La Brea (TV series)

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La Brea
La Brea (TV series) Title Card.png
GenreDrama
Created byDavid Appelbaum
Starring
Music byJames S. Levine
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Asher Landay
  • Livia Hanich
  • Naomi Cleaver
  • Zakiyyah Alexander
Production locationsMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Cinematography
  • Mark Wareham
  • Damian Wyvill
Editors
  • Harry B. Miller III
  • Angie Higgins
  • Leland Sexton
  • Julie-Anne De Ruvo
  • Dave Redman
Running time43 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkNBC
Picture formatHDTV 1080i
Original releaseSeptember 28, 2021 (2021-09-28) –
present (present)
External links
Website

La Brea is an American Science fiction drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 28, 2021.[1][2] The series, produced by Keshet Studios and Universal Television, is created and executive produced by David Appelbaum. The series received mixed reviews from critics. In November 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.[3]

Synopsis[]

When a massive sinkhole opens in the middle of Los Angeles at the site of the La Brea Tar Pits and Wilshire Boulevard, hundreds of people, vehicles and buildings (including the distinctive Petersen Automotive Museum) are pulled into its depths. The survivors find themselves trapped in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land where they must band together to survive. The show follows one family (father, mother, son, and daughter) who are separated by the events and attempting to reunite. The father has visions providing glimpses of when and where his wife and son are. The sinkhole and the sudden appearance of the Teratornis has attracted the attention of the United States Department of Homeland Security who are studying a similar event in the Mojave Desert. As the series progresses, the investigators realize that the sinkholes provide a temporary portal to the same location 10,000 years earlier. Meanwhile the survivors struggle to find a way back through the portal before it closes up.

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

  • Natalie Zea as Eve Harris, a helicopter mom and office manager who falls into the sinkhole
  • Eoin Macken as Gavin Harris, the estranged husband of Eve and former military pilot who has been having visions of a prehistoric land
    • Diesel La Torraca portrays Isaiah, a young boy in the past who grows up to become Gavin Harris upon being sent through time
  • Chiké Okonkwo as Ty Coleman, a therapist who Eve befriends
  • Karina Logue as Marybeth Hill, a police officer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who was in Los Angeles while on the trail of her estranged son Lucas
  • Zyra Gorecki as Izzy Harris, the teenage daughter of Eve and Gavin who lost her left leg in a car accident when being driven home by a neighbor
  • Jack Martin as Josh Harris, the teenage son of Eve who falls into the sinkhole
  • Veronica St. Clair as Riley Velez, Dr. Sam Velez's daughter whom Josh befriends
  • Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott Israni, an anthropology graduate student from Australia who was working at the George C. Page Museum and is a recreational drug user who is always high
  • Lily Santiago as Veronica Castillo, an apparently religious young woman and former runaway who was badly affected when her apparent father Aaron was killed by a dire wolf
  • Chloe De Los Santos as Lilly Castillo, a girl who is pretending that she cannot speak and passed off as Veronica's sister when she was really kidnapped by Veronica and Aaron
    • Michelle Vergara Moore as Ella Jones, a grown up version of Lilly that followed Isaiah to the present and has grown up to become an artist
  • Jon Seda as Dr. Sam Velez, Riley's father, physician, and former SEAL
  • Josh McKenzie as Lucas Hayes, Marybeth's estranged son who is a heroin trafficker and has a poor relationship with his mom ever since she shot his dad due to him planning to betray him to the police
  • Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi Delgado, a United States Air Force pilot and an old friend of the Harris family

Recurring[]

  • Ione Skye as Jessica Harris, Gavin's adoptive sister and the aunt of Izzy and Josh
  • Virginie Laverdure as Dr. Sophia Nathan, a United States Department of Defense operative who is investigating the sinkhole
  • Toby Truslove as Senior Agent Adam Markman, a United States Department of Defense operative and Dr. Nathan's co-worker who is investigating the sinkhole
  • Pacharo Mzembe as Tony Greene, a man who fell down a sink hole. While in 10,000 BC clearing, he repairs a Jeep.
  • Stephen Lopez as Billy Fisher, Tony's husband who fell down the sink hole and lost his glasses
  • Damien Fotiou as Judah
  • Ming-Zhu Hii as Dr. Rebecca Aldridge, a government scientist who knows more about time portals and sinkholes than she lets on and who appears to guide and/or influence the actions and decisions made by the other characters
  • Mark Lee as Silas, an old man in the past and grandfather of Isaiah that resides in the fort. Silas is a scientific colleague of Aldridge from the future who was keeping records of temporal portal openings into 10,000 BC from the future while living in the fort.
  • Tonantzin Carmelo as Paara, an ethnic Native American who speaks perfect modern English and who lives in and has high standing in the Fort. It is not clear yet in the narrative if she is originally from 10,000 BC or from a different time period.

