Entertainment
Massively Expensive Time Travel Series Killed By Fox Now Streaming For Free
By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated
An overpopulated Earth running out of resources has set the stage for countless sci-fi stories that typically send people off into space, WALL-E, Lost in Space, Interstellar, Pandorum, there are countless variations of that story. In 2011, Fox launched an ambitious sci-fi series that had the most convoluted solution yet: Send colonists back in time to the Cretaceous period of a parallel time stream. Terra Nova has an insane premise that falls apart the moment you look at it. A swift cancellation after only one season makes it another one of Fox’s many missed sci-fi opportunities, proving even Steven Spielberg wasn’t safe from the C-suite.
Terra Nova Goes To The Past To Save The Future
Spielberg was one of Terra Nova’s executive producers, alongside Star Trek’s Brannon Braga, though it was co-created by Kelly Marcel. Don’t know her name? You know her work: She wrote all three of Sony’s Venom movies, and directed Venom: The Last Dance. The series started with a bang on September 26, 2011, following one of the most expensive pilot episodes in history. It didn’t take long, though, for the most annoying sci-fi trope to take over and completely derail the series: kids.
Terra Nova kicks off with the Shannon family, Jim the police officer(Jason O’Mara), Elisabeth the medical doctor (Shelly Conn, Lady Marie Sheffield in Bridgerton) and their children, Josh (Landon Liboiron), Maddie (Naomi Scott), and Zoe, being sent through the portal to the past as punishment for having one too many children. Commander Taylor (Stephen Lang), the only survivor of the first pilgrimage, rules over Terra Nova with an iron fist, protecting them from outside threats (dinosaurs) and domestic threats (rebels). If you can see where this is going, congrats, you’ve seen a sci-fi show before.
The Shannon kids, Josh and Maddie, quickly dominate the show’s storylines as they wind up falling in with the rebellious Sixers, named after the Sixth Pilgrimage, the first one influenced by industrial companies to send resources back to the future. For the entire middle stretch of the series, you’ll be yelling at them that The Sixers are not good, and every choice they’re making is the wrong one. Eventually, The Sixers, rebranded as The Phoenix Group, engage in open warfare against the colony with the support of the corporations. It’s a great setup for a Season 2 we never received.
More Unrealized Potential Than My High School Report Card
Terra Nova is a fun watch, but frustrating, as once the story comes together and reaches a boiling point of tension, it ends. The finale has an amazing sequence involving a T-Rex that pays off the entire season, but then it’s over. Dwindling viewership from the slow-paced middle episodes, combined with the astronomical budget for the series, gave Fox all the reason it needed to pull the plug three months after the finale.
Dinosaurs aren’t cheap, and Terra Nova has the best dinosaurs you’ll see on a television budget. It’s a series that would be a massive hit in the streaming era of fewer episodes and a higher budget per season. That would enhance the strengths of the show and take away the slow pacing and over-involvement of the kids.
Instead, the show is another to be added onto Fox’s pile of sci-fi canceled too soon, alongside Almost Human, Dark Angel, and Firefly. Terra Nova isn’t the greatest sci-fi series, but it’s not the worst. It’s 13 episodes brimming with unrealized potential and a million different ways it could have gone that should have been able to retain the initial audience of 10 million viewers. No other sci-fi show has given us an ankylosaurus, the best dinosaur, and for that alone, it deserved better.
Terra Nova is now streaming for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
This educational kids app gives parents a much-needed break — and now it’s $60 for life
TL;DR: Lock in a lifetime of educational fun with this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, on sale now for just $59.99 (reg. $250).
Have you had a sip of hot coffee this summer break? If not, you might want to check out Pok Pok. It’s an educational app that offers a guilt-free screen option for kids ages 2-8, so you can get a little break when you need it.
Right now, you can lock in a lifetime subscription to Pok Pok for only $59.99.
Mashable Deals
Pok Pok is an award-winning app that gives busy parents everywhere a chance to cook dinner, answer some emails, or just enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning while their little ones enjoy some educational content. It takes a Montessori approach to learning, so kids can navigate it independently.
