Falling Skies (TNT) - News/Speculation/Discussion

[Gen. Chris]

Fascinating how differently Spielberg's two sci-fi series fared. Terra Nova & Falling Skies debuted the same year. Terra Nova had a huge budget and expensive special effects. It bombed and was canceled. Falling Skies was made on a comparitive shoestring but performed well (for a cable sci-fi programme). Now a fourth season is greenlighted.

Does anyone know how the first-season ratings actually compared? An expensive show on primetime network television requires many more viewers to survive than a less expensive show on "basic cable" like TNT, FX, or AMC. Falling Skies has been a ""success" -- and I like it far better than Terra Nova -- but did it actually pull in more viewers than Terra Nova? I wonder.

Grah...Terra Nova...that finale....*shakes fist*

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

Grah...Terra Nova...that finale....*shakes fist*

i don't even remember that show.

[Teddybrown]

This is good news!

[LoneStar1836]

Nice on the S4 renewal. I'm trying to make the effort to watch this season after not watching most of last season. Pretty good so far

Much more watchable than Tera Nova. So between those two glad it was the one to survive.

[garhkal]

Not really a surprise but glad to hear

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...ytheNumbers%29

Wow.. we are barely 5 eps into the new season and they are wanting a 4th already! Man is this a good show or what?

Grah...Terra Nova...that finale....*shakes fist*

Personally i would have liked to see how it would have ended.. I was one of those who actually LIKED the show.

[the fifth man]

Wow.. we are barely 5 eps into the new season and they are wanting a 4th already! Man is this a good show or what?



Personally i would have liked to see how it would have ended.. I was one of those who actually LIKED the show.

Falling Skies is indeed a great show. I am glad that TNT made this early decision. Now I can just sit back and enjoy the rest of this season a bit more. I always take comfort in knowing for sure that a show will be returning the following season.

As for Terra Nova, my wife and I really enjoyed it too while it was on. I would have liked to have seen where they took things in the second season.

[Gen. Chris]

Personally, I think the show has slipped a bit. I still enjoy it, but I found season 2 to be better so far.


Happy it got a fourth season though. It deserves it. I just hope they make it a bit more gripping.

[garhkal]

As for Terra Nova, my wife and I really enjoyed it too while it was on. I would have liked to have seen where they took things in the second season.

Agreed. 3 of the big things i was wanting to know..
Who realy did all those drawings? Was it the commander's son?
What was that 'ship head'? Where did it come from..
Who was really behind the raids/future group taking over the colony?

[the fifth man]

Personally, I think the show has slipped a bit. I still enjoy it, but I found season 2 to be better so far.


Happy it got a fourth season though. It deserves it. I just hope they make it a bit more gripping.

Personally, I have loved this season so far. But, to each their own. I can't wait to see how things play out over the course of what is left of the season.

[Teddybrown]

Finally started season 3 in the UK, episode 2 next week.
Looks like its setting up some interesting storylines!

[squirrely1]

I may have the unpopular opinion here but I've been faithfully watching the show and while I think this season has been better than last season, it still is falling way short for me in the gripping drama department. I am personally bugged by how many times the Mason's can be taken to the brink of death only to be miraculously cured/healed/de-harnessed/de-bugged/de-possessed etc before it's starting to get really cliche to me.

I have enjoyed some of the character deaths (I know that sounds weird to say) but in an end of the world scenario you'd expect a band of characters running for their lives from a group of very powerful aliens to ....well....die. But it would be nice if they were more of the main cast namely one of the Mason boys. *dodges flying objects* To me it just seems rather "safe" writing to have something horrific happen to each one of them only to pull them out relatively unscathed within a few eps

I guess my days watching The Walking Dead has really spoiled me to main character deaths

[Gen. Chris]

No, I feel the same. But here's the problem with killing off the kids:


Ben is clearly special within the show, and he has a relatively good standing amongst the fans, actually probably the best among the Mason kids. Ben is therefore safe (at least in my opinion)

Matt can be an annoying brat who the fans more often than not do not like (including me, but he has been a bit better this season). However, he is young, and killing him would probably garner a negative reaction in general (i.e., "How could you kill such a young character on-screen?!"), so he is safe, at least until he gets older. Jimmy was young, 14-15, and his death was viewed a bit negatively if I remember correctly.

