Long before NBC's La Brea sent modern families tumbling into the past, Steven Spielberg had already staked a claim on prehistoric TV drama with Terra Nova. The 2011 series, produced under his Amblin Television banner, was a bold attempt to bring the wonder and terror of Jurassic Park to the small screen. And while it only lasted a single season, it remains a fascinating what-if in sci-fi television history.
What Was Terra Nova About?
Set in the year 2149, Terra Nova painted a grim future where Earth is choked by overpopulation and pollution. To save humanity, a time portal is opened to an alternate Cretaceous period, allowing colonists to start fresh. Among the new arrivals is former cop Jim Shannon (Jason O'Mara), his wife Elisabeth (Shelley Conn), and their three kids—Josh (Landon Liboiron), Maddy (Naomi Scott), and Zoe (Alana Mansour). They join a colony led by the gruff Commander Nathaniel Taylor (Stephen Lang), the first traveler through the portal.
But paradise has its predators. The Sixers, a mercenary group, want to strip the prehistoric world of its minerals for profit back in 2149. Even in the distant past, corporate greed finds a way. The Shannon family also deals with personal drama: Josh resents being dragged away from his girlfriend, Maddy seems to attract danger, and Zoe's very existence violates future population laws. Taylor, meanwhile, discovers his estranged son Lucas (Ashley Zuckerman) is leading the Sixers—a family rift with prehistoric stakes.
Why Did Terra Nova Only Last One Season?
Despite Spielberg's pedigree and a promising concept, Terra Nova stumbled behind the scenes. Originally slated for a May 2011 debut, it was pushed to fall due to unfinished special effects. Writers began jumping ship as production dragged on—Craig Silverstein left to run Nikita, and David Fury departed over creative differences. The show did get a full season order, a rarity at the time, but FOX canceled it in 2012. A potential Netflix revival fizzled out.
Showrunner Brannon Braga later revealed plans for a second season involving evolved dinosaurs and a power struggle between Shannon and Taylor. Naomi Scott, who played Maddy, reflected on how the original vision got diluted during production, losing some of its unique edge.
Terra Nova vs. La Brea: A Prehistoric Family Affair
La Brea, which aired from 2021 to 2024, shares a striking resemblance to Terra Nova. Both shows drop modern families into a prehistoric world, with a heavy emphasis on family bonds. La Brea slowly revealed its time-travel mechanics and introduced a future faction—the Lazarus Project—that wanted to strip-mine the past for resources, echoing the Sixers' motives. Both series also owe a debt to Spielberg's Jurassic Park, which turned dinosaurs into box-office gold and inspired a generation of prehistoric survival stories.
For fans of sci-fi adventure, Terra Nova remains a hidden gem worth revisiting. It's a reminder of a time when TV dared to go big, even if it didn't always stick the landing. And if you're craving more time-travel drama, you might also enjoy Timothy Olyphant's gritty thriller or the latest on Slow Horses.
