''The Pretender'' is an American

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television series created by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle, that aired on

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 ...

from September 19, 1996, to May 13, 2000. The series follows Jarod, a young man who is a "Pretender", a

genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...

impostor able to quickly master the complex skill sets necessary to

impersonate An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone: *Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of ...

a member of any profession. After being kidnapped as a child by The Centre, a sinister think tank located in the fictional Blue Cove,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, who exploited his Pretender abilities, Jarod escapes as an adult and goes on the run. He is chased by a trio of Centre agents—Miss Parker (the daughter of a pivotal figure within The Centre), Sydney (a Centre psychologist who raised Jarod) and Broots (a Centre computer expert). In each episode, Jarod assumes a new professional identity (e.g., doctor, lawyer, soldier, pilot) to investigate a crime framed on someone else, and deliver justice to the actual culprits. In the meantime, Jarod searches for his origins, and leads Miss Parker, Sydney and Broots on a chase to discover the dark secrets of The Centre, including how they are involved in the death of Miss Parker's mother. The series was inspired by serial

impostor An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise. Their objective is usually to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but also often for purposes ...

Ferdinand Waldo Demara. A part of the network's Saturday night lineup, NBC cancelled the series after four seasons.

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

ordered two sequel

television films A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

that aired in 2001—'' The Pretender 2001'' and '' The Pretender: Island of the Haunted''. In 2013, creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle began updating the story with a book series and graphic novels; the first, '' The Pretender: Rebirth'', was published on October 7.

Plot

Jarod (

Michael T. Weiss Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''. Early life Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...

) is a

child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...

who is abducted at a young age and raised in a

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

called the Centre, based in the fictional town of Blue Cove,

. Told that his parents have died, Jarod is assigned to the care of a man named Sydney (

Patrick Bauchau Patrick Nicolas Jean Sixte Ghislain Bauchau (born 6 December 1938) is a Belgian actor best known for his roles in the films ''A View to a Kill'', '' The Rapture'' and ''Panic Room'', as well as the TV shows '' The Pretender'' and '' House''. ...

), a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

working for the Centre. During Jarod's youth, Sydney mentors the boy and regularly coaches him through complex simulations designed to exploit his intellect for real life application. But as an adult, Jarod discovers that the Centre is using data gathered from his responses for nefarious purposes, such as illegal black ops and engineering the deaths of others. Feeling responsible, Jarod escapes the Centre. Soon afterward, he discovers that the people whom he had long believed to be his parents actually were not, as Jarod has an anomaly in his blood that a father or mother would share — which neither of his supposed parents do. The Centre assigns a team to recapture Jarod, consisting of Sydney, computer expert Broots (

Jon Gries Jonathan Gries ( '; born June 17, 1957) is an American actor, writer, and director. He is best known for the role of Uncle Rico in '' Napoleon Dynamite '' for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, an ...

), and "Miss Parker" (

Andrea Parker Andrea N. Parker is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles on '' ER'', '' The Pretender'', ''Less than Perfect'', ''Desperate Housewives'', and ''Pretty Little Liars''. Career Her first documented film role was at ...

), a dogged and formidable operative who was raised in the Centre and knew Jarod as a child. Though she is no longer an active field operative, she is "recalled from Corporate" during the pilot episode and put in charge of Jarod's recapture; in exchange, she would get to leave The Centre. While Sydney feels loyalty to Jarod and wishes his safe return, Miss Parker is under orders to "preferably" bring him in alive and will not hesitate to use deadly force. Fearing for Jarod's safety, Sydney at times undermines Miss Parker and will directly prevent her from using lethal methods to prevent Jarod's continued evasion of his pursuers. In the pilot, Parker questions Sydney's commitment to the Centre, telling him he can be a scientist for the Centre or "mommy" to Jarod, but not both. Despite The Centre's resources, Jarod often stays a step or two ahead of his pursuers. While tracking down clues to his past and his parents, Jarod also targets criminals who have gone unpunished or undetected by the law. Through assumed identities (which involve different surnames, but always "Jarod" as a first name), he uncovers the truth about these crimes, and lures the perpetrators into staged set-ups that emulate the harm they have done to others, and forces them to confess their crimes. At times, he leaves Miss Parker and Sydney deliberate clues ("breadcrumbs") that point to the criminals he is targeting and why. During his adventures, Jarod also discovers the joys of the childhood he was denied while being raised in isolation — such as bubblegum,

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...

