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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

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Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
File:Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles.png
Title screen
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 originUSA
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time43 min. (approx.)
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseJanuary 13, 2008 –
present

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is an American science fiction television series produced by Warner Bros. Television and C2-Pictures. It revolves around the lives of the fictional characters Sarah and John Connor, following the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The series premiered on Sunday, January 13, 2008[1] on the U.S. television network Fox, and 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] Dekker's management threatened to pull him from the NBC series Heroes to ensure that his character Zach would not be gay, believing that it would threaten his chances of getting the role of John.[12] 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."[13]

The remaining two principal cast members of the series, Richard T. Jones and Summer Glau, were announced in January 2007[14] and February 2007[15] 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.[16] 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.[17] 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.[18]

The role of Cromartie, a Terminator sent back to kill John Connor, first went to Owain Yeoman, who appeared in the pilot.[19] The trade press reported on September 24, 2007, that Garret Dillahunt has joined the show in that same role.[20]

Filming

The pilot episode was primarily filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The principal photography started on January 24, 2007 and took approximately one month to complete.[21][19] 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.[22]

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. The Terminator, at its own request, is then destroyed in order to eliminate any future technology that could be used to create Skynet. Sarah and John, now wanted fugitives, must also face the reality that other enemies from the future could be after them. However, they were able to delay "Judgment Day" from 1997 to 2011.

Summary

See also: List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes

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.[23][24]

An advance 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.[25] The pilot episode as broadcast begins 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.[26]

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 at the beginning of the show, turning sixteen in the season one finale.
  • 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.[27] She can mimic human mannerisms better than the T-800 model, and consume food, a first for terminators.[17][28]
  • James Ellison (Richard T. Jones) is an FBI agent pursuing Sarah Connor. As he collects inexplicable evidence, he begins to question whether Sarah is truly deranged.

Other characters

Main article: List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles minor characters
  • Cromartie (Owain Yeoman,[19] 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 revealing his endoskeleton at the end of the episode. After it finds a new biological covering in the episode "The Turk", it continues its search to kill John Connor.[20]
  • Charley Dixon (Dean Winters[29]) 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 killed by Derek Reese.
  • Derek Thomas Reese (Brian Austin Green) is a Resistance fighter sent to the past by the future John Connor. He is the older brother of Kyle Reese and biological uncle of John. He knows Cameron in the future, but still does not trust her.
  • Carter (Brian Bloom) is a Terminator who was sent back to save large amounts of coltan, a substance used in the endoskeletons of Terminators. Cameron locks up this terminator in a military bomb shelter.
  • Vick (Matt McColm) is a T-888 Terminator who was sent back to kill all Resistance fighters, including Derek Reese. Cameron removes its CPU and incinerates its endoskeleton. It married a woman who was working on a system that could have led to the creation of Skynet.
  • 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."[30] Fox also created a promo music video based on Alter Bridge's single Rise Today, which currently can be viewed on Fox's website. The song was also featured in one of the promo trailers.[31] 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.[32] 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 2007–2008 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.[33]

The series premiere in the United States was watched by 18.6 million viewers during its premiere time on January 13, 2008.[34]

The series will also air on TV3 in Ireland from March 7, 2008,[40], TV3 (Catalonia) from March 27, 2008,[41], RTP1 in Portugal, TF1 in France, and TVB Pearl in Hong Kong.[42]

The series will be shown in India starting 11th March on Zee Cafe every Tuesday.

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,[43]. The Hollywood Reporter states that the show is likely to return. [44] According to TV Guide,"Fox has given producers the green light to start booking directors for next season's first three episodes."[45] However, as of April 03, 2008, Fox has yet to announce the fate of the series. Producer Josh Friedman has said his plans are to incorporate the unfilmed storylines from the remaining four episodes of season 1 into the start of season 2.[46]

Critical 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."[47] The New York Times referred to it as "one of the more humanizing adventures in science fiction to arrive in quite a while",[48] 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."[49] 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."[50]

United States schedule

Season Timeslot Season premiere Season finale TV season Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 Sunday 8/7C (January 13) January 13, 2008 March 3, 2008 2008 47 9.9
Monday 9/8C (January 14 - March 3)

