The Pretender (TV series)

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For other uses, see Pretender (disambiguation).

The Pretender
Miss Parker, Jarod and Sydney of The Pretender.
Genre	Drama
Creator(s)	Steven Long Mitchell Craig W. Van Sickle
Starring	Michael T. Weiss Andrea Parker Patrick Bauchau Jon Gries
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	86 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 9, 1996 – May 13, 2000
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC for four seasons between 1996 and 2000. After it was cancelled, two TV movies were made that picked up where the series left off.

1 Synopsis
2 Cast
- 2.1 Main cast
- 2.2 Back story
3 Series
4 Episodes
5 Trivia
6 Awards and nominations
- 6.1 Awards won
- 6.2 Awards nominated
7 DVD releases
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The show revolved around a young man named Jarod, who was abducted from his parents as a child and raised by an organization called "The Centre". Jarod's handlers at the Centre used his beyond-genius IQ to train him to become a "Pretender", someone who can integrate himself into any walk of life, who can become an expert in any field - no matter how complex.

When Jarod, a compassionate and caring man, eventually discovered the Centre was using the information gathered from his "simulations" for nefarious purposes, he soon escaped. Travelling around the United States, adopting various identities, he used his gift to help people in need, haunted not only by the blood on his hands but also by operatives from the Centre, who pursued him relentlessly throughout the show's run.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Main cast

This table represents the appearance of the main cast throughout The Pretender series. What is represented in this chart is the number of episodes appeared in, and appearances in The Pretender 2001 [1] and The Pretender: Island of the Haunted [2] movies.

Character	Played by	# of episodes	2001	Island of the Haunted
Jarod	Michael T. Weiss	86	Yes	Yes
Miss Parker	Andrea Parker	86	Yes	Yes
Sydney	Patrick Bauchau	86	Yes	Yes
Broots	Jon Gries	85	Yes	Yes
Young Jarod/Gemini	Ryan Merriman	48	No	No
Dr. William Raines	Richard Marcus	45	Yes	Yes
Mr. Lyle	James Denton	36	Yes	Yes
Mr. Parker	Harve Presnell	31	Yes	Yes
Sam the Sweeper	Sam Ayers	31	No	Yes
Angelo aka Timmy	Paul Dillon	23	Yes	Yes
Brigitte Parker	Pamela Gidley	17	No	No
Willie the Sweeper	Willie Gault	14	No	No
Young Miss Parker	Ashley Peldon	12	No	No
Magaret, Jarod's mom	Kim Myers	10	No	Yes
Thomas Gates	Jason Brooks	8	No	No
Mr. Cox	Lenny Von Dohlen	5	No	No
Young Angelo/Timmy	Jake Lloyd	5	No	No
Major Charles	George Lazenby	4	No	No
Ethan Clausen/Mirage	Tyler Christopher	2	Yes	No

Main article: List of The Pretender (TV series) characters

[edit] Back story

Jarod was raised by "The Centre" (based in the fictional town of Blue Cove, Delaware), where he was specially trained to develop his unique intelligence and abilities as a Pretender. Sydney, his mentor, and father-figure, coached him to run simulations in which Jarod used his unique gift to help people. Jarod later found out that The Centre wasn't using the simulations to help people but to harm them. Having escaped, Jarod is trying to clear his conscience, but The Centre is never far behind.

Miss Parker (daughter of the man in charge, Mr. Parker), Sydney (Jarod's mentor), and Broots (a computer genius), are the Centre team charged with recapturing Jarod. (Although Parker, Bauchau, and Gries were constant presences throughout the series, other members of the pursuit team came and went- notably James Denton as Mr. Lyle, the show's most unambiguous villain.) Richard Marcus and Harve Presnell appear as their superiors at the Centre. Andrea Parker also plays Miss Parker's mother, Catherine Parker, in flashback scenes, and Patrick Bauchau Sydney's twin brother Jacob.

