Sarah Connor Chronicles: TV Series

[Dave]

from SciFi Wire

Fox OKs Terminator Pilot

Fox has committed to a pilot for a Terminator-themed TV show tentatively titled The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Variety reported. Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar's C2 Pictures, which produced Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, has struck a deal wiith Warner Brothers Television and writer Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) for the series, which will focus on Sarah Connor and her savior son, John Connor, the trade paper reported.

Fox declined to comment to the trade paper about the project, which attracted serious interest from several networks.

Friedman is aboard to write the pilot and serve as executive producer-show runner of the series, which would take place in the fictional time frame between the second and third Terminator movies. Vajna and Kassar will serve as executive producers, with C2 senior vice president of development James Middleton also producing.

Meanwhile, Vajna confirmed to Variety that C2 is in "the final phases of development" of a fourth Terminator movie, and the series will have a link to what's being envisioned as a new feature trilogy.

Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Connor in the first two Terminator movies, is not expected to be involved in the show. And because the series will be focused on the Connor family, it's not anticipated that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the title character in the films, would be a regular part of the series either.

Middleton said the series will explore what happened to Sarah Connor after the end of T2, when the character went on the run.

On the surface, I like the idea of this, but in reality is there very much more to tell?

I can't see any more Terminators turning up in this TV series, or at least it can't be a weekly event. Sarah just stockpiled weapons, hung about with some anarchist groups, and then spent years in a padded cell... hardly the most exciting plot for a TV series.

As I said in another thread, there needs to be a T4 to clear up the threads left by T3 (though I preferred the neat ending of T2), but a whole new triology sounds like they are squeezing the life out of franchise too hard. Some of T3 already retconned what was in T1 and I don't want them to re-write the future history any more.

[lordoftime]

If Hamilton isnt playing Sarah, whats the point?

[Dave]

Originally Posted by lordoftime

If Hamilton isnt playing Sarah, whats the point?

Lena Headey has been cast and at least two episodes filmed. According to 'Hailing Frequencies' no airtime has been announced yet.

[Dave]

TAKE BACK THE FUTURE

“TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES”

PREMIERES MONDAY, JANUARY 14, ON FOX

Again facing relentless Terminators that will stop at nothing until John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, is eliminated, Sarah Connor stops running and starts fighting back against fate and the machines that are out for her son in the highly anticipated new series TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES premiering Monday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Unfolding where the film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” leaves off, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES finds SARAH (Lena Headey) and her 15-year-old son JOHN CONNOR (Thomas Dekker) alone in a dangerous world. As fugitives from the law, they are confronted by the ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying their lives, and perhaps the world. Balancing his inevitable fate as the possible savior of mankind and his current life as an ordinary high school student, John must learn what it takes to become the future leader of the people’s resistance. His only friend is CAMERON (Summer Glau), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school who soon proves to be much more than his confidante – she assumes the role of Sarah and John’s fearless protector. Together, Sarah, John and Cameron, all extraordinary in their own right, attempt to become a “normal” family. On their trail are not only threats from the future, but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, JAMES ELLISON (Richard T. Jones), who just may become a powerful ally.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES represents an exciting reinvention of the “Terminator” film franchise, in which the strong and intrepid Sarah discovers that protecting her son and stopping the rise of the machines is more difficult than she had ever imagined.

It might be a while before I see this in the UK on terrestrial TV, so any thoughts, or reviews would be welcome.

[andrew.v.spencer]

Oh a double life as an "ordinary high school student" and saviour of the world. Haven't seen this before.

Cue life lessons for John as a soft rock ballad plays. Dawson's Creek meets Buffy meets Smallville.

"I'll be kack."

[McMurphy]

Originally Posted by Dave

As I said in another thread, there needs to be a T4 to clear up the threads left by T3 (though I preferred the neat ending of T2), but a whole new triology sounds like they are squeezing the life out of franchise too hard. Some of T3 already retconned what was in T1 and I don't want them to re-write the future history any more.

When I watched the third Terminator film, I was under the impression that it was only made to act as pilot for a possible television bout. Heh. Maybe that was just hopeful thinking and a need to rationalize an installment that was far inferior to the previous two films on my part.

I will give the series a chance.

[C Of K]

The series totally retcons Rise of the Machines. I saw the pilot episode a few months ago. While the pilot was good, there doesn't seem to be much story to tell. I can't really see them stretching it more than one season, although they may surprise me.

I guess the real question should be whether or not the series will be worth watching if they try to stretch it for more than one season.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by C Of K

The series totally retcons Rise of the Machines.

I really haven't been following this carefully, but isn't it set between T1 and T2? The period in which John went to school (or didn't) and Sarah built up a small arsenal of weapons, before she was certified crazy and locked away, and John got foster parents?

If so, in what way does that impinge on T3 and the subsequent films they are going to make?

Anyway, they've messed around with the story so much already, I don't know how you'd even notice.

[tangaloomababe]

I don't know. It dosn't appeal to me. I love the Terminator movies but I think they have been done and dusted! I agree with lordoftime also if Linda Hamilton is not playing Sarah there is really no point. I reserve judgement until I have seen an episode but I am not confident in its appeal.

[Delvo]

The actress who played River in "Firefly" is playing a robot that's here to protect John, and apparently will hang around long-term... which implies that there must be something major to protect him from, apparently a long-term supply of them... which makes me suspect something else that came from the future because those threats are bigger and more dramatic and more big-story-related than the threats from the present.

This is probably going to be like the way the Stargate and Highlander TV shows were based on their original movies: with some little but important detail in the original movie altered for the series and no attention paid to sequels at all... sort of an "alternate universe" interpretation of the concept, or the way superhero comic books get restarted occasionally with changes that contradict the way the same superhero and his/her world had been presented before.

[C Of K]

Originally Posted by Dave

I really haven't been following this carefully, but isn't it set between T1 and T2?

Actually it takes place after T2.
You must realize, to set a show like this in the past, even if it was only a decade ago, would alienate a large part of the audience. This story will take place in the present, in which case T3 has been effectively extracted from the storyline.

John is of an age to be in high school, but Sarah is a fugitive, on the run for the murder of Miles Dyson.

[Dave]

In that case, I totally see your point. I also agree that they would have to set it present-day for it to gain any kind of audience, so I can see why they have done that.

[KateWalker]

This looks interesting, but since it will be on regular TV and not cable, it will be "watered down" to make sure the kiddies can watch it too. I'll probably watch it, but my expectations for it are not at all, high.

[Antonio322]

Is anyone else excited about the upcoming 'sarah connor chronicles' tv series? I was a little skeptical about it at first but I think the premise of following Sarah Connor is a great idea, partly because that character was one of the defining parts of Terminator. Summer Glau of the show Firefly is also going to be a part of the show, I don't want to spoil it but here's a hint, she utters the famous words Arnold spoke in T2 & T3 'come with me if you want to live' The first episode airs on jan 14th on Fox.

[Vincent Tauscher]

I'm hesitant to be excited. I feel like inserting this story into the overall one will throw off the accuracy of the third one, as it gives the distinct impression that nothing happened between T2 and T3. I'll give it a shot, but I'm expecting this show to fall in the plethora of other ones that have cheesy character interactions, life lessons to be learned in every episode, and action sequences that are far too often (timewise) and unrealistic for the story to keep moving forward. But, we shall see.