Production[]

Development[]

On January 15, 2020, La Brea was given a pilot order by NBC. The pilot was directed by Thor Freudenthal and written by David Appelbaum who was expected to executive produce alongside Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Ken Woodruff and Rachel Kaplan. The production companies involved with the series are Keshet Studios and Universal Television.[4][5] On January 12, 2021, NBC gave production a series order. The series is created by David Appelbaum.[1] On November 12, 2021, NBC renewed the series for a second season.[3]

Casting[]

In February 2020, Michael Raymond-James, Karina Logue, Zyra Gorecki, Caleb Ruminer, Angel Parker, Catherine Dent, Veronica St. Clair, Jag Bal, and Chiké Okonkwo were cast as series regulars while Natalie Zea was cast as the lead role.[4][6][7][8] In March 2020, Jon Seda and Rita Angel Taylor joined the main cast.[9][10] On March 4, 2021, Eoin Macken and Jack Martin were cast to replace Raymond-James and Ruminer, respectively and Lily Santiago joined the main cast. In addition, the surname of the family has been changed to Harris.[11] On March 22, 2021, Nicholas Gonzalez and Rohan Mirchandaney joined the cast as series regulars.[12] In April 2021, Josh McKenzie was cast as a series regular while Ione Skye was cast in a recurring role and Chloe De Los Santos was cast to replace Taylor.[13][14]

Filming[]

The series began filming in Melbourne, Australia on May 3, 2021, and wrapped up in September 2021.[15][16] The main photography of the series was shot in regional Victoria. The recordings for season one were completed in September. The effects-heavy production spent $71 million in Australia, more than $60 million of it in Victoria. It is the most expensive TV production in Victoria since Steven Spielberg's HBO series The Pacific completed in 2009.[17]

Episodes[]

No.Title [18]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [18]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Thor FreudenthalDavid AppelbaumSeptember 28, 2021 (2021-09-28)6.37[19]
2"Day Two"Cherie NowlanDavid AppelbaumOctober 5, 2021 (2021-10-05)5.05[20]
3"The Hunt"Adam DavidsonJose MolinaOctober 12, 2021 (2021-10-12)5.06[21]
4"The New Arrival"Thor FreudenthalZakiyyah AlexanderOctober 19, 2021 (2021-10-19)5.12[22]
5"The Fort"Greg McLeanArika Lisanne MittmanOctober 26, 2021 (2021-10-26)5.20[23]
6"The Way Home"Adam DavidsonSteven Lilien & Bryan WynbrandtNovember 2, 2021 (2021-11-02)4.03[24]
7"The Storm"Thor FreudenthalAiyana WhiteNovember 9, 2021 (2021-11-09)4.70[25]
8"Origins"Cherie NowlanJessica Granger & Andre EdmondsNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16)4.67[26]
9"Father and Son"Thor FreudenthalArika Lisanne MittmanNovember 23, 2021 (2021-11-23)4.33[27]
10"Topanga"Adam DavidsonDavid AppelbaumNovember 30, 2021 (2021-11-30)4.94[28]

Release[]

The series premiered on September 28, 2021.[2] In Canada, the series is scheduled to air on CTV.[29] It will also air in Australia on 9Now.[30]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 38% approval rating with an average rating of 5.4/10, based on 16 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "There may be method to its madness, but La Brea simply doesn't commit to its insane premise hard enough to shake out a show worth watching—at least not yet."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 49 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[32]

Ratings[]

Viewership and ratings per episode of La Brea
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" September 28, 2021 0.8 6.37[19] TBD TBD TBD TBD
2 "Day Two" October 5, 2021 0.6 5.05[20] TBD TBD TBD TBD
3 "The Hunt" October 12, 2021 0.6 5.05[21] 0.3 2.58 1.0 7.64[21]
4 "The New Arrival" October 19, 2021 0.6 5.12[22] 0.3 2.57 0.9 7.69[33]
5 "The Fort" October 26, 2021 0.6 5.20[23] TBD TBD TBD TBD
6 "The Way Home" November 2, 2021 0.4 4.03[24] TBD TBD TBD TBD
7 "The Storm" November 9, 2021 0.6 4.70[25] TBD TBD TBD TBD
8 "Origins" November 16, 2021 0.6 4.67[26] 0.4 2.41 1.0 7.08[34]
9 "Father and Son" November 23, 2021 0.5 4.33[27] 0.3 2.28 0.8 6.62[35]
10 "Topanga" November 30, 2021 0.5 4.94[28] 0.3 2.18 0.9 7.12[36]

