from the hollywood re****ter
Fox gives 'Terminator' second season
By Nellie Andreeva and James Hibberd
She'll be back -- and sooner than you think.
Not only has Fox has picked up "Terminator: The Sarah Connor
Chronicles" for a second round, the show is returning in the fall.
"Connor" premiered in January as a midseason drama, but Fox is
****fting the show to its fall lineup for next season. The network on
Monday handed a 13-episode order to the sci-fi drama, an extension of
the "Terminator" feature franchise. The series revolves around Sarah
Connor (Lena Headey) and her son, John (Thomas Dekker), as they battle
enemies from the future with the help of a goodhearted terminator,
Cameron (Summer Glau).
"Althought a screwy year, even with the soft competition audiences
rejected many other shows," said Fox entertainment president Kevin
Reilly. "Advertisers loved it and Josh Friedman did an incredible job
taking a beloved franchise and finding the episodic voice of the
show."
Reilly said that "Connor" will likely get a new time period next fall
rather than stay at Mondays at 9 p.m. NBC puts the similarly sci-fi
tinged "Heroes" in slot, which was on hiatus due to the writers strike
when "Connor" aired this season.
The series could also get an early back-nine order, Reilly said. Next
May, Fox will release the fourth "Terminator" film which could make
for some ideal cor****ate synegy should the TV series survive the fall.
Reilly said he's already spoken to the film's direct McG about
cross-promotional possibilities.
"We're a living commercial for the franchise," Reilly said. "You may
see do some co-marketing efforts. If the show's working that's going
to be a no-brainer for us in May."
"Connor," which launched in January, is the highest-rated new scripted
series this season among adults 18-49 with an average of a 4.4
rating/10 share. The Warner Bros. TV-produced series drew an average
of 10.5 million total viewers.
"Connor" had been considered a shoo-in for a renewal, along with Fox's
freshman comedy "Back to You," which has yet to be picked up.
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