That leaves Hal (if you don't count the baby), and Hal, though being a mixed-reaction sort of character among the fans from what I have read, would probably cause a backlash if he were to die as well. Plus I believe he is seen as attractive by the female audiences, and apparently it is against the rules to anger female audiences .


So, more likely than not, the Mason family is safe.

[squirrely1]

No, I feel the same. But here's the problem with killing off the kids:


Ben is clearly special within the show, and he has a relatively good standing amongst the fans, actually probably the best among the Mason kids. Ben is therefore safe (at least in my opinion)

Matt can be an annoying brat who the fans more often than not do not like (including me, but he has been a bit better this season). However, he is young, and killing him would probably garner a negative reaction in general (i.e., "How could you kill such a young character on-screen?!"), so he is safe, at least until he gets older. Jimmy was young, 14-15, and his death was viewed a bit negatively if I remember correctly.

That leaves Hal (if you don't count the baby), and Hal, though being a mixed-reaction sort of character among the fans from what I have read, would probably cause a backlash if he were to die as well. Plus I believe he is seen as attractive by the female audiences, and apparently it is against the rules to anger female audiences .


So, more likely than not, the Mason family is safe.

*snort* yeah I agree with all of that but.... I think there comes a point when you either write your show for what would be best artistically and makes the most sense or you cater to the fans. Now obviously that is a slippery slope as if you piss off too many fans then yeah you may not have many viewers, however that is the difference in my opinion between shows like TWD that doesn't write just to be "safe" they walk the line despite potential backlash from the audience. Case in point... I think I've seen you in TWD discussion circles so I think you are up with that show...but correct me if I'm wrong here but, remember they

Spoiler:

"killed off Sophia" and quite brutally, hell the first episode had Rick shooting a zombie kid in the head

so yeah, obviously they were zombies so maybe that takes some of the sting out of it but still I think shows like TWD have raised the bar with what audiences expect. And these "red shirt" deaths are just getting to be too cliche ...and while I think FS is trying to make them seem less "red shirty" ....they are still basically second string players that may have very little screen time, until it's their episode to die then all of a sudden they get so much screen time and WHAM. I think alot of shows are having to do this even TWD did this to some degree with (T-Dog) but still audiences expect more today than they did in the 70's.

As for the Mason boys, again I agree with you about Ben, but I think Hal could go...he has perfect hair in all this and that just can't be.

[garhkal]

I may have the unpopular opinion here but I've been faithfully watching the show and while I think this season has been better than last season, it still is falling way short for me in the gripping drama department. I am personally bugged by how many times the Mason's can be taken to the brink of death only to be miraculously cured/healed/de-harnessed/de-bugged/de-possessed etc before it's starting to get really cliche to me.

It is starting to get old. We have had tom captured what, three times now? Hal (eldest kid) bugged once, but don't remember anything else. Mid kid Ben was harnessed, but other than that, has not had much issues being captured etc.. Youngest (matt) had that run in where he almost got harnessed.. and now his newest kid is half alien.

I have enjoyed some of the character deaths (I know that sounds weird to say) but in an end of the world scenario you'd expect a band of characters running for their lives from a group of very powerful aliens to ....well....die. But it would be nice if they were more of the main cast namely one of the Mason boys. *dodges flying objects* To me it just seems rather "safe" writing to have something horrific happen to each one of them only to pull them out relatively unscathed within a few eps

Agreed. I would like it if Hal died. Though after last nights ep,

Spoiler:

Ann glass and the kid were possibly killed

.

No, I feel the same. But here's the problem with killing off the kids:


Ben is clearly special within the show, and he has a relatively good standing amongst the fans, actually probably the best among the Mason kids. Ben is therefore safe (at least in my opinion)

Matt can be an annoying brat who the fans more often than not do not like (including me, but he has been a bit better this season). However, he is young, and killing him would probably garner a negative reaction in general (i.e., "How could you kill such a young character on-screen?!"), so he is safe, at least until he gets older. Jimmy was young, 14-15, and his death was viewed a bit negatively if I remember correctly.

That leaves Hal (if you don't count the baby), and Hal, though being a mixed-reaction sort of character among the fans from what I have read, would probably cause a backlash if he were to die as well. Plus I believe he is seen as attractive by the female audiences, and apparently it is against the rules to anger female audiences .

So, more likely than not, the Mason family is safe.

Nice rundown on which it may or may not be. But of the 3, Hal is imo the one who should go.

[Gen. Chris]

Final three episodes including the most recent one.