[edit] Series

After the series was cancelled, it was picked up in syndication by Turner Network Television. Two telemovies -- The Pretender 2001 and Island of the Haunted -- were aired on TNT in 2001; partly as a result of pressure from fans who staged a global email campaign. A third telemovie was promised, but has not been made as of 2007, despite further pressure from fans who feel that it is needed to tie up the remaining loose ends. The creators of the show, Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle stated in an interview on the French DVD of the telemovies that they have already written an ending and all they need is financing to produce the final Pretender movie.

On February 27th, 2007 a representative from the Turner Network Television announced they have no intention of financing anymore Pretender movies, even with the positive DVD sales. However, the Sci-Fi television channel has displayed an interest in financing a 3rd and final movie, yet are still in negotiations.^{[citation needed]}

Reruns of The Pretender have aired and still air in many countries worldwide.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of The Pretender episodes

[edit] Trivia

The words to the first season opening narration are: There are pretenders among us. Geniuses with the ability to be become anyone they want to be. In 1963, a corporation known as the Centre isolated a young pretender named Jarod and exploited his genius for their research. Then, one day, their pretender ran away...
The pilot gives the wording as follows: There are extraordinary individuals among us known as PRETENDERS. Geniuses with the ability to insinuate themselves into any walk of life, to literally become anyone. In 1963, a corporation called the Centre isolated one such PRETENDER, a young boy named Jarod. Locked in a controlled environment, they exploited his genius for their "unofficial" research. Then, one day, their PRETENDER ran away. This version appeared a paragraph at a time in a static position on screen unlike the opening used from episode two on which scrolled from bottom to top (except for the final sentence which dramatically appeared in the center of the screen after the other text had faded). Both openings appeared as blue text on a black background.
Subsequent seasons have the following narration:
- On screen: there are Pretenders among us
- Narrator: There are Pretenders among us.
- Jarod: I was taken from my family
- On screen: a child genius
- Young Sydney: Thirty-six hours and he's already demonstrating more talent than any of our others.
- On screen: exploited by the Centre
- Jarod: How many people died because of what I thought up?
- Jarod: Since I broke out...
- On screen: escaped
- Jarod: ...I've spent every moment searching for my past.
- On screen: the pretender (title logo)
- Miss Parker: He's a Pretender, a genius who can become anyone that he wants to be.
- Sydney: The Centre wants him alive.
- Miss Parker: Preferably.
- Miss Parker: He defends the weak and abused.
- Jarod: Life's a gift.
- Patient: Are you a doctor?
- Jarod: I am today.
The building seen in nearly every episode and identified as "The Centre" is actually the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant, located in Toronto, Canada. The same building also appears as Genomex headquarters in the series Mutant X, the clinic in In the Mouth of Madness and in some episodes of Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal.
Most regular characters are almost always addressed by one name, either their first or their surname, never by their full name. Most of the character's full names are never even revealed (The only exceptions to this would be Dr. William Raines and Catherine Elaine Parker (whose maiden name was Catherine Jamison). Catherine's middle name is revealed on a DSA by Dr. Raines preceding her autopsy in Season 4 Episode 19.
The second season's episodes "Scott Free" and "Stolen" and the fourth season's episode "Cold Dick" are the only Pretender episodes in which Jarod doesn't use his first name in the "pretend"; in these episodes, he impersonates other characters (R.H. Cross, George Harper, and Dick Dixon respectively).
According to show creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle, the character of Jarod was inspired by serial impostor Ferdinand Waldo Demara.
Miss Parker's first name is never revealed. Some fans have speculated that it may have been "Monica", because in one episode it seems like she is called "Monica" by an old high school boyfriend. The man actually calls her "Parker" with an Italian accent. In the first season Christmas episode "Not Even a Mouse," while unpacking Christmas ornaments, Miss Parker comes across one with the inscription: "To: Mom / Merry / Christmas / Love, M.P. / 1969" This seems to indicate that Miss Parker's first initial is "M." Conversely, it may be a humorous inclusion by the writers indicating that "Miss" is such a frequent address that it is practically her first name.
It was formerly posted on the TNT Pretender website that Miss Parker's character's name had not been chosen until they auditioned Andrea Parker and that her name fit the character so well, they decided to keep it.
Miss Parker's first name is only ever seen spoken in Season One, Episode Three, in which Young Miss Parker can be seen whispering Jarod her real name. The audience never hears what is whispered.
In the first season episode "Dragon House, Part 1" Jarod finds his parents' old Bible. Turning to a bookmarked page, he finds the highlighted text, "6 And under the hand of God, Ye little children shall never be lost." No such Bible verse exists; it was created for the show. The passage displayed on screen is from Joshua 19, which is a list of Israeli territories broken down by tribe. The actual text of Joshua 19:6 is "And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages:" This verse has been removed and replaced by the highlighted text.
The fourth season episode "Extreme," in which Jarod infiltrates an extreme sports group, is a reworking of an episode from an earlier series that The Pretender creators Stephen Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle co-created/co-wrote, Cobra. A scene where Jarod is tied to a chair and thrown in a swimming pool is nearly identical.
Michael T. Weiss portrayed his Jarod character on the TV series Profiler during an NBC crossover event. The first half of the plot was shown on an episode of The Pretender (in which the main two characters from the Profiler show appeared), and the second half crossed over onto an episode of Profiler (in which Michael T. Weiss guest starred). Jarod helped the lead characters of Profiler to rescue a child who was being used to assassinate former scientists involved in studies revolving around super-soldier applications. The character was a police officer named Jarod Doyle, and he disappeared at the end of the episode, presumably on to another "pretend." Also in that episode, while Jarod Doyle was talking with one of the main characters in his room, a Mr. Potato Head could be seen beside a computer on the table between them, which was a reference to the prior Pretender episode in which Jarod gives a computer sketch artist a box filled with Mr. Potato Head sets as a gift for aging his mother's photo to "present day".
Season 3, Episode 1, "Crazy" contains a meta reference. When a psychiatrist asks Jarod for his last name, he responds, "I don't know. It changes every week."
Season 4, Episode 17 is an episode-long homage to Reservoir Dogs where Jarod infiltrates a gang that only knows each other by pseudonyms. The episode ends with all gang members turning on each other and the police storming the place.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Awards won