See also[]

  • Terra Nova, a Steven Spielberg produced TV series about a 22nd-century family migrating from a dystopian America via a time portal to a colony set in the wilderness of the Cretaceous period.
  • Time Spike, an Eric Flint novel about a 21st maximum security prison transported back in time to a Cretaceous period Earth via an exchange of an equivalent mass of Cretaceous land. This novel includes a subplot in which the U.S. government was using FEMA to hide the incident from the American public by claiming that Middle Eastern terrorists blew up the prison in such a way to make the area unsafe for entry by ordinary citizens.
  • Land of the Lost, the 1970s children's show of a family in a pocket universe that is a clear inspiration for the series.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 12, 2021). "'American Auto' & 'Grand Crew' Comedy Pilots, 'La Brea' Drama Picked Up To Series By NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Petski, Denise (July 15, 2021). "NBC Sets Fall Premiere Dates: New 'Ordinary Joe', 'La Brea', Returning 'Chicago', 'Law & Order'; 'The Blacklist' Moves To Thursdays". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b White, Peter (November 12, 2021). "'La Brea' Renewed For Season 2 At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Petski, Denise (February 20, 2020). "Michael Raymond-James To Star In NBC Drama Pilot 'La Brea', Karina Logue & Zyra Gorecki Also Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Petski, Denise (January 15, 2020). "'La Brea' Drama Pilot From David Appelbaum & Keshet Studios Gets NBC Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Petski, Denise (February 27, 2020). "Caleb Ruminer, Angel Parker, Catherine Dent Among Five Cast In NBC Drama Pilot 'La Brea'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Ritman, Alex (February 27, 2020). "Brit Actor Chiké Okonkwo Lands Role in 'La Brea' NBC Pilot (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 26, 2020). "Natalie Zea To Star In NBC Drama Pilot 'La Brea'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 5, 2020). "Jon Seda Joins Drama Pilot 'La Brea' In NBC Return". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Petski, Denise (March 9, 2020). "Christian Keyes Joins NBC Drama Pilot 'At That Age'; Rita Angel Taylor Books 'La Brea'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 4, 2021). "'La Brea': Eoin Macken To Star, Jon Seda To Return As NBC Series Also Casts Jack Martin & Lily Santiago". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 22, 2021). "Nicholas Gonzalez Joins NBC Drama Series 'La Brea'; Rohan Mirchandaney Also Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (April 13, 2021). "'La Brea': Josh McKenzie & Chloe De Los Santos Join NBC Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (April 21, 2021). "'La Brea': Ione Skye Joins NBC Drama Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  15. ^ Beers, Lucy Mae (May 4, 2021). "Bay Street in Port Melbourne closed as filming of US sinkhole TV show La Brea starts". Seven News. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  16. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 1, 2021). "When Does La Brea Season 2 Start? (And Will It Still Film in Australia?)". TVLine.
  17. ^ Quinn, Karl (May 3, 2021). "La Brea brings LA down under, as Universal eyes $200m of shows a gear". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Shows A-Z - la brea on nbc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (September 29, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.28.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 6, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.5.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c Berman, Marc (October 13, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: CBS and NBC Share Leadership; Respectable Week 3 Performance for NBC's 'La Brea'". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 20, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.19.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  23. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 27, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.26.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  24. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 3, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.2.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 10, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.9.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  26. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 17, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.16.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 24, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.23.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (December 1, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.30.2021 Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "The Wonder Years, The Big Leap, and The Cleaning Lady Lead New CTV Series for 2021/22 Season". The Lede (Press release). Bell Media. June 3, 2021.
  30. ^ "Chucky, La Brea, Love Island USA, MAFS UK for 9Now". TV Tonight. September 17, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  31. ^ "La Brea: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  32. ^ "La Brea: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  33. ^ Berman, Marc (October 20, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Modest Return for ABC's The Bachelorette; Lead-out Drama Queens Left At the Starting Gate". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  34. ^ Marc Berman (November 17, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Sluggish Returns for The CW'l's 'The Flash' and 'Riverdale'; 'Queens' on ABC Sinks Further". Programming Insider. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  35. ^ Marc Berman (November 24, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: ABC and NBC Lead the Diluted Troops; 'The Voice' Tops Night". Programming Insider. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  36. ^ Marc Berman (December 1, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC's 'La Brea' Concludes Season 1 on a Respectable Note; ABC and NBC Share Dominance". Programming Insider. Retrieved December 20, 2021.

External links[]

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