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Montessori-inspired learning means there is no winning or losing and no rules, levels, or objectives. Kids can just open Pok Pok, tap a toy, and start exploring categories like space, dinosaurs, numbers, and shapes. This open-ended play setup can grow with your kids, so they can enjoy the app for years.
As your kids play, you can rest easy knowing the app was developed in collaboration with early childhood experts and designed to be calming and non-addictive, featuring hand-drawn animations and in-house-made sound effects.
Pok Pok is COPPA-certified, ad-free, and GDPR-compliant, so they won’t be tricked into making any purchases. A lifetime subscription also includes access to regular updates, so kids will always have something new to explore. This subscription also includes an exclusive surprise gift that will show up at your address.
Let your kids explore while you take a break thanks to this lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, on sale now for just $59.99.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $145 ASUS Chromebook is a laptop and tablet in one
TL;DR: Get two gadgets in one with this ASUS Chromebook CM30, on sale now for only $144.97 (reg. $369.99) through July 19.
$144.97
$369.99
Save $225.02
If you’re in the market for a laptop and a tablet, you have a pretty steep price tag ahead of you. The ASUS Chromebook CM30 solves for that, giving you two devices in one thanks to a detachable keyboard.
Right now, you can bring home this multitasking device for less than you would pay for just one of those items — $144.97 — until July 19.
Mashable Deals
The world asks a lot of us these days. Since we’re all used to multitasking, our devices should be able to do it too. This ASUS Chromebook CM30 is up to the task — offering an easy way to switch from a productivity laptop to a relaxation tablet in just a few seconds.
The ASUS Chromebook is a 2-in-1 device powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, delivering smooth, efficient performance. 8GB RAM and 128GB eMMC storage let you multitask, save files locally, and have enough room for your favorite apps.
The 10.5-inch touchscreen delivers crisp visuals and intuitive touch control and easily detaches from the keyboard to provide a sleeker user experience. There’s also a garaged stylus with fast-charging technology that lets you change things up when you’re tired of tapping.
This Chromebook arrives running Chrome OS, an efficient operating system for today’s busy world. There are also dual 5MP front and rear cameras for capturing images and hopping on video calls.
You’ll enjoy up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, and plenty of ports for your connectivity needs. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 help you connect anywhere, and you can rest easy taking this ASUS Chromebook along with you thanks to its military-grade aluminum chassis that offers rugged protection on the go.
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You’re saving over $200 thanks to this model’s Grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition with minimal to zero scuffing on the case.
Bring home an ASUS Chromebook CM30 for just $144.97 today.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Microsoft Office is finally a one-time purchase, and it’s only $30
TL;DR: Instead of paying for Microsoft 365 every month, get a Microsoft Office lifetime license while they’re on sale for $29.97. Sale ends July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
$29.97
$219.99
Save $190.02
You might not want to keep paying for Microsoft 365 anymore. At its absolute cheapest, Microsoft 365 is $99.99 per year, and that’s if you pay for the full year up front, but it’s also not your only option anymore. Instead of paying for the same software year after year, now you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office installed directly onto your PC, and it’s only $29.97 (reg. $219.99) on sale.
You don’t have to pay a monthly fee to get the core Microsoft apps anymore.
This version of Microsoft Office comes with
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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Publisher
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Access
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OneNote
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Teams (free version)
Just keep in mind that Microsoft is ending support for Publisher in October, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use it. It just means it won’t be changing anymore, which may actually be a good thing if you like your apps to look the same tomorrow as they were yesterday.
This license is a little different from Microsoft 365. It doesn’t come with extras like cloud storage, or the new AI integrations, but for many users, that’s actually a good thing. The AI integrations are still being worked out, so sudden updates can totally change your workflow. If you want a simple, reliable set of tools to work with, this is an excellent option for a great price.
Mashable Deals
Through July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it’s only $29.97 to get a Microsoft Office lifetime license.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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