Fox makes Terra Nova extinct

US network Fox has cancelled big-budget dinosaur drama Terra Nova.

The surprise move means that the series, which is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment and exec produced by Steven Spielberg, will not return for a second season.

The show had a budget of US$4 million per episode and its two-hour pilot reportedly cost around US$14 million, meaning that it was an extremely expensive show to produce. Although it sold well internationally, to broadcasters including Sky One (UK), Network Ten (Australia), Canal Plus (France) and Prosieben (Germany), this was not enough to warrant a second season.

Fox said that it would be shopping the series to other broadcasters but it is unlikely to find a buyer as a result of these high production costs.

Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly admitted at this year’s TCA press tour that it had a difficult decision to make. “We made money on it, the studio made money on it, the audience enjoyed it,” he said. “There is a show, which if we are to bring back, there’s an audience there. But creatively, the show was hunting.”

This means that the network will be looking harder for new drama series from this year’s development slate; it has ordered pilots including McG-directed legal thriller Guilty (from Warner Bros) and The Asset, a spy drama from War of the Worlds Josh Friedman starring Ali Larter.