, a

Slinky The Slinky is a helical spring toy invented by Richard James in the early 1940s. It can perform a number of tricks, including travelling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its ow ...

, and

Silly Putty Silly Putty is a toy based on silicone polymers that have unusual physical properties. It bounces, but it breaks when given a sharp blow, and it can also flow like a liquid. It contains a viscoelastic liquid silicone, a type of non-Newtonian f ...

— that are often used in these traps. Meanwhile, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots learn more about The Centre's dark secrets, and how the institution was involved in the death of Miss Parker's mother.

Series finale

Though Jarod learns more about his family, there are still unanswered questions when the series ends after four seasons. The series finale closed with both characters being nearby an exploding bomb. The ending did not reveal whether Jarod and/or Miss Parker survived the blast. The next year, the telemovie '' The Pretender 2001'' picked up directly from this cliffhanger, leading into Jarod's next adventure.

Themes

Loyalty

Loyalty is a recurring theme in the series. During the first season, Jarod sends Miss Parker evidence that she too has been manipulated by the organization, which is led by her father ("Mr. Parker"). Miss Parker discovers that she has been lied to about her mother's death, and The Centre was actually involved in her death (which she had been told was

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

). Although her loyalty wavers on her quest for answers, and some specific periods – most notably during early season two, when her father disappears and is replaced by Mr. Lyle and Brigitte – it never completely falters. Similarly, Sydney's loyalty to The Centre wavers upon its actions. Having raised Jarod, Sydney feels a unique bond to Jarod, and is unwilling to harm him to recapture him. This rift increases when he discovers truths about what the organization – specifically Mr. Raines – has done to Jarod, other Pretender children, and his twin brother, Jacob, who is his only family.

Identity

Having been kidnapped as a young child and raised in The Centre, Jarod has little memory of his life before being taken by The Centre. He yearns to find the identity The Centre kept him from having, and to reunite with his family. Similarly, Miss Parker struggles with her identity throughout the series, after The Centre's dark secrets affect her own family, such as learning she has a twin brother, and the circumstances surrounding death of her mother. She learns from Jarod that she was lied to about how her mother Catherine Parker had died. Further revelations are made concerning Miss Parker's origins and her brother. This puts her in a parallel to Jarod's quest of discovery, and at times her loyalty wavers, though it never falters. When she and Jarod do share a romantic moment, Jarod questions if this will change things and Miss Parker replies it will not. "You run, I chase."

Cast

as Jarod *

as Miss Parker/Catherine Parker *

as Sydney/Jacob *

as Broots (season 4; recurring previously)

Recurring

Harve Presnell George Harvey Presnell (September 14, 1933 – June 30, 2009) was an American actor and singer. He began his career in the mid-1950s as a classical baritone, singing with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States. His career re ...

as Mr. Parker *

Richard Marcus Richard Marcus (born September 19, 1945) is an American actor who is best known for his roles in '' St. Elsewhere'', '' Tremors'', and '' The Pretender''. Actor Richard Marcus' first role was on the television show '' The White Shadow'', guest ...

as Dr. William Raines *

Paul Dillon Paul Dillon is an American character actor who began his career in show business in Chicago. His film career began in 1994 with the film '' Blink'' in which he played the role of Neal Booker. He played Paddy O'Brien in '' Austin Powers: Interna ...

as Angelo *

James Denton James Thomas Denton Jr. (born January 20, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for playing Mike Delfino on ABC's comedy-drama series ''Desperate Housewives'' (2004–2012) and Dr. Sam Radford on Hallmark Channel's comedy ...

as Mr. Lyle *

Pamela Gidley Pamela Catherine Gidley (June 11, 1965 – April 16, 2018) was an American actress and model. She began her career as an actress in 1986, debuting in the film ''Thrashin, before appearing in a number of films, including '' Dudes'' (1987), '' C ...

as Brigitte *

Ryan Merriman Ryan Earl Merriman (born April 10, 1983) is an American actor. He began his career at the age of ten and has appeared in several feature films and television shows. He is best known for a handful of Disney Channel original movies and for portr ...