U.S. Nielsen ratings

# Episode Air Date Rating[51] Share[51] 18–49 (Rating/Share)[51] Viewers (m)[51] Rank (timeslot) Rank (night) Rank (week)
1 "Pilot" January 13, 2008 11.11 16 7.6/18 18.36 1 1 4
2 "Gnothi Seauton" January 14, 2008 6.2 9 4.2/10 10.07 2 4 21
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
5 "Queen's Gambit" February 11, 2008 5.1 8 3.5/8 8.32 3 TBA 29
6 "Dungeons & Dragons" February 18, 2008 4.9 7 3.2/8 8.1 3 8 26
7 "The Demon Hand" February 25, 2008 4.4 7 2.7/7 7.12 TBA TBA TBA
8 "Vick's Chip" March 3, 2008 4.7 7 3.0/8 7.75 2 8 35
9 "What He Beheld" March 3, 2008 5.0 8 3.3/8 8.29 2 7 32

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 2008-03-04.
  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. ^ "Interview: Heroes Bryan Fulle". Popgurls. 2007-4-20. Retrieved 2008-3-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  13. ^ Brokaw, Francine (2007-08-02). "Inside The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Superheroflix.com. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  14. ^ "Development Update: Thursday, January 18". The Futon Critic. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  15. ^ "Development Update: Monday, February 19". The Futon Critic. 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  16. ^ "Richard T. Jones on The Sarah Connor Chronicles". CanMag.com. 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  17. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (2007-06-05). "Exclusive: Summer Glau Talks Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  18. ^ White, Cindy (2007-07-24). "Chronicles' Glau Humanizes Terminator". Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ a b c Lee, Patrick (2007-03-05). "Headey Reveals Connor Chronicles". Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  20. ^ 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)
  21. ^ "Terminator To Stalk Albuquerque". New Mexico Film Office. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  22. ^ Eric Goldman and Travis Fickett (2007-10-10). "On the Set of the Terminator TV Show". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  23. ^ "The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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)
  26. ^ "The Sarah Connor Chronicles". IGN.com. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  27. ^ Episode 2. http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/QnvCxPCsmqA6S6ZjMHIUTg201496/GW560H316
  28. ^ Her ability to consume food was seen in the pilot episode and again in "The Demon Hand".
  29. ^ Mark A. Perigard (2008-01-13). "'Sarah Connor Chronicles' cranks up action". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  30. ^ 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)
  31. ^ http://foxbc.edgeboss.net/wmedia/foxbc/shows/sarahconnor/sarahconnor_rise_musicvideo_1200.wvx Direct link to media file
  32. ^ "Full Comic-Con Schedule Online!". Comingsoon.net. 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  33. ^ Frutkin, A. J. (2007-11-12). "Writers' Strike Knocks Out January Premiere Of 24". Mediaweek. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  34. ^ 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)
  35. ^ Devlyn, Darren (2007-09-27). "Gyngell to lead network revival". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  36. ^ 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)
  37. ^ "A-Channel Sarah Connor Chronicles". achannel.ca. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  38. ^ "'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' brings the fight to CTV". ctv.ca. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  39. ^ Clarke, Steve (2007-06-14). "Virgin buys 'Sarah Connor,' 'Star Trek'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
  40. ^ "TV3 Autumn Schedule Heralds New Phase for Ireland's Leading Commercial Broadcaster". TV3. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  41. ^ "TV3 serie commercial". TV3. 2008-3-14. Retrieved 2008-3-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  42. ^ "明年節目舊酒新瓶多翻炒 (translit: "Next year, Old Liquor, New Bottle will turn fries")". Oriental Daily News（東方日報）. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  43. ^ Zap2It.com republication of chart by LA Times, accessed 13 February 2008
  44. ^ "Many series on the bubble for fall". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  45. ^ http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Sarah/800035889
  46. ^ CTV.ca interview, accessed March 4, 2008
  47. ^ Bianco, Robert (2008-01-13). "Lena Headey saves the day in 'Terminator: Sarah Connor'". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  48. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (2008-01-12). "Running and Fighting, All to Save Her Son". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  49. ^ McNamara, Mary (2008-01-11). "The future looks bright for 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  50. ^ Lowry, Brian (2008-01-04). "Review Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  51. ^ a b c d "Your Entertainment Now Blog". Word Press.
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