. ^ "'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' brings the fight to CTV". ctv.ca. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  37. ^ Clarke, Steve (2007-06-14). "Virgin buys 'Sarah Connor,' 'Star Trek'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
  38. ^ "TV3 Autumn Schedule Heralds New Phase for Ireland's Leading Commercial Broadcaster". TV3. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  39. ^ "明年節目舊酒新瓶多翻炒". Oriental Daily News（東方日報）. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  40. ^ Zap2It.com republication of chart by LA Times, accessed 13 February 2008
  41. ^ Bianco, Robert (2008-01-13). "Lena Headey saves the day in 'Terminator: Sarah Connor'". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  42. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (2008-01-12). "Running and Fighting, All to Save Her Son". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  43. ^ McNamara, Mary (2008-01-11). "The future looks bright for 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  44. ^ Lowry, Brian (2008-01-04). "Review Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  45. ^ "Review: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Pilot". La Lamina Corredora. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
  46. ^ Scott Collins (2008-01-11). "New Sarah Connor needs thick skin". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  47. ^ David Smith (2008-01-20). "'Weedy' action heroine under fire"". The Observer. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  48. ^ a b c d "Your Entertainment Now Blog". Word Press.
  49. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (For Wk of 1/7)". ABC Television Network. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  50. ^ ABC Medianet
  51. ^ http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=021208_04

External links


Template:The Sarah Connor Chronicles

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