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''Journeyman'' is an American
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
created by
Kevin Falls Kevin Falls is an American television writer and producer. He was the creator and showrunner of the NBC television drama ''Journeyman''. He worked as a consulting producer and writer on ''Shark''. He served as an executive producer for the short li ...
for
20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...
which aired on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
television network.NBC.com: ''Journeyman'' official site - "About"
/ref> It starred
Kevin McKidd Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is a Scottish actor and television director. Before playing the role of Dr. Owen Hunt in ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which he is widely known, McKidd appeared as Tommy Mackenzie in Danny Boyle's '' Trainspotting'' ...
as Dan Vasser, a
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
reporter A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
who involuntarily travels through time.
Alex Graves Alexander John Graves (born July 23, 1965) is an American film director, television director, television producer and screenwriter. Early life Alex Graves was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His father, William Graves, was a reporter for ''Th ...
, who directed the
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, and Falls served as
executive producers Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
. The show premiered on September 24, 2007, airing Mondays at 10 p.m.
Eastern Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small port ...
. The initial order from the network was for 13 episodes, all of which were produced prior to the
2007 Writers Guild of America strike 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
by screenwriters. However, the series suffered from low ratings, and NBC canceled it in April 2008. The final episode of ''Journeyman'' aired on Wednesday, December 19, 2007.


Plot

The series centers on Dan Vasser, a
newspaper reporter A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
living with his wife Katie and young son Zack in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. For an unknown reason, one day he begins "jumping" backward in time. He soon learns that each series of jumps follows the life of a person whose
destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
he is meant to change. Dan's jumping affects his family life and his job, and instills suspicion in his brother Jack, a
police detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
. While in the past, Dan reconnects with his ex-fiancée, Livia, whom he had believed was killed in a
plane crash An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...
but who is actually a fellow time traveler.


Fictional cosmology

Dan's "shifts" through time occur seemingly at random. The only indication he has to an oncoming jump is a feeling in his head which varies from right before he jumps to several seconds of warning. Initially, the feelings were
headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...
s. However, as the series progresses the headaches become less painful. Dan appears to have no control over the shifts. The first jump is several decades into the past; through a series of jumps, he jumps nearer to the present, usually years at a time. When Dan met Evan in the series finale, Evan told Dan that he was a traveler too. It was implied that Evan had traveled to different time periods at random. The same can be inferred with Livia, who claims that she has gone through many jumps of her own. But her jumps are quite different from Dan's. The jumps manifest themselves with a small blue flash and a
ripple Ripple may refer to: Science and technology * Capillary wave, commonly known as ripple, a wave traveling along the phase boundary of a fluid ** Ripple, more generally a disturbance, for example of spacetime in gravitational waves * Ripple (electri ...
as Dan appears to vanish from the present, and appear instantly in the past. He is missing from the present for a period of time unrelated to the period he spends in the past. His disappearances and reappearances are rarely witnessed by anyone else. Dan does not arrive in the same location he departed, but instead arrives near the person who he is supposed to help. His jumps are typically restricted to the area he leaves from, usually keeping him in the San Francisco area. Originally, when Dan arrives to the past, he is unconscious. But as the series goes on, Dan somehow gets a hold on the jumps. It becomes evident when Dan feels the jumps coming on and as the jump occurs, he is seen walking with the ripples being shown behind him. Dan is also trying to figure out the mechanics of his travels. He has questioned a
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
who seems to have known his father in the past, and has discussed the possibility of
tachyon A tachyon () or tachyonic particle is a hypothetical particle that always travels faster than light. Physicists believe that faster-than-light particles cannot exist because they are not consistent with the known laws of physics. If such partic ...
particles being able to cause time jumps. It is now clear that the scientist is aware of Dan's travels, as well as those of others like him. It has also been discovered that those born around the time of a rare passing
comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ar ...
(the fictional "Joseph-Lee" comet) have this ability. Dan's journeys appear to each have an innate purpose, which is not always apparent to him, but involves positively changing the destiny of a certain person. Likewise,
fate Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
seems to conspire against him if he tries to alter other events beyond his current charge. Alterations Dan makes to the
timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...
affect the present and the memories of everyone in it. However, his own memories are unaltered, and he recalls events as they originally occurred before his interference. Dan is not alone in his tendency to time-travel. His ex-fiancée Livia, thought to have been killed in a plane crash, actually traveled back to her "home time", 1948, from where she jumps ''forward'' in time. Dan meets Livia on his jumps into the past, as she jumps into her future to offer her experience and assistance with Dan's missions. As revealed in the episode "Perfidia", there was at least one other person who also jumps through time, named Evan. However, the death of that individual occurs shortly before Dan experiences his first jump in the first episode, bringing the whole series full circle, making Dan believe that the loss of Evan as a time traveler created a void which Dan filled. Livia and Dan also sensed that Livia's purpose in accompanying him came to an end at that point, and that they would not see much of each other after that mission.