as Young Jarod/Gemini *

Ashley Peldon Ashley Peldon (born April 2, 1984) is an American actress, starting as a child actress, transitioning to adult roles, then primarily voice acting after 2008. She has many credits for screams provided for sound effects. Life and career Peldon an ...

as Young Miss Parker *

Alex Wexo Alex Wexo (born March 16) is an American movie and television actor and producer. He is sometimes credited as Al Wexo. He is the founder of WexoFilms. Life and career At age five he and his family moved to London, England, where he was raised. ...

as Young Sydney *

Jake Lloyd Jake Matthew Lloyd (born March 5, 1989), also known as Jake Broadbent, is an American former actor who portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 film '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' and Jamie Langston in '' Jingle All the Way ...

as Young Angelo *

Kelsey Mulrooney __NOTOC__ Kelsey may refer to: Places Canada * Kelsey, Alberta * Kelsey, Manitoba * Rural Municipality of Kelsey, Manitoba (unconnected with Kelsey, Manitoba) * Kelsey Airport, Manitoba * SIAST Kelsey Campus, one of four campuses of the Saskatche ...

as Debbie Broots *

Jeffrey Donovan Jeffrey Donovan (born May 11, 1968) is an American actor. He played Michael Westen in the television series ''Burn Notice'', and appeared in films such as '' Hitch'', '' Believe in Me'', '' Changeling'', and ''Come Early Morning''. He played Ro ...

as Kyle * Jason Brooks as Thomas Gates * Kim Myers as Jarod’s Mother

Production

The pilot was filmed in and around

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada. The building used as "The Centre" in transition sequences is the

R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant The R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is both a crucial piece of infrastructure and an architecturally acclaimed historic building named after the longtime commissioner of Toronto's public works Roland Caldwell Harris ...

. Following the pilot, the series moved production to Los Angeles. In the Spring of 1999, the series was sold into syndication to

and

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...

. After the series was cancelled in May 2000, a fan campaign for the series to continue prompted negotiations involving the show's creators and both NBC and TNT. In October 2000, TNT greenlit two

– '' The Pretender 2001'' and '' Island of the Haunted'' – which aired on TNT in January and December 2001, respectively. However, both movies ended with an unresolved

cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

, and TNT opted not to order any more movies. The creators of the show, Steven Mitchell and Craig van Sickle stated in an interview on the French DVD of the telemovies that an ending was written for the series; they just needed financing to create it. In a September 2007 interview on the miniseries '' Tin Man'', Mitchell and van Sickle noted that fans were still requesting an ending and that it would happen "soon" due to a relationship with "Strange Highway" Entertainment. They also noted that the story line would continue digitally on the web. On May 21, 2008, van Sickle again expressed interest in having a final episode or film to finish the series, and asked fans to continue to be patient until it happens.

Novels and Rebirth of series

On July 8, 2013, it was announced through The Pretender Creators Facebook page that the series would be reborn. On July 19, the producers stated in an interview that they planned graphic novels and then a mini-series/movies. The first Pretender novel, ''

Rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * ''The Re ...

'', was released on September 22, 2013, in eBook and paperback through Amazon. The second Pretender novel, ''Saving Luke'', was released on May 12, 2014, in eBook and paperback, also through Amazon.

Episodes and Nielsen ratings

Awards and nominations

;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 The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

: * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series — Guest Starring Young Actor

Seth Adkins Seth Elijah Adkins (born October 30, 1989) is an American actor. He made his debut as a child actor in the TV shows ''Small Talk'' and ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' in 1996 and the films '' ...First Do No Harm'' and ''Titanic'' in 1997. He late ...

(1999) * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series — Supporting Young ActorRyan Merriman (1998–1999) ;Nominations

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

: * Outstanding Main Title Theme Music by

Mark Leggett Mark Leggett is an American guitarist/composer who has composed music for hundreds of television and documentary productions in the U.S. Credits include television series My Name Is Earl, theme music for The Pretender (TV series), The Pretender (E ...

and

Velton Ray Bunch Velton Ray Bunch (born January 22, 1948 in Goldsboro, North Carolina) is a film and television composer. Sometimes credited as ''Ray Bunch''. Bunch has been nominated for an Emmy three times for his work, and won the fourth time for his score t ...

(2000)

Golden Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

: * Best TV Series—Drama (1998–1999) * Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama SeriesMichael T. Weiss (1998–1999) * Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series

(1999)

Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...