FAITA Award (also known as First Americans in the Arts Awards):

Outstanding Guest Performance by an Actor in a TV Drama Series - Tyler Christopher (2001)

Young Artist Awards:

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor - Seth Adkins (1999)
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Supporting Young Actor - Ryan Merriman (1998-1999)

[edit] Awards nominated

Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music by Mark Leggett & Velton Ray Bunch (2000)

Golden Satellite Award:

Best TV Series-Drama (1998-1999)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series - Michael T. Weiss (1998-1999)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series - Andrea Parker (1999)

Saturn Award:

Best Genre TV Actor - Michael T. Weiss (1998)

Young Artist Award:

Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actor - Zachary Browne (1998)
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actress - Caitlin Wachs (2000)
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actress - Ashley Peldon (1999)
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Young Actor - Ryan Merriman (1997)
Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Young Actress - Ashley Peldon (1997)

YoungStar Award:

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Series - Ryan Merriman (1997,1999-2000)

[edit] DVD releases

20th Century Fox has released the entire series as well as the 2 TV-Movies on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.

DVD Name	Cover Art	Release Date
The Pretender - TV Starter Set		March 22, 2005
The Pretender - The Complete First Season		March 22, 2005
The Pretender - The Complete Second Season		September 20, 2005
The Pretender - The Complete Third Season		February 14, 2006
The Pretender - The Complete Fourth Season		July 18, 2006
The Pretender: Movie Edition - The Pretender 2001 The Pretender: Island of the Haunted		March 13, 2007