Cast and characters

*Dan Vasser (played by
Kevin McKidd Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is a Scottish actor and television director. Before playing the role of Dr. Owen Hunt in ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which he is widely known, McKidd appeared as Tommy Mackenzie in Danny Boyle's '' Trainspotting'' ...
) is a reporter for the fictional newspaper the ''San Francisco Register''. Dan is the main protagonist of the series, who finds himself jumping through time, unable to stop or control the jumps. He has a son, Zack, with his wife of 7 years, Katie — his brother's ex-girlfriend. Dan was previously engaged to Livia Beale before her disappearance and supposed death in a plane crash. Dan is a recovered gambling addict. *Katie Vasser (played by
Gretchen Egolf Gretchen Egolf (born September 9, 1973) is an American theater, film and television actress. Early life and education Egolf was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of artist Paula Egolf and stepfather Gary Egolf. Her ...
) is Dan's wife and mother of their son Zack. Until recently, she was the only one in the present who knew about her husband's time-traveling. Katie was the long-time girlfriend of Dan's brother Jack. Since their break-up nine years ago, the two have remained somewhat distant; partly because Katie ended up getting pregnant by Dan and they married soon after. Before marrying Dan, Katie was a television reporter. In response to cutbacks at the ''Register'', and Dan's traveling, Katie returns to television to ensure a stable income for the family. *Olivia "Livia" Beale (played by
Moon Bloodgood Korinna Moon Bloodgood (born September 20, 1975) is an American actress and model, known for her role as Lt. Blair Williams in the 2009 film ''Terminator Salvation'' and as Anne Glass in the TNT television series '' Falling Skies''. Early life ...
) is Dan's ex-fiancée who was presumed dead after a plane crash nearly ten years before the start of the series. It is revealed that she is actually a time traveler from 1948 who jumps into the future. After not being able to jump home for an uncertain number of years, she was stuck in Dan's present and adapted to life there, where she began a legal career and fell in love with Dan, only to finally jump back home while on the plane before it crashed. In "Blowback" and in the final episode, "Perfidia", she and Dan speculated that Dan was the target of her extended jump, and that her mission was to get Dan and Katie together (which was arguably a result of her supposed death). For unknown reasons, she now jumps to the same times that Dan visits, and offers him advice and assistance in his missions. *Jack Vasser (played by
Reed Diamond Reed Edward Diamond (born July 20, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Det. Mike Kellerman on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', Jason Pillar in season 8 of '' 24'', and recurring character Laurence Dominic on ''Dollhouse' ...
) is Dan's brother. Jack, a police detective, is dating Dr. Theresa Sanchez (
Lisa Sheridan Lisa Sheridan (December 5, 1973 – February 25, 2019) was an American actress. Known mainly for her work on television, Sheridan was a regular cast member in cult favorites series such as, ''FreakyLinks'' and ''Invasion''. Life and career S ...
), but also has feelings for Katie (his ex). Jack forms a number of misconceptions about Dan's disappearances and apparent irresponsibility, refusing to believe his brother when Dan tries to explain the time traveling. Believing Dan has perhaps returned to his gambling vice, Jack uses his police resources to investigate Dan's life. Jack is finally convinced of Dan's time traveling when Livia meets with Jack to enlist his help in getting Dan out of a desperate situation. *Hugh Skillen (played by Brian Howe) is the
editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of the ''San Francisco Register'' and Dan's boss and friend. *Zack Vasser (played by Charles Henry Wyson) is Dan and Katie's son, who has seen Dan disappear, believing it to be magic. Dan often fears leaving his son as his father left him when he was Zack's age.