: * Best Genre TV Actor – Michael T. Weiss (1998)

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

: * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actor

Zachary Browne Zachary Browne (born March 28, 1985) is an American former television and film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in ...

(1998) * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actress

Caitlin Wachs Caitlin Elizabeth Wachs (pronounced ''wax''; born March 15, 1989) is an American production coordinator and actress. She appeared alongside Ally Walker and Robert Davi on the NBC television series '' Profiler'' in the role of Chloe Waters and ...

(2000) * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Guest Starring Young Actress

(1999) * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Young ActorRyan Merriman (1997) * Best Performance in a TV Drama Series for Young Actress

(1997) YoungStar Award: * Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV SeriesRyan Merriman (1997,1999–2000)

Home media

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...

released all 4 seasons on DVD in Region 1 between 2005–2006. They also released the two ''Pretender'' movies together as a set on March 13, 2007. All 4 seasons were re-released on May 26, 2009, with new packaging. All episodes from the first two seasons are available for purchase online through

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...

service.

Thrillogy

Thrillogy was a short lived sci-fi/action

programming block Block programming is the arrangement of programs on radio or television so that those of a particular genre, theme, or target audience are united. Overview Block programming involves scheduling a series of related shows which are likely to attra ...

on NBC's Saturday night that debuted in Fall of 1996 with three action/sci-fi series: ''

Dark Skies ''Dark Skies'' is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that debuted on NBC on September 21, 1996, and ended on May 31, 1997, and was later rerun by the Sci-Fi Channel; 18 episodes and a two-hour pilot episode were br ...

'', ''The Pretender'', and '' Profiler''. When ''Dark Skies'' was cancelled before the 1996–97 television season was over, NBC attempted to keep the Thrillogy block intact for the 1997–98 season by inserting the new series '' Sleepwalkers''. However, the series was cancelled after the airing of only two episodes, and NBC dropped the Thrillogy marketing. ''The Pretender'' and ''Profiler'' continued airing together on Saturday nights, earning respectable ratings for NBC. At the midseason point of the 1999–2000 season, NBC reintroduced the Thrillogy lineup with the addition of paranormal series '' The Others''. However, NBC cancelled the entire lineup at the end of the season. The Thrillogy concept aired for less than the equivalent of two full seasons over a four season period.

''Profiler'' crossovers

Michael T. Weiss portrayed Jarod on the TV series '' Profiler'' during an NBC

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

event. The first half of the plot unfolded on ''The Pretender'' (season 3, episode 19 " End Game"), in which two lead characters from ''Profiler'', Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (

Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...

) and Bailey Malone (

Robert Davi Robert John Davi (born 1953) is an American actor, singer and filmmaker. Over the course of his acting career, Davi has performed in more than 130 films. Among his most known roles are opera-singing heavy Jake Fratelli in ''The Goonies'' (1985), ...

) guest-starred. The conclusion takes place in an episode of ''Profiler'' (season 3, episode 19 " Grand Master") in which Weiss guest starred; Jarod's alias at the time is Jarod Doyle, a police officer. Two additional crossovers took place the following season; Walker departed from the series, and was replaced with new profiler Rachel Burke (

Jamie Luner Jamie Michelle Luner (born May 12, 1971) is an American actress who first came to prominence as Cindy Lubbock on the ABC sitcom ''Just the Ten of Us'', but is perhaps better known as Peyton Richards on ''Savannah'', Lexi Sterling on ''Melrose Pla ...

). The first crossover takes place on ''The Pretender'' (season 4, episode 10 "

Spin Doctor In public relations and politics, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event or campaigning to influence public opinion about some organization or public figure. While traditional publi ...

") and concludes on ''Profiler'' (season 4, episode 10 " Clean Sweep"), where Jarod had a short lived romance with Burke. Weiss later appeared as Jarod on another episode of ''Profiler'' (season 4, episode 18 "

Pianissimo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...

"); however, ''The Pretender'' did not air another crossover episode.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pretender, The 1990s American drama television series 1996 American television series debuts 2000s American drama television series 2000 American television series endings English-language television shows Fictional vigilantes NBC original programming Television series by Universal Television Television shows filmed in Toronto Television shows set in Delaware Television series by MTM Enterprises