Main crew

Kevin Falls Kevin Falls is an American television writer and producer. He was the creator and showrunner of the NBC television drama ''Journeyman''. He worked as a consulting producer and writer on ''Shark''. He served as an executive producer for the short li ...
,
Alex Graves Alexander John Graves (born July 23, 1965) is an American film director, television director, television producer and screenwriter. Early life Alex Graves was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His father, William Graves, was a reporter for ''Th ...
,
Joan Binder Weiss Joan Binder Weiss is an American television screenwriter and producer. Most notably, Weiss has written several episodes for both ''Gilmore Girls'' and ''Everwood'', although other writing credits include episodes for '' Inconceivable'', ''Journeym ...
,
J.R. Orci Jorge Richard Orci (born 1975) is a Mexican television writer and producer. Life and career Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother fled Cuba after Fidel Castro came to power. He was raised in Mexico Ci ...
, Neal Ahern, Megan Mascena, Matt McGuinness,
Paul Redford Paul Redford is an American television writer and producer. Redford's family, originally Canadian, moved to Mission Hills, Kansas in the early 1970s. Paul graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in 1976, and in 1980 from Harvard University ...
, David Hyman, Juan Carlos Coto, Tom Szentgyorgyi, Dana Calvo, and Robert J. Ulrich (
Casting Director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra (acting), extra for a particular role or part in a scr ...
).


Production

Exteriors of the Vasser family home were shot at Foy House, 1337 Carroll Ave.,
Angelino Heights Angelino Heights, alternately spelled Angeleno Heights, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Situated between neighboring Chinatown and Echo Park, the neighborhood is known for its concentration of eclectic architectural styles from ...
,
Echo Park Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Located to the northwest of Downtown, it is bordered by Silver Lake to the west and Chinatown to the east. The culturally diverse neighborhood has become known fo ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. At the end of episode ten the Innes House made famous as
Halliwell Manor ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
in the series
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
can be seen next door to the south-east. Episodes of the show were made available online, and NBC distributed the pilot on a fall-preview DVD at
Blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...
and other retail video-rental stores. United Kingdom's Sky One, Australia's Channel Ten, TV3 in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and Canada's Global network acquired broadcast rights to the series. When the show was not renewed for a full season, some ''Journeyman'' supporters initiated an attempt to revive production of the series by sending boxes of
Rice-A-Roni Rice-A-Roni is a pilaf-like boxed food mix that consists of rice, vermicelli pasta, and seasonings. To prepare, the rice and pasta are browned in butter, then water and seasonings are added and simmered until absorbed. It is a product of Quak ...
(a product associated with
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
) to
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, echoing the "Nuts" campaign which led to a second season of the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
series ''
Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...
''. ''Journeyman'' creator Kevin Falls acknowledged the campaign in his blog, saying "Your fight to save Journeyman has humbled and moved us. I'm certainly not going to tell you to stop now". However, Falls also said that there were long odds against a revival, stating "''Journeyman'' will likely not be getting a back nine order." As of April 2, 2008, the show was confirmed as officially canceled by NBC.


Episodes


Reception

The series premiere, "A Love of a Lifetime", was watched by 9.2 million people, and received a 3.5/9 share among adults 18–49 years old. Mike Pearson of the ''Rocky Mountain News'' felt that ''Journeyman'' cannibalized past television shows ''
Early Edition ''Early Edition'' is an American fantasy comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996, to May 27, 2000. Set in Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each ''Chicago Sun-Times'' ...
'' and ''
Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physi ...
''. In his opinion, the second episode was more coherent than the first. Tony Whitt of IfMagazine.com gave "A Love of a Lifetime" an A−, and felt that one aspect of ''Journeyman'' that was better than ''Quantum Leap'' was its love story. He also liked the acting in "A Love of a Lifetime" and called star McKidd "damn watchable". Karla Peterson of ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' felt that "A Love of a Lifetime" was "a deft mix of supernatural wizardry and grown-up drama".


U.S. ratings


See also

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physi ...


References


External links

* {{Journeyman 2007 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings 2000s American romance television series 2000s American science fiction television series 2000s American time travel television series English-language television shows NBC original programming American time travel television series Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television shows set in San Francisco Television series set in the 1970s Television series set in the 1980s Television series